According to A.RAITSYN, this season the laureates were determined in 19 professional nominations, i.e., 3 laureates in each nomination. The final decision on the winners will be made by the Higher Academic Council by secret ballot, which will take place on the eve of the award ceremony. A.RAITSYN reported that 693 experts delegated from 151 authoritative and influential organizations worked on determining the laureates of the 10th anniversary program (the list of organizations, at the request of journalists, was provided in full for the first time in 10 years at the press conference – UNIAN). In total, 982 candidates were nominated for laureate titles in 2005. According to the President of the Program, traditionally the largest number of candidates is in the "Artist of the Year" nomination – 115 contenders. He also noted that 48 laureates of this year have never before been laureates of previous programs.

Thus, as of today, in the "Public Leader of the Year" nomination – head of the "Viche Ukrainy" party Inna BOHOSLOVSKA, leader of the "Pora" party Vladyslav KASKIV, head of the People's Party of Ukraine Volodymyr LYTVYN. In total, in this nomination, experts named 56 individuals as potential candidates for laureate titles.

Among the nominees for the title "Regional Leader of the Year" – head of the Zhytomyr Regional State Administration Pavlo ZHEBRIVSKYI, head of the Cherkasy Regional State Administration Oleksandr CHEREVKO, head of the Volyn Regional State Administration Volodymyr BONDAR. In total, in this nomination, 25 individuals were named as potential candidates.

Among the candidates for the title "City Mayor of the Year" – mayor of Kremenchuk Mykola HLUKHOV, mayor of Kamianets-Podilskyi Oleksandr MAZURCHAK, mayor of Zaporizhzhia Yevhen KARTASHOV. In total, in this nomination, experts named 40 individuals as potential candidates for the laureate title.

Among the candidates for the title "Industrialist of the Year" – head of the supervisory board of the "Eurocar" company Oleh BOIARIN, chairman of the board – general director of the State Joint-Stock Company "Tytan" Yevhen DMYTRIEV, chairman of the board of OJSC "Melitopolprodmash" Yaroslav PYZHYNSKYI. In total, in this nomination, experts named 72 individuals as potential candidates for the laureate title.

Among the candidates for the title "Entrepreneur of the Year" – general director of the joint venture "Osnova-Sosif" Yurii KARPENKO, general director of LLC "Sun Interbrew Ukraine" Liudmyla NAKONECHNA, chairman of the Board of Directors of the corporation "Industrial Union of Donbas" Serhii TARUTA. In total, in this nomination, experts named 67 individuals as potential candidates for the laureate title.

Among the candidates for the title "Manager of the Year" – director of the Kyiv representative office of the "KNS" concern Liudmyla ENKE, chairman of the board – general director of OJSC "Farmak" Filia ZHEBROVSKA, president of the "Bereh-Group" holding Oleh RADKOVSKYI. In total, in this nomination, experts named 92 individuals as potential candidates for the laureate title.

Among the candidates for the title "Financier of the Year" – chairman of the board of JSCB "Mriia" Kostiantyn VORUSHYLIN, president of OJSC "Kinto" Serhii OKSANYCH, chairman of the board of JSCB "UkrSotsBank" Borys TYMONKIN. In total, in this nomination, experts named 42 individuals as potential candidates for the laureate title.

Among the candidates for the title "Leader of Small and Medium Business" – president of the "Alliance" corporation Serhii KONONOV, director of LLC "Bila Vedmedytsia" Viktoriia KRIUCHKO, general director of the industrial group "Rubezhanskyi Parket" – Ihor SHCHAPIN. In total, in this nomination, experts named 67 contenders as potential candidates for the laureate title.

Among the candidates for the title "National Trademark of the Year" – TM "Biola", TM "Torchyn", TM "Furshet". In total, in this nomination, experts named 76 potential candidates for the laureate title.

Among the candidates for the title "Agrarian of the Year" – general director of LLC SP "Nibulon" Oleksii VADATURSKYI, chairman of the board of CJSC "Myronivskyi Khliboprodukt" Yurii KOSIUK, general director of the agricultural enterprise "Podillia-OBST" Viktor KHARKOV. In total, experts named 43 potential candidates for the laureate title.

Among the candidates for the title "Investment of the Year" – investment projects of the "Isti" enterprise, investment projects of the investment group "Renaissance Capital", investment projects of the investment fund "Sigma Blazer". In total, in this nomination, experts named 18 potential candidates.

Among the candidates for the title "Journalist of the Year in Print Media" – Serhii RAKHMANIN ("Dzerkalo Tyzhnia" newspaper), Andrii KHRUSTALOV ("Komsomolskaya Pravda v Ukraine" newspaper), Serhii LESHCHENKO ("Ukrainska Pravda" online publication). In total, in this nomination, experts named 58 potential candidates.

Among the candidates for the title "Journalist of the Year in Electronic Media" – Volodymyr ARIEV ("Channel 5"), Vitalii HAIDUKEVYCH ("NTN" TV channel), Yurii TOROPCHYNOV ("Era" TV and Radio Company). In total, in this nomination, experts named 61 potential candidates for the laureate title.

Among the candidates for the title "Scientist of the Year" – academician of the NASU, director of the Institute for Economic Forecasting Valerii HEIETS; academician of the NASU, director of the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the NAS of Ukraine Hanna YELSKA; deputy director of the Bohomolets Institute of Physiology of the NASU Oleh KRYSHTAL. In total, in this nomination, experts named 50 individuals.

Among the candidates for the title "Artist of the Year" – soloist of the National Opera of Ukraine, People's Artist Volodymyr HRYSHKO; winner of the second prize of the international competition "New Wave" Tina KAROL; winner of the "Golden Palm Branch" of the 58th Cannes Film Festival in the short film category Ihor STREMBYTSKYI. In total, in this nomination, experts named 115 individuals as potential candidates for the laureate title.

Among the candidates for the title "Actor of the Year" – Honored Artist of Ukraine, actor of the Theatre of Drama and Comedy on the Left Bank Volodymyr HORIANSKYI; Honored Artist of Ukraine, actor of the Theatre of Drama and Comedy on the Left Bank Vitalii LINETSKYI; Honored Artist of Ukraine, actor of the National Academic Drama Theatre named after I.Franko Ostap STUPKA. In total, in this nomination, 31 candidates for the laureate title were named.

Among the candidates for the title "Athlete of the Year" – 2005 world champion in athletics Yurii KRIMARENKO; 2005 European chess champion Kateryna LAHNO; 2005 world champions in sailing Rodion LUKA and Heorhii LEONCHUK. In total, in this nomination, experts named 40 contenders.

Among the candidates for the title "Young Talent of the Year" – winner of the II prize of the VI international competition of young pianists in memory of Volodymyr Horowitz Antonii BARYSHEVSKYI, winner of the "Grand Prix" title of the all-Ukrainian festival "World of Talents" in the "acting skills" nomination Kateryna SOKOLOVSKA, winner of the "Grand Prix" title of the all-Ukrainian festival "World of Talents-2005" in the "acting skills" nomination Tetiana KOMASHCHENKO. In total, in this nomination, experts named 30 contenders as potential candidates for the laureate title.

The solemn ceremony honoring the laureates and winners of this year's "Person of the Year" program, as well as the holders of special and international awards of the Higher Academic Council of the Program for 2005, will take place on March 11 of this year at 17:00 at the National Palace "Ukraina". According to A.RAITSYN, preparations for this event have been underway for the third month, and since the ceremony will be an anniversary one, a special script is being prepared that will combine previous ceremonies. The live broadcast of the awards will be aired by the "Era" TV and Radio Company on the same day from 23:00.

Let us recall that the holders of the international and special awards of the "Person of the Year-2005" program were named on November 9 last year. "The holders of the international award in the field of socio-political activity were President of Lithuania Valdas ADAMKUS, in the field of diplomacy – Ambassador of Japan to Ukraine Kishichiro AMAE. International awards for outstanding contribution to the development of culture and art will be received by our compatriots – People's Artist of the USSR, outstanding musician of our time Yurii BASHMET (graduated from a music school in Lviv – UNIAN) and People's Artist of Russia, outstanding composer Volodymyr SHAINSKYI (born in Kyiv in 1925 – UNIAN)," reported A.RAITSYN.

According to him, the special award for outstanding merits will also be received by the head coach of the Ukrainian national football team Oleh BLOKHIN.