Andy Murray is the shortest priced favourite in history to bag the Sports Personality of the Year award.

The Wimbledon champion is odds on to win the crown, with one bookies offering putting him at 1/50 on - with another having already paid out on his impending victory.

He heads a list of nominees which also includes US Open winning golfer Justin Rose, Tour de France title-holder Chris Froome and record-breaking jockey Tony McCoy.

Sailor Ben Ainslie, England cricketer Ian Bell, athletes Mo Farah and Christine Ohuruogu, wheelchair athlete Hannah Cockcroft and rugby union's Leigh Halfpenny make up the 10-strong shortlist for the annual award.

Murray starts as out and out favourite having ended Great Britain's 77-year wait for a men's singles title at Wimbledon by beating Novak Djokovic in straight sets, having previously lost to his opponent in the Australian Open final.

The Scot finished third in the BBC poll last year behind the winner Sir Bradley Wiggins and Jessica Ennis, and if successful would become the fourth tennis player to win the award and the first since Greg Rusedski beat Tim Henman to the title in 1997.

Alex Donohue, a spokesperson for Ladbrokes, said: "The odds confirm that Murray is home and dry. There was no point in making punters wait six months to collect their winnings and that's why we paid out early. Farah and Froome are heavily backed for a podium finish."

William Hill is offering odds of 1/50 while the race for second place sees Mo Farah favourite at 1/2 and Tour de France winner Chris Froome at 3/1.

Rupert Adams, a spokesperson for William Hill, said: "The Sports Personality Of The Year did not even exist the last time a British player won Wimbledon so it is fitting that Andy Murray is such a hot favourite in what is the award's 60th year."

Farah continued where he left off in 2012 by winning both 5,000 metres and 10,000m world titles in Moscow, as well as breaking Steve Cram's 28-year-old British 1,500m record in Monaco in July.

Froome followed in the tyre tracks of Wiggins in winning the Tour de France a year after finishing runner-up to his team-mate.

Golfer Rose also ended a drought - albeit not as long as the one seen at Wimbledon - with victory in the US Open.

He became the first Englishman in 43 years to win the event as he produced a brilliant finish to see off the challenge of five-time major winner Phil Mickelson and Australian Jason Day at Merion.

The popular McCoy, winner of the award in 2010, added another chapter to his already extensive history in horse racing by claiming his 4,000th career win when his mount Mountain Tunes won at Towcester in early November.

Ainslie was widely credited with turning around Team USA's fortunes in the America's Cup. He was brought in as a tactician as the hosts came from behind, winning the last eight races to pull off a remarkable victory.

Bell was nominated after England's summer of Ashes success in which the Warwickshire batsman played a pivotal role with three centuries.

Also in Moscow Ohuruogu won her second 400m world title, pipping Amantle Montsho by the narrowest of margins.

Having been awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours, Cockroft retained both her T34 100ms and T34 200m titles at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon and won the T33/T34 100m race at the Anniversary Games at the Olympic Stadium with a stadium record time of 17.80 seconds.

Halfpenny played in all three Lions Tests in Australia in the summer and was named as player of the series, having already been voted Six Nations player of the year as Wales retained their title.

The 10 contenders will compete for the public vote on the night of the live show on December 15.

In addition to the main award there will also be awards for team of the year, coach of the year, Overseas Sports Personality of the Year, Young Sports Personality of the Year, Sports Personality of the Year Diamond Award, Helen Rollason Award and Sports Unsung Hero.

The shortlist was decided by a panel comprising representatives from the BBC, selected journalists, former nominees Dame Kelly Holmes, Baroness Grey-Thompson and Marcus Trescothick, and Liz Nicholl, chief executive of UK Sport.

Shortlist:

MO FARAH: Farah continued where he left off in 2012 by winning both 5,000m and 10,000m world titles in Moscow, as well as breaking Steve Cram's 28-year-old British 1,500m record in Monaco in July.

CHRIS FROOME: May lack the broader public profile afforded his Great Britain team-mate Sir Bradley Wiggins but proved equally adept on two wheels by succeeding Wiggins as winner of the Tour de France.

TONY McCOY: The 2010 winner enjoyed another dominant year in the saddle, culminating in sealing his 4,000th career winner when his mount Mountain Tunes won at Towcester in early November.

ANDY MURRAY: Ended Great Britain's 77-year wait for a men's singles Wimbledon title when he beat Novak Djokovic in straight sets on Centre Court, having also previously lost in the Australian Open final to Djokovic.

CHRISTINE OHURUOGU: Ohuruogu bounced back from the disappointment of her silver medal in London by winning her second 400m world title in Moscow, pipping Amantle Montsho by the narrowest of margins.

JUSTIN ROSE: Finally made good on his early career promise by winning the US Open at Merion, overhauling five-time major winner Phil Mickelson to become the first English winner of the event in 43 years.

BEN AINSLIE: Ainslie was widely credited with turning around Team USA's fortunes in the America's Cup having been brought in as tactician with the hosts coming from behind to win the last eight races and pull off a remarkable come-from-behind victory.

IAN BELL: The Warwickshire batsman contributed significantly to a summer of Ashes success with three centuries and his series-leading 562 runs - scored at an average of 62.44 - was 144 better than his nearest rival.

HANNAH COCKROFT: Having been awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours, Cockroft retained both her T34 100m and T34 200m titles at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon and won the T33/T34 100m race at the Anniversary Games at the Olympic Stadium with a stadium record time of 17.80 seconds.

LEIGH HALFPENNY: Halfpenny played in all three Lions tests in Australia in the summer and was named as player of the series, having already been voted Six Nations player of the year as Wales retained their title.