It was first awarded in 2003 as part of the National Sporting Club.
Each category is judged by one of: sports writers and broadcasters, retailers and enthusiasts.
The other major sports writing award in Britain is the William Hill Sports Book of the Year.
[1] The awards' original sponsors included Ladbrokes, Virgin Publishing, Butler and Tanner and WH Smith.
As of 2015, new sponsors included Cross Pens, Sky Sports, The Times, Littlehampton Book Services, Robert Walters, TalkSPORT, Freshtime, Human Race Group, Arbuthnot Latham and Procorre.