Voting has opened for the 2006 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.

And for the first time, viewers of the 10 December show will be able to vote from a shortlist of 10 contenders.

The top 10 for the event, which is being held at Birmingham's NEC, will be drawn up using a new nominations system which will run until 15 November.

Votes cast by the public via the BBC Sport website, newspaper and magazine editors and an expert panel will decide the list from which viewers vote.

When World Champion Craig Fallon won his European title in May this year he became the first Brit to hold both the World and European title in 23 years. Or how about Sarah Clark who also won European gold this year?

Make your choice and nominiate by using the form at the following link.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tv_and_radio/sports_personality_of_the_year/6080190.stm

The shortlist will be announced on 4 December - six days before the programme.

The public will decide the winner on the night with voting by phone and text during the show.

The BBC want to have the best possible shortlist - and ultimately, the public will decide the winner.

Programme editor Carl Doran said: "This will, we believe, be the fairest and most transparent way of running the competition.

"For the first time ever, the public will have a choice of 10 contenders on the night - more choice than ever before."

In recent years, there has been a shortlist of six from which to choose.

"We want to have the best possible shortlist made up of the sporting achievers of the year - but ultimately, it's our audience who will decide the winner," added Doran.

The 2005 award was won by England's Ashes cricket hero Andrew Flintoff.

Several other awards are presented on the night including Overseas Sports Personality and Coach of the Year.

Lets make sure the panel consider a judo nominee this year - they deserve your vote!