Andy Murray Wins 2015 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award

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Andy Murray picked up the BBC’s coveted Sports Personality of the Year award on Sunday, beating Kevin Sinfield and Jessica Ennis-Hill, who placed second and third, respectively.

The BBC Sport Twitter feed confirmed his triumph:   

The tennis star was the big favourite for the award after leading Great Britain to an historic Davis Cup triumph last month, its first in 79 years. It’s the second time the Scot has won the gong, putting him alongside Damon Hill, Henry Cooper and Nigel Mansell as the only dual winners ever.

Murray last won the award in 2013 on the back of his Wimbledon triumph, but the momentum behind his winning the award this year had to do with his performance as part of the GB team. They beat Belgium 3-1 in Ghent to lift the Davis Cup, with Murray finishing the match in simply sensational style, per the tournament’s official Twitter feed:

The British Davis Cup team triumphed elsewhere on the night, as they also picked up the Team of the Year accolade:

Elsewhere, New Zealand rugby star Dan Carter shrugged off competition from Usain Bolt, Novak Djokovic and Jordan Spieth to win the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year accolade.

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“It's been an incredible year for me on British soil and the support has been phenomenal,” said the All Blacks star, who helped his team to World Cup glory earlier in the year, per BBC Sport. “It was an incredibly competitive shortlist and I'm honoured to have been recognised alongside these great sportsmen and women from around the world.”

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Retired jockey AP McCoy also picked up an award on the night in recognition of his incredible career in horse racing.

McCoy called time on his riding days in April having ridden more than 4,300 winners. He also won a remarkable 20 consecutive champion jockey titles. Before the ceremony, the Irishman expressed his gratitude on social media:

Few will begrudge Murray his triumph. Although the Scot is not the most effervescent of characters, his unrelenting energy and leadership skills helped lift the level of his team-mates throughout the Davis Cup. 

It may not have been a year to remember in the Grand Slam tournaments for Murray, but it was clear how much this team triumph meant to him, his colleagues and the rest of the country. Hopefully, winning this gong for an historic second time will propel the Scotsman on to more great things in 2016.