National People of the Year Awards

The People of the Year Awards, organised by Rehab and televised live by RTE, provide a unique opportunity for the Irish public on both sides of the border to honour outstanding contributions by individuals to life on the island.

Each year members of the public nominate people who have enhanced the quality of life in Ireland, increased civic pride, or through acts of bravery have touched the lives of the community.

The Awards can be viewed as a barometer of our society - highlighting, as they do, our particular concerns for humanity and our focus at any one time. It is hardly surprising, therefore, that the list of winners since the awards began in 1975 reads like a who's who of Irish life over more than a quarter of a century. John Hume, Mo Mowlam, Brian Keenan, Veronica Guerin, Sir Bob Geldof, Senator George Mitchell, Seamus Heaney, Marian Finucane and Maeve Binchy are just some of the previous award winners.

But in addition to these household names, a particular focus of the event is the "unsung heroes" within our society who have made a difference at community level.

Each year there are seven recipients of the awards. They are chosen from the public nominations by adjudicators comprising editors from daily newspapers in Dublin and Belfast, RTE, BBC Northern Ireland and regional press.

To find out more about the awards and to nominate online visit www.peopleoftheyear.com