After a momentous year in Scottish politics the best performers will be recognised at tonight's Herald Scottish Politician of the Year awards.
After a momentous year in Scottish politics the best performers will be recognised at tonight's Herald Scottish Politician of the Year awards.
The awards are in their 10th year and are the ultimate accolade for those involved in the affairs of the Scottish Parliament, not just those who serve as its MSPs or ministers, but those who campaign to use Holyrood as a way to change our lives.
The SNP are once again to the fore this year at Holyrood with the shortlisting of First Minister Alex Salmond, along with his deputy Nicola Sturgeon and Finance Secretary John Swinney for the main Herald award. At Westminster Labour continue to dominate, with Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Chancellor Alistair Darling and new Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy in the running for the Bank of Scotland award.
The Herald Scottish Politician of the Year Awards at Prestonfield House Hotel in Edinburgh have become one of the highlights of the political calendar, with the prizes tracking the highs and lows of Scottish politics since the advent of devolution.
Tonight's awards will be no different, with celebrity guest presenters attending the black-tie gala event, including world-famous crime writer Ian Rankin and round-the-world cyclist Mark Beaumont.
Others present will include world-renowned graphic novelist Mark Millar and actresses Barbara Rafferty, Jane McCarry and Kari Corbett, as well as the Scotland football manager George Burley.
The celebrity glitter also features in the nominations for the International Scot Award, sponsored by Keppie Design, which include Olympic cycling hero Chris Hoy, entrepreneur Ann Gloag and iconic Scot Sir Sean Connery.
Apart from the top Holyrood and Westminster awards there is the Donald Dewar award for debating skills, sponsored by eaga, and again Alex Salmond and his deputy Nicola Sturgeon are shortlisted, along with the new Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Tavish Scott.
The main awards have come too late for Scottish Labour after a year which saw Wendy Alexander's leadership come and go and Iain Gray take over the mantle. It was also a year which saw Gordon Brown's leadership plumb incredible political depths before the bounce based on the handling of the international financial crisis.
The Herald awards also track the upcoming and the quirky, with contenders for the newcomer award, The One to Watch, sponsored by Microsoft, including two Labour high-fliers - new shadow justice secretary Richard Baker and his shadow cabinet colleague John Park.
The Free Spirit award for leading member of the awkward squad is contested by leading Green Chris Harvie, the Liberal Democrat Hugh O'Donnell and Patrick Harvie of the Greens.
There is also the Committee award, sponsored by npower renewables which features the Justice, Health and Finance committees, while the Public Campaign prize features issues such as knife crime, cancer treatment and asbestos disease.
