JAMAICA’s 2010 Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year will be named tonight at the RJR Sports Foundation’s annual awards ceremony to be held at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, starting at 8:00 pm.

While World Indoor 60-metres champion Veronica Campbell Brown is a shoe-in to capture the female prize, the male contest is a tougher prospect, with national 400-metre record-holder Jermaine Gonzales and Commonwealth Games 100m champion Lerone Clarke the main contenders.

Gonzales, who was last Thursday named the Jamaica Amateur Athletic Association’s (JAAA) Male Athlete of the Year, had a stellar 2010 in which he lowered the national mark to 44.40 seconds and was the second fastest man over the distance.

Clarke would be highly ranked by virtue of having claimed the top prize in New Delhi, India last October.

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.

Campbell Brown, who earned the JAAA’s female prize last week, heads a list of seven nominees, which includes 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; 400m hurdles bronze medallist Nickeisha Wilson; 400m hurdler and IAAF Diamond League winner Kaliese Spencer, and Cricketer of the Year Stafanie Taylor.

Among the list of eight other nominated men are 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 put 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.

The selection committee is headed by Jamaica Olympic Association (JOA) and Commonwealth Games Federation president Mike Fennell and includes 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 People’s Choice Award winner who was chosen by members of the public will also be announced.

The nominees include footballer Keammar Daley, female apprentice jockey Georgina Sergeon, Campbell Brown, Carter, Gonzales and Gayle.

In this the 50th year of the awards, the RJR Sports Foundation will be presenting two Lifetime Achievement Awards to former sprint queen Merlene Ottey and former world boxing champion Mike McCallum.

The awards will replace the Chairman’s Award, which had been presented in previous years.

Special guest speaker will be 1984 Olympic 400-metres hurdles champion Edwin Moses.

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