Image source, Rex Features

From Sheffield? Play golf?

You might recognise the golf course in this next film. It's Birley Wood, a council-run golf course on which Danny Willett honed his skills as a young lad.

The locals who play there reckon the course is as challenging as anything the Masters can throw up.

Course professional Jonathan Pyle told the Telegraph in April: “If you can play here, you can play anywhere. The greens here are just as small as Augusta. Round here, if your short game’s no good, you’ve got no chance.

"No way would the Masters course have fazed him.”

Now you know what you need to do if you want that Green Jacket!

From factory worker to England international. Jamie Vardy's story will go down in football folklore.

Just four years after signing for Leicester from then non-league side Fleetwood Town,  Vardy's goalscoring exploits helped 5,000-1 outsiders Leicester City to become Premier League champions in May.

Vardy went on to play for England during their (albeit ill-fated) Euro 2016 campaign, was voted player of the year by the Football Writers' Association, and was named on the Ballon d'Or award shortlist. 

How he fit all this in to one season, I'll never know. 

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport cricket writer

Image source, Getty Images

This was a year where England continued to be consistently inconsistent. Very good in South Africa, unchallenged by Sri Lanka, only equal to Pakistan and Bangladesh, outclassed in India. Alastair Cook went where no Englishman has gone before - 10,000 Test runs - then started speculation over his future as captain that will dominate the early part of 2017.

On the subject of staying or going, 2016 will be remembered as the year when an England captain opted out of a tour. Eoin Morgan's decision not to go to Bangladesh overshadowed his side's ongoing upsurge in white-ball cricket - Alex Hales' 171, 444 and all that.

England's women moved on without Charlotte Edwards, Brendon McCullum said farewell with a 54-ball Test hundred, Middlesex won the most captivating County Championship in living memory.

The moment of the year? No contest.

The final of the World Twenty20, a World Cup won with four successive Carlos Brathwaite sixes, West Indies dancing with delight as a broken Ben Stokes was held by Joe Root.

Never has the contrast of the agony and ecstasy of defeat been so thrilling, so stark or so instant.

Everyone loves an underdog story, and they come no better than Danny Willett at the Masters this year.

The 29-year-old won his first major with a superb five-under-par 67 to become the first British victor in 20 years - as defending champion Jordan Speith had a bit of a meltdown in the final round.

He's up for his first SPOTY nomination tonight. Will he be wearing the famous green jacket tonight? We do hope so. 

Max Whitlock: The man who enjoys doing handstands on high things.

Mad man. 

Image source, Twitter

Four words were uttered out of the mouth of Max Whitlock when he won two Olympic golds in one day:

"I've completely outdone myself."  

Whitlock won Britain's first Olympic gymnastics gold with victory in the men's floor, then 90 minutes later pipped team-mate Louis Smith to triumph on the pommel horse.

Earlier in the Games, Whitlock won Great Britain's first all-around gymnastics Olympics medal in 108 years, taking bronze.

"I just swam two lengths, it's as simple as that."

Sure, Adam Peaty. Sure. It's *that* easy.

Both Peaty and Nicola Adams were brought out to the Superstars theme tune, in case you wanted to download it and practise your own strut. 

Here's a reminder that there's a SPOTY playlist here.

You can tick off Harry Potter...

Image source, Rex Features

If you're extremely observant, you might recognise the voiceover on this Nicola Adams VT. It's one for your SPOTY bingo card too...

Tick off 'Harry Potter' because it's the voice of Noma Dumezweni who plays the adult Hermione in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.

Like Adams, Noma has broken down many barriers in her career.

She experienced racism when cast in the role of a previously white character for the Cursed Child, but got the blessing of JK Rowling herself, who told the Guardian that "Hermione can be a black woman with my absolute blessing and enthusiasm".

There's more on that here., external

Few would have predicted a first major win for Sheffield's Danny Willett in April.

The first reason being his participation at the Master had been in doubt, with his wife Nicole due to give birth on the final day. 

He was also only making his second appearance on the unforgiving Augusta course. 

But with his baby son born early, he pulled off an incredible victory with a superb five-under-par 67, as 2015 champion Jordan Spieth crumbled during a thrilling final round.

Nans who went viral and career-changing ear infections. Forget dad's Christmas trivia round, THIS is the quiz you need if you really want to test your mettle tonight.

Can you get all 16 right? Try our Sports Personality of the Year quiz here.

Arise, Dame Sarah Storey: Britain's most decorated female Paralympian.

The Cheshire cyclist won three more gold medals in Rio to take her incredible haul to 14. 

Five of the golds came in the pool in Barcelona and Atlanta, before she was forced to quit swimming in 2005 because of persistent ear infections. 

She then decided she'd be pretty decent on a bike as well.

Storey has now won nine golds in cycling - on both track and road - while also taking time out to become a mother.

We have a superhuman in our midst.

Nick Skelton's been there, done it, got the broken bones, and finally, *finally* got the gold medal.

The 58-year-old made his Olympic debut at Barcelona 1992 but had to wait until Rio 2016 to claim his first individual win.

During his senior career, which has spanned more than 30 years, Skelton has suffered for his sport.

In 2000, he was forced to retire after breaking his neck in a fall, only to return to competition two years later. He has also had a hip replacement and two knee operations.

We doff our riding helmets. 

You can vote by phone or online tonight.

If you want to vote online, head here for more information. The page you'll need is here.

The phone number you'll need later on, once the vote is open, is below.

Snooker's Steve Davis is the king of SPOTY in terms of the number of top three finishes. He's just ahead of a Sir (Ian Botham), a Lord (Coe), and two CBEs (Daley Thompson & Jess Ennis-Hill)...

Kate Richardson-Walsh bowed out of international hockey with 375 appearances, 49 goals and 13 years as England and GB skipper. 

Her parting gift? Gold at Rio, in the one of the most memorable moments for Team GB. 

The final against the Netherlands finished 3-3 in normal time, and the Dutch, the current world champions, could not beat super-keeper Maddie Hinch in the shootout, and Britain won 2-0.

Cue screams and pure elation for the women's squad.

The Mancunian celebrated alongside wife Helen as they became the first same-sex married couple to win Olympic gold in the same final, and Kate was then honoured with the title of flag-bearer for the closing ceremony. 

Here they come...your presenters for the evening: Gabby Logan, Claire Balding and Gary Lineker. Introduced by Usain Bolt, no less!

Don't they scrub up well.

Remember, you can watch on BBC One and by clicking play at the top of this page. 

Some records will inevitabley be broken. But 21-year-old Adam Peaty will always be able to claim one - Britain's first gold medallist at Rio 2016.

On 8 August, Peaty dived in the pool and 57.13 seconds later: triumph. 

The swimmer finished 1.5 seconds ahead of his nearest rival in the 100m breaststroke and smashed his own world record which he had set in the heats.

Social media went wild for this new British starlet...especially when we found out his nan was on Twitter sending him messages of support. 

Peaty went on to help his team to a silver in the 4x100m medley, going head-to-head with legend Michael Phelps. We'll wait and see if he can be Britain's answer to the great man himself. 

Image source, .

Image source, Rex Features

Laura Mvula has been given the honour of kicking off tonight's show - and she's got quite a story of her own. As this fascinating read in the Guardian, external attests, the Birmingham-born singer and songwriter has battled with acute anxiety since breaking on to the music scene.

She's an inspirational lady and sure to bring the house down tonight. What a way to kick things off.

Oh, and we've got Robbie Williams to look forward to later.