Nearly a month remains for readers of Bulgaria's largest English-language news website Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency) to select the "Personalities in the News" for 2016.

Don't miss the opportunity to make your voice heard about the individuals who made the Bulgaria-related news headlines over the past year by voting for the personalities in politics, business and diplomacy.

Winners in recent years include Bulgaria's highest-ranking tennis player Grigor Dimitrov, outgoing Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, former UK Ambassador Jonathan Allen, and many others.

In politics, newcomers to the public space will be defying established players. Rumen Radev, the former Bulgarian Air Force Commander, a political outsider who was elected President in November, will face tough challenge from Krasimir Karakachanov and Lyutvi Mestan, leaders who have both turned into self-styled kingmakers in Bulgarian politics. On the other hand are outgoing Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova, who brought about some positive developments in her sector, and Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova, whose personal approval rating has weathered a handful of political crises in several years.

In Politics, newcomers to the public space will be defying established players. Rumen Radev, the former Bulgarian Air Force Commander, a political outsider who was elected President in November, will face tough challenge from Krasimir Karakachanov and Lyutvi Mestan, leaders who have both turned into self-styled kingmakers in Bulgarian politics. On the other hand are outgoing Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova, who brought about some positive developments in her sector, and Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova, whose personal approval rating has weathered a handful of political crises in several years.

In Business, prominent names in the tech industry (Atanas Raykov of Viber and Dimitar Dimitrov of Allterco) are competing against the General Manager of sensors and controls producer Sensata (Tommy Ver Elst) and the Executive Director of real estate brokerage company Unique Estates (Vesela Ilieva). The fifth nomination is that of Plamen Panchev, who manages Traka Economic Zone, where a number of multinationals have set up production facilities over the past decade.

Ambassadors of five countries, all having been publicly active throughout the years, will compete in Diplomacy. These are Süleyman Gökçe (Turkey), Irit Lillian (Israel), Detlef Lingemann (Germany), Rajesh Kumar Sachdeva (India) and Roland Hauser (Austria).

Voting will continue until mid-February 2017. 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 2016 nominations and pick Bulgaria's most deserving personalities in politics, business, and diplomacy! HAVE YOUR SAY!