They say all the world’s a stage – and Scotland’s sportsmen and women have had another year shining on it.
Our elite performers have excelled on the pitch, in the ring, on the court and in the pool so far in 2019.
But all that glitters in Scottish sport isn’t just gold, silver or bronze.
That’s why, for the 13th year, we’re teaming up with our event partners sportscotland, the national agency for sport, to bring you the annual Scottish Sports Awards.
We won’t be short of candidates in the search to identify the year’s most inspiring performances and find 2019’s Sports Personality of the Year.
But we want to give you the chance to put on the big stage the people who helped Scotland’s best get to the top.
It’s a chance to celebrate the spectacular – with hopefully even more to come in the months ahead.
But along with World and European champions it’s a night to celebrate our unsung heroes as well.
An opportunity to recognise that without a countrywide framework – built through our communities, schools and thousands of volunteers - the steps on the podium for Duncan Scotts and Laura Muirs and medals around the necks of Andy Robertsons and Kieran Tiernets would remain a dream, not reality.
We want the people who keep the heart of Scottish sport beating acknowledged and standing in the spotlight, right beside the icons they help create, on the best night in our sporting calendar.
We want our local clubs and community hubs celebrated alongside our national teams, our schools who are championing sport recognised for the pathway they’re creating to greatness.
Who will be on the top step this year?
Maybe Muir after her brilliant double gold at the European Indoor in Glasgow, her stunning Diamond League success and her current No.1 ranking in the world over 1500m? Does Robertson’s ascent to the peak of European football, as the first Scot to win the Champions League in 22 years, do it for you?
Has last year’s winner Scott done enough to retain his title – winning gold and bronze on the world stage in China last month, and earning global respect for his stance against drug cheat Sun Yang?
By the time our expert panel of judges sit, the Tartan Tornado, Josh Taylor, could have added another world title to the IBF junior welterweight one he won in May at the Hydro.
Not that he was alone earning that accolade – Hannah Rankin became Scotland’s first ever female world champion when she lifted the IBO super- welterweight belt in June.
Kirsty Gilmour’s European silver in Minsk in badminton and Katie Archibald’s matching gong in the velodrome in Poland shows once again there’s no shortage of brilliant role models in women’s sport.
And obviously Shelley Kerr’s football side reaching the World Cup finals adds to that.
But do they trump Celtic and their treble Treble for Team of the Year?
Do Glasgow Warriors make it into the mix for the rampant season that took them into the Pro 14 Final?
And if we’re looking for our Inspirational Performance winner in 2019, do we have to go further than Scotland’s oval ball heroics at Twickenham in the Calcutta Cup, coming back from 31 points down to save an incredible draw?
Or does that honour go to Oban’s Bob McIntyre for his breathtaking rookie season on the European Tour, his sixth place at The Open a true highlight?
They’re all questions we need answered.
More importantly, though, we need to hear about the people who make sport happen in your area, the ones who deserve recognition but so rarely get it.
Our Local Hero and Local Club awards are always the hardest-fought of categories.
So it’s important you give us as much detail as you can about why you think your nomination deserves the vote of our expert panel of judges.
We know there are thousands of people out there, without whom sport in this country simply doesn’t function, and clubs without whom entire communities are missing their soul. But only you can tell us how much they mean to you.
Stewart Harris, chief executive of sportscotland, said: “Once again it has been a great 12 months for the sporting system in Scotland.
“The Scottish Sports Awards give us the perfect opportunity to reflect on so many achievements.
“The transformative power of sport is evident on a daily basis, not least through our network of community sport hubs and the Active Schools programme.
“These create opportunities for people of all ages to become involved in sport.
“The Scottish Sports Awards is a great chance to recognise the tireless work of volunteers and coaches in communities through to the performance of Scotland’s top athletes on the globalstage.”
Sunday Mail editor Brendan McGinty added: “This is such a fantastic partnership for the Sunday Mail and sports cotland. We’re proud to recognise the best the country has to offer in sport and even more proud to put what we’re doing at grassroots level under the same spotlight.
“It’s an inspiring night.”
