Bulgaria's largest English-language media Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) and our Bulgarian-language service Novinite.bg invite you, our readers from around the world, to select Bulgaria's "Personalities in the News" for 2014!

There are six different categories this year: Politics; Business; Diplomacy; Culture; Sports; and Charity, with a few of the names coinciding with those of nominees from the 2013 poll.

Last year's winners included Irina Bokova, UNESCO's first female Secretary General (Politcs); ABB country manager Ekkehard Neureither and Walltopia founder Ivaylo Penchev (tied in Business); Japan's Ambassador to Sofia Takashi Koizumi (Diplomacy); top tennis player Grigor Dimitrov (Sports); violinist Vesko Eschkenazy (Culture); and Dobri Dobrev, known as “the Elder Dobri” (Charity).

As for this year, Bulgaria's Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, who was reelected in the October 5 snap poll, is now again among the nominees, but is facing a tough challenge from Kristalina Georgieva, the EU Commission Vice President for Budget and Human Resources, and from the murky, mythical, behind-the-scenes force leading Bulgaria's political life from behind and often reffered to by Bulgarians as “#WHO?”

The Business category is also likely to see a heated contest wherein Telerik co-founders Vasil Terziev and Svetozar Georgiev will be pitted against Telenor Bulgaria CEO Stein-Erik Vellan and Italcementi Group's Regional Manager Serge Schmidt.

Three Ambassadors – Jonathan Allen (UK), Shaul Kamisa Raz (Israel) and Xavier Lapeyre de Cabanes (france) will be the options offered to readers in Diplomacy.

For Bulgaria 2014 was quite dramatic in sports. Grigor Dimitrov has again made it into our shortlist; but so has Cosmin Moti, the Romanian who turned into a national hero just within a few minutes this summer. This year Bulgaria had a female world boxing champion for the first time in the face of Stanimira Petrova.

Renowned theater director Aleksandar Morfov, writer Milen Ruskov (who got a 2014 European Union Prize) and Krisia, Hasan and Ibrahim (the three talented children who came second in the Children's Eurovision this year) all stand chances of winning.

In Charity, we offer you the names of three top figures at key Bulgarian non-profits, namely Ivanka Shalapatova (Four Our Children foundation), Kiril Boyanov (Eureka foundation) and Vladislav Nozharov (cause).

Voting will continue until mid-February 2015. Within this time we will take special care to present and promote equally all the nominees through interviews and articles.

The winners will be announced and awarded at a special ceremony which has already turned into a traditional and cherished event among expats, diplomats and businessmen in Bulgaria and around the world.

Check our 2014 nominations and pick Bulgaria's most deserving personalities in politics, business, culture; sports; charity and from among ambassadors to Sofia! HAVE YOUR SAY!