Our search is on to find the Best of 2010

In partnership with Post Office Ltd, a Best of 2010 title will be presented in each of six categories; best pub, best fish & chip shop, best post office, best community contribution, best Hearts fan and best Hibs fan.

Readers will be able to nominate their favourites in each category before a short-list is drawn up and voting begins through coupons printed everyday from 6 July in the Evening News.

From time to time, extra-value coupons will be published, offering readers a double or even triple vote for a nomination.

Once voting has closed, the coupons will be totted up and the nominees who receive most votes in each section will clinch the Best of 2010 accolade.

Backing the awards, Evening News editor Tom Little said they provided an opportunity to reward the Capital's exceptional characters who might otherwise go unnoticed.

He added: "We already know that Edinburgh is the 'best of Scotland', but this is a chance to go a bit deeper and find out who deserves special accolades.

"We're looking to our readers to get behind their local stars and help us find the best our city has to offer – hopefully we'll have some fun along the way."

The latest Evening News prize-giving event was launched in the wake of our successful community awards contest, which made its debut in 2007, and in these new-style awards, it seems that two categories – Best Hearts Fan and Best Hibs Fan – will prove to be among the most competitive.

Evening News promotions manager Ruth Hunter Pepper, said: "We are looking for individuals and groups of people who really make a difference to their community.

"It could be a next-door neighbour who runs errands for people or individuals who have helped save a school or garden.

"These awards are designed to praise the people who have made a difference to the area they live in, those who are passionate about what they do."

She added: "The great thing about this is that it's entirely up to the readership what happens. We hope we have picked categories that people will get excited about."

Nominations for all awards should be received by 26 June, and full details on how to nominate will be published in tomorrow's Evening News.