2009 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award was announced as footballer Ryan Giggs. Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button was runner up, with world heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis voted third. As part of the 2009 ceremony, awards were also to be presented for: 2009 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award The 2009 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, held on 13 December, was the 56th presentation of the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards. Awarded annually by the BBC, the main titular award honours an individual's British sporting achievement over the past year. The winner is selected by public vote from a 10-person shortlist.
BBC African Footballer of the Year BBC African Footballer of the Year The BBC African Footballer of the Year (previously known as the BBC African Sports Star of the Year and the BBC African Sports Personality of the Year) is an annual award given to the best African footballer of the year as voted by the BBC radio listeners. Voting is done via SMS and online. Initially a sports award, the inaugural winner was Ghana's Abedi Pele in 1992. The only non-footballers to win the award was track and field athlete Frankie Fredericks in 1993, and long-distance track and road running athlete Haile Gebrselassie in 1998.