About the Awards

Over its long and distinguished history, the People of the Year Awards have afforded the Irish public with the occasion to pay tribute to individuals and groups who have made a real and valuable contribution to our society. The value and the esteem in which the Awards are held can he attributed to the calibre of those who have received Awards since 1975 and the fact that each of the winners is nominated by members of the public. These are truly the peoples' awards.

Each year, members of the public are called upon to 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 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, Padraig Harrington, Mo Mowlam, Brian Keenan, Veronica Guerin, Sir Bob Geldof, Seamus Heaney 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" who have made a difference at community level. You can view our current and previous Award winners in our Inspirational People secton of the website.

The award recipients are chosen from the public nominations by adjudicators comprising leading members of the media, business, public service and community sectors.

So, if you know someone who has acted above and beyond the call of duty, someone whose success has inspired a generation, someone who has made an extraordinary contribution to their community, someone whose courage and achievement has changed our society for the better, then why not nominate them for a People of the Year Award?