World number one Lee Westwood and fellow golfer Graeme McDowell will be pitted against diver Tom Daley, heptathlete Jessica Ennis, boxer David Haye, cyclist Mark Cavendish, jockey AP McCoy, cricketer Graeme Swann, skeleton rider Amy Williams and darts star Phil Taylor.

The winner, to be decided by public vote, will be crowned at a live show at Birmingham's LG Arena on Sunday, December 19.

The event, presented by Sue Barker, Gary Lineker and Jake Humphrey, will be the biggest in the history of the competition.

There will also be trophies for the Team of the Year, Coach of the Year, Overseas Sports Personality of the Year, Lifetime Achievement, Helen Rollason Award, Young Sports Personality of the Year and Sports Unsung Hero.

The shortlist of contenders was put together by a panel of 30 sports editors from national and regional newspapers and magazines.

It has been a fantastic year for the 10 contenders.

Cavendish once again proved he is one of the world's premier sprinters as he clocked up an impressive five stage wins in this year's Tour de France, while diver Daley added to his already bulging medal collection with two golds at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi.

Ennis won the heptathlon at the European Championships after dominating in Barcelona, and Williams became a national star overnight after winning Britain's first individual Winter Olympics gold medal for 30 years with victory in the women's skeleton.

McCoy cemented his reputation as the greatest jump jockey in history by finally winning the Grand National at the 15th attempt on Don't Push It, while McDowell became Europe's first US Open champion for 40 years when he clinched his maiden major title in impressive fashion at Pebble Beach.

England's spinmaster Swann continued to bamboozle opponents on the international cricket scene in 2010, producing brilliant displays in Test series against South Africa, Bangladesh and Pakistan, while Haye delivered two successful defences of his world heavyweight title.

Taylor enjoyed a stunning year even by his own incredibly high standards, winning six major titles including the World Championship, Premier League and World Matchplay crowns, and Westwood became number one in the official world golf rankings, knocking Tiger Woods off top spot.