SPOTY 2016: Carl Frampton questions 'anti-Northern Irish' and 'anti-boxing' award after omission from shortlist

The Belfast-born featherweight was not among the 16 sportspeople nominated for the award despite winning world titles in two separate weight classes this year

Frampton was crowned WBA world featherweight champion after defeating Santa Cruz in New York (Getty)

Carl Frampton has questioned whether the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year award is anti-Northern Irish and anti-boxing, having been omitted from the shortlist for this year’s award.

The Belfast-born fighter was crowned WBA world featherweight champion after moving up a weight division to defeat the previously unbeaten Leo Santa Cruz in New York.

Yet Frampton, who also added the WBA’s super-bantamweight title to his IBF crown by beating Scott Quigg in February, was not among the 16 sportswomen and men nominated by the BBC’s 12-member panel.

Team GB's most decorated Paralympian, Seaford’s Bethany Firth, and two-time world Superbike champion Jonathan Rea, from Larne, were also left off the shortlist.

Frampton told BBC Radio Ulster's Nolan Show: “I feel like I should have got on but Johnny Rea also had a shout, Bethany Firth as well also had a shout.

“And I think maybe what it looks to me is maybe anti-boxing, maybe anti-Northern Ireland, who knows? But listen, I am not going to cry about it and I'll get on with my career.

"No-one's on it from Northern Ireland - there's five Yorkshire men on it. I feel that one of the three that I mentioned should have got on.”

Frampton's manager Barry McGuigan, who won the award in 1985, claimed the fighter was “deeply hurt” by his omission and that the BBC had “dropped a bomb”.

The Sports Personality of the Year shortlist is compiled by a committee of 12, featuring BBC Sport representatives, former nominees of the award, sports journalists and a representative from the UK sports industry.

SPOTY 2016 nominations

Nicola Adams, Boxing

Gareth Bale, Football

Alistair Brownlee, Triathlon

Sophie Christiansen, Equestrian

Kadeena Cox, Athletics/Cycling

Mo Farah, Athletics

Jason Kenny, Cycling

Laura Kenny, Cycling

Andy Murray, Tennis

Adam Peaty, Swimming

Kate Richardson-Walsh, Hockey

Nick Skelton, Equestrian

Dame Sarah Storey, Cycling

Jamie Vardy, Football

Max Whitlock, Gymnastics

Danny Willett, Golf

In response to Frampton’s comments, a BBC spokesperson said: “In what has been an extraordinary year of sport, many contenders were considered and debated by an expert industry panel, who by consensus agreed on the shortlist.”

Ian Paisley Jr, the Democratic Unionist MP for North Antrim, will raise the absence of any Northern Irish sportswomen or men from the shortlist at Westminster.

“We're talking about a double motorcycle racing world champion, we're talking about a double weight world champion in boxing, we're talking about Bethany Firth, a phenomenal athlete,” he said.

“What about the two Rorys [McIlroy and Best]? These people meet the criteria in bagloads and they've been ignored.”