WORLD Indoor champion Veronica Campbell Brown and Commonwealth Games 100-metres gold medallist Lerone Clarke head the list of nominees for the 2010 RJR Sports Foundation Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year awards to be presented at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on January 21 next year.

Seventeen nominees — seven females and 10 males — were announced by selection committee chairman Mike Fennell at the Polo Lounge of the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel yesterday.

The other female nominees are swimmer Alia Atkinson, who won four gold medals at the Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC); Commonwealth Games high jump silver medallist Sheree Francis; triple jump gold medallist Trecia-Kaye Smith and 400m hurdles bronze medallist Nickeisha Wilson; 400m hurdler and IAAF Diamond League winner Kaliese Spencer, and cricketer of the year Stafanie Taylor.

Among the men are athletes Jermaine Gonzales, who set a new national record in the 400 metres; Nesta Carter, who lowered his 100m personal best three times this year and consolidated his position as the third fastest Jamaican behind fellow nominees Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell; Commonwealth Games silver medallist and CAC Games shot putt winner Dorian Scott; Lansford Spence, who won 200m silver in Delhi; Winter Olympian at ski cross Errol Kerr, and cricketers Chris Gayle and Brendan Nash.

This year, Campbell Brown added the 100m World Indoor title to her list of achievements, while Clarke claimed the men’s 100 title at the quadrennial Games in New Delhi, India in October.

Fennell pointed out that the criteria for winning follows a hierarchy, starting with outstanding performances at the Olympic Games, the World Championships, the Commonwealth Games or Pan American Games, the CAC Games, and in the absence of any major event throughout the year, performances at international competitions.

“It’s about actual performance and not about effort,” Fennell said.

The other members of the committee who will decide the winners are Inter-Secondary Schools Sports Association (ISSA) president Dr Walton Small; journalist Tony Becca; retired cricketer Courtney Walsh; journalist Courtney Sergeant and Olympian Grace Jackson.

Meanwhile, the public will have a chance to select their favourite for the People’s Choice award with the nominees being footballer Keammar Daley, female apprentice jockey Georgina Sergeon, Campbell Brown, Carter, Gonzales and Gayle.

This will be the 50th anniversary of the national sports awards, with Gary Allen board replacing Chris Dehring — who stepped down after two years due to commitments — as chairman of the RJR Sports Foundation.

Special guest speaker at the January function will be 1984 Olympic 400-metre hurdles champion Edwin Moses. There will also be three special guests.

The chairman’s award has also been abandoned this year and is being replaced by two Lifetime Achievement Awards.

Additionally, the Foundation will be publishing a book on the 50 years of the event. Allen noted that if the book is sold, funds will go towards sporting charities.

Allen, the Managing Director of the RJR Communications Group, also stated that the board was in discussions with two media houses about having the function broadcast in the Caribbean and South Florida.

World champions Brigitte Foster-Hylton and Usain Bolt are the reigning Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year.