FIRST Minister Alex Salmond, Holyrood Presiding Officer Tricia Marwick and Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon have been shortlisted for Scotland's top political award.
The trio are in the running for the main prize in The Herald Scottish Politician of the Year Awards 2013.
The shortlist in each of the nine categories is revealed today.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony at Edinburgh's Prestonfield House Hotel on November 14.
Mr Salmond and Ms Sturgeon are vying to become the first three-times winner of the Scottish Politician of the Year award, presented by The Herald.
Mr Salmond published his Referendum Bill in March paving the way for next year's vote on independence and last month played a key role in efforts to save the Grangemouth petrochemicals plant.
Last year's winner Ms Sturgeon is the driving force behind the SNP's detailed independence plans.
Up against them is Presiding Officer Ms Marwick - named Politician to Watch in the first ever Herald awards in 1999 - whose reforms at Holyrood have made an impact on politicians and the public alike.
In other categories, Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont is among those shortlisted for the Donald Dewar Debater of the Year Award, supported by NVT Group, for a series of effective performances against the First Minister in the Holyrood chamber.
She will contest the award with Ms Sturgeon and Patrick Harvie, the Scottish Greens leader.
Mr Harvie is also shortlisted for the new E-Politician of the Year award which, appropriately, has generated great excitement on Twitter.
Up against him for the prize recognising the politician who engaged best with the public on social media are Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Conservative leader, who famously tweeted that she was rejected when she tried to buy a drink at a Bruce Springsteen gig, and Tom Harris, the Labour MP and prolific, Dalek-loving, blogger.
The Best Scot at Westminster Award will be decided between Shadow Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander, whose interventions helped stall the UK's involvement in military action in Syria; SNP defence spokesman Angus Robertson, the man planning a post-independence Scottish Defence Force; and Labour shadow minister Tom Greatrex, who has challenged the big six energy companies over soaring prices.
Those shortlisted for the One to Watch, supported by ScottishPower Renewables, award are Labour's Kezia Dugdale and Jenny Marra, and the SNP's Mark McDonald.
Both Ms Dugdale and Ms Marra have made an impact in new frontbench roles at Holyrood and have campaigned respec-tively against pay day lending and human trafficking.
Mr McDonald stepped down as a Holyrood list MSP to fight - and win - the Aberdeen Donside by-election.
In the Scottish Local Politician of the Year, supported by Improvement Service, award, Scotland's island council leaders - Western Isles' Angus Campbell, Orkney's Dr Steven Heddle and Shetland's Gary Robinson - have been shortlisted jointly for the Our Islands, Our Future initiative seeking greater autonomy and powers for their authorities.
Also in the running are long-serving East Renfrewshire councillor Barbara Grant and Ken Guild, the leader of Dundee City Council and a force behind the city's ambitious waterfront redevelopment.
Shortlisted for the Political Impact of the Year award are Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill, responsible for launching the merged Police Scotland force in April; Alistair Darling, whose Better Together campaign published an explosive leaked cabinet memo revealing John Swinney's private concerns about independence; and First Minister Alex Salmond, who in March named the date for the referendum.
The Herald Politics and Business Award, supported by RBS Group, will be contested by two cabinet ministers, Finance Secretary John Swinney and Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead, and Scottish Conservative finance spokesman Gavin Brown.
The Public Campaign or Campaigner of the Year category will be contested by Anne Houston, chief executive of Children 1st; Shelter Scotland, the housing charity which successfully pressured the Scottish Government in making funds available to help mitigate the impact of the so-called bedroom tax; and Tommy Whitelaw, whose Tommy on Tour campaign has raised awareness about dementia and carers' needs.
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