Bradley Lowery is to be honoured posthumously with the Helen Rollason award at BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2017.

The parents of the Sunderland fan, who died in July aged six, will be presented with the award on stage at Sunday night’s ceremony in Liverpool.

Lowery suffered from neuroblastoma – a rare type of cancer – from the age of 18 months and captured hearts across the sporting world during a number of appearances as a mascot.

He struck up a close friendship with former Sunderland striker Jermain Defoe and the pair led out England at Wembley for a World Cup qualifier against Lithuania in March.

His parents, Gemma and Carl, started the Bradley Lowery Foundation after his death to help treat children with similar conditions.

The Helen Rollason award was introduced in 1999 in memory of BBC Sport journalist and presenter Helen Rollason MBE, who lost her battle with cancer in that year, aged 43. Previous winners include Sir Frank Williams and Jane Tomlinson.

BBC Sports Personality of the Year winners BBC Sports Personality of the Year winners. (PA Graphics)

Heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua is the odds-on favourite to be crowned the 2017 BBC Sports Personality of the Year at the Echo Arena.

The 28-year-old former Olympic champion beat Wladimir Klitschko at Wembley in April to add the IBO and WBA belts to his existing IBF title, and then took his record to 20-0 by stopping Carlos Takam in October at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.

Joshua’s main competition is expected to come from 2014 award winner Lewis Hamilton, who won his fourth Formula One drivers’ title this season, and Mo Farah, who ended his career on the track after a year which saw him retain his 10,000 metres world title in London.

Chris Froome won a fourth Tour de France and became the first Briton to win La Vuelta, but his chances will likely take a hit following this week’s revelation he could face a ban from the sport after a urine sample provided during La Vuelta showed he had twice the permitted level of asthma drug salbutamol in his system.

England and Tottenham striker Harry Kane, cricket World Cup winner Anya Shrubsole, World Superbikes champion Jonathan Rea and double world breaststroke champion Adam Peaty have also been nominated for the award. 

The 12-strong shortlist is completed by Wimbledon semi-finalist Johanna Konta, T44 100m sprint champion Jonnie Peacock, taekwondo world champion Bianca Walkden and overall short track speed-skating world champion Elise Christie.

Roger Federer has already been announced as the winner of the Overseas Sports Personality of the Year for a record fourth time, while other awards on Sunday night include team, coach and Young Sports Personality of the year.