Sports journalists across the UK will steal a march on the BBC tomorrow when they announce their top sportspeople of 2012 – some ten days before the much-heralded Sports Personality TV event.

The Sports Journalists’ Association – a 750-strong body of writers, broadcasters, photographers and editors from across the national and regional press – have agonised over the relative merits of the country’s sporting stars in what has been a vintage year for British sport.

Unlike the BBC, it will award separate prizes for the top sportsman and woman of the year, as well as the team of the year.

Mo Farah, Andy Murray and Bradley Wiggins are among those in the running for the men’s award, with Katherine Grainger and Nicola Adams doing battle with Jessica Ennis for the women’s title.

The winners will be revealed tomorrow when SJA President Sir Michael Parkinson opens the magic envelopes at the annual British Sports Awards lunch at the Tower of London which is being sponsored by the National Lottery, on whom so many British Olympians depend for their funding.

As well as the London Olympics and Paralympics, the year saw a European Ryder Cup victory in the U.S. and Chelsea’s Champions League triumph.

Since 1963 the SJA has made an award to the year’s leading athlete with a disability. With so many candidates from the Paralympics there will be two awards this year – to the Sportsman and Sportswoman with a disability.

The presentations will be compered by Jim Rosenthal.  Results will be on the SJA website www.sportsjournalists.co.uk from 4pm tomorrow.