Sports Personality of the Year 2017: Anthony Joshua, Lewis Hamilton and Harry Kane among 12 stars nominated

Eight men and four women are recognised for their achievements over the year

Anthony Joshua leads the field of nominees for the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2017.

The 28-year-old added the WBA and IBO belts to his existing IBF title at Wembley in April when he beat former champion Wladimir Klitschko by knockout in front of 90,000 people before retaining the straps last month against Carlos Takam in Cardiff.

Joshua will go up against 2014 winner Lewis Hamilton after he won the Formula 1 world championship for the fourth time in his career in Mexico last month. Hamilton did so with two races to spare as Mercedes continued their dominance over the sport.

Also on the shortlist is Chris Froome after he won his fourth Tour de France title earlier this year before adding the Vuelta a Espana to win two of the three cycling majors.

Mo Farah is nominated after retaining the world 10,000m title in London and narrowly missing out on the 5,000m double in what was his final track season, while Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane gets a nod after winning the Premier League golden boot for the 2016/17 season and firing England to the World Cup.

Short-track speed-skater Elise Christie is recognised after winning the 1,000m, 1500m and overall gold at the World Championships in Rotterdam in March – the first European woman to achieve the feat.

British women’s No 1 tennis player Johanna Konta is also recognised after she reached a career-best No 4 in the world after winning the Miami Open, where she beat the likes of Venus Williams and Caroline Wozniacki, before making the semi-finals of Wimbledon.

Konta reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon to get to world No 4 (Getty ) (Getty)

Northern Ireland's Jonathan Rea, who secured a third successive World Superbikes title, is also on the list, as is Jonnie Peacock after he secured gold at the IPC World Athletics Championships in the T44 100m.

Swimmer Adam Peaty’s record-breaking achievements at the World Aquatics Championships have been recognised after the 22-year-old retained his 100m and 50m breaststroke titles, breaking his own world record twice in the shorter event and becoming the first man to swim the distance in under 26 seconds.

Cricketer Anya Shrubsole makes the list for her performance in England's World Cup-winning campaign on home soil. She claimed six for 46 in the final at Lord’s to turn the match on its head with India needing just 38 from 44 balls with seven wickets in hand.

Bianca Walkden, who successfully defended her world taekwondo heavyweight title in South Korea, completes the 12-strong list.

The winner will be decided by public vote, with the live show taking place in Liverpool on 17 December.