The man who led Great Britain to their first Davis Cup in 79 years beat now-retired rugby league star Kevin Sinfield into second place with heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill third.
“It’s very humbling to be up here in front of so many great athletes – I’m just a great sports fan and I’m really nervous.
“This has been a five-year journey – we were right down at the bottom level or tennis and now we’re ranked number one in the world and I never thought that would be possible.”
The Scot, who also won the public vote in 2013, becomes only the fourth person to win the award twice. No-one has ever won it three times.
Murray and GB’s Davis Cup winners were named team of the year but captain Leon Smith missed out on the coach of the year prize to Northern Ireland football manager Michael O’Neill, who led the nation to their first-ever European Championships.
Accepting the team award, Smith said: “It is hugely humbling to receive this award, it is obviously very prestigious.
“It’s been 79 years since we managed to win the Davis Cup and let’s hope it doesn’t take another 79.
“I hope that what this has achieved for tennis is that we get a really lasting and meaningful legacy from this.”
After a rousing reception from his home crowd, O’Neill said: “Two years ago we were not in a great place and it would have been easier for me to walk away and for the association to go with someone else, but we stuck together and we are where we are today.”
Gymnast Ellie Downie won Young Sports Personality of the Year, while Dan Carter and Tony McCoy picked up previously-announced awards – Overseas Sports Personality of the Year and the lifetime achievement award respectively.
A youth football coach from Belfast, Damien Lindsay, picked up the unsung hero award, while eight-year-old Bailey Matthews, who has cerebral palsy, was the recipient of the Helen Rollason Award after completing a junior triathlon in June.
Full SPOTY results
1. Andy Murray 361,446
2. Kevin Sinfield 278,353
3. Jessica Ennis-Hill 79,898
4. Tyson Fury 72,330
5. Lewis Hamilton 48,379
6. Chris Froome 39,007
7. Mo Farah 31,311
8. Max Whitlock 25,925
9. Greg Rutherford 23,492
10. Lizzie Armitstead 22,356
11. Adam Peaty 13,738
12. Lucy Bronze 13,236
Tyson Fury, whose comments about homosexuality and women had put him at the centre of controversy heading into the event, issued an apology during his on-stage interview.
Fury, booed beforehand by sections of the crowd, was given a good reception by the audience following his brief interview with Gary Lineker, in which the world heavyweight champion insisted he had not meant any malice.
Fury, who finished fourth in the poll, said: “I’ve said a lot of stuff in the past and none of it with intentions to hurt anybody.
“It’s all very tongue in cheek, it’s all fun and games to me. I’m not a very serious kind of person – it’s all very happy-go-lucky with Tyson Fury.
“If I’ve said anything in the past that’s hurt anybody, I apologise.”
2016 SPOTY betting
Heptathletes Jessica Ennis-Hill and Katarina Johnson-Thompson head Sky Bet’s market for the 2016 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.
Both will be hoping to strike Olympic gold in Rio next summer. Ennis-Hill is the reigning world champion having seen off Johnson-Thompson, who was lying second overall before she produced three fouls in the long jump, in Beijing this year.
Both can be backed for next year’s gong at .
Andy Murray is to become the first person to win the award in back-to-back years. He will bid to defend his Olympic title in 2016 and will also be targeting Grand Slam glory.
Boxer Anthony Joshua, who will be hoping to be crowned world heavyweight champion in 2016, is , as is golfer Rory McIlroy.
Neither Joshua nor Wayne Rooney, a shot, will be at the Olympics. Rooney will be aiming to captain England to Euro 2016 glory.
Only four times (out of 15) has a non-Olympian won SPOTY in an Olympic year featuring a summer Games, the most recent being Damon Hill in 1996.
to place your bets and check out the full odds list.
Source: BBC
