The year�s final batch of Herald Angels honoured unsung heroes � and wee cherubs. The Wee Cherub has joined the usual line-up of Bank of Scotland Herald Angel awards as a way of incorporating The Herald Young Critics.

A victory whoop from the Boroughmuir High School camp greeted the announcement on Saturday morning of the winner of the inaugural Bank of Scotland Herald Wee Cherub Award: Kyna Bowers, for her review of Chunky Moves' dance piece Mortal Engine at this year's Edinburgh International Festival.

The Wee Cherub has joined the usual line-up of Bank of Scotland Herald Angel awards as a way of incorporating The Herald Young Critics project - which has been run in conjunction with the EIF's development department since 2003 - into the last of the weekly awards ceremonies. It was appropriate, then, for one of the first participants in the scheme to present the awards alongside Sarah Cran, head of sponsorship at the bank.

Miranda Heggie was a 13-year-old pupil at Broughton High School when her accomplished review of the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra and Claudio Abbado was published in The Herald. This year, Miranda has been a member of The Herald reviewing team, covering classical and other music on the Fringe.

All four writers of the reviews that were printed this year - Kyna, Eleanor Morton from Royal High, Scott Clair of Holyrood High and Joanna Ramasawmy of Broughton - were present to hear which of them had won.

The winner of the final Archangel of the year, Eileen O'Reilly, had, however, sensibly followed her gruelling Fringe with a holiday in Spain, so her colleague Dani Rae collected the award for her contribution to the work of the Fringe over the past nine years.

Eileen is the organisation's liaison officer, making links between promoters and companies, writers and directors who are presenting work on the Fringe. It is often through her tireless efforts that the Fringe's role as a shop window succeeds.

Two successful exhibitions received Angel awards. Fiona Bradley, director of the Fruitmarket Gallery, collected one for her labour of love, The House of Books Has No Windows, which has brought the compelling installation work of Canadians Janet Cardiff and George Bures Miller to Edinburgh for the first time, and which is attracting record visitor numbers.

Further off the beaten track has been the exhibition by Richard Wilson, showing film of his narrative and sculptural work in a garage off Barony Street. Curator Susie Honeyman of the Grey Gallery promised that she would return with more exciting work next year.

Of the world premieres at this year's International Festival, none was more keenly anticipated than Matthew Bourne's Dorian Gray, the hot ticket when the box office opened and now the biggest-selling dance show in the Festival's history. Bourne collected his Angel for a show which has proved that slick and thought-provoking contemporary dance and a knowing eye on commercial success can combine in the same package.

An Angel for conductor Valery Gergiev, the foundation of this year's music programme with both the London Symphony Orchestra and Mariinsky Opera, was collected by EIF director Jonathan Mills, while Joanna Baker, the Festival's general manager, collected one on behalf of Ivan Fisher and the Budapest Festival Orchestra. Their performances this year came 12 festivals after they won an Angel on their first visit to Edinburgh in 1997.

The week's Little Devil, and the last of the year, went to Vera Alexander, doyenne of the ushers in Edinburgh, who made time to join the party before working at the King's for Bourne's matinee. Vera, who has more than 50 years' experience in the business, was at her usual post in the Queen's Hall before last Monday's chamber music recital when a would-be robber tried to make off with the cloakroom and programme money. Small though she is, Vera fought back, recovering most of the money from the thief, who wisely beat a hasty retreat.