There's still everything to play for '“ but only a week left to vote!

And there is still everything to play for as voting remains close in many of the categories. But there is only just over a week left to vote.

The awards, sponsored by Fry and Kent, aim to highlight the best in the local arts world from throughout the past year.

We will be presenting the awards at a glittering bash on Monday, January 29 at The New Theatre Royal in the city centre.

As well as the 13 categories below, we will also be presenting a Special Achievement Award, sponsored by Portsmouth City Council.

We will be letting you know how to get your tickets to this free event in the coming weeks.

You can vote online by following this link tinyurl.com/GuideAwards2017 or by filling out and sending us the form below. The deadline is midnight on Saturday, December 30.

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THE NOMINEES

A. BEST COMEDY sponsored by Portsmouth Cultural Trust

1 Sunjai Arif – Won bath Comedy Festival New Act 2017

2 Sean Collins – Scene veteran started a new comedy club in Gosport

3 Mike Cox – Busy gigging across the UK

4 Nathan Eagle – Winning fans with his surreal storytelling

5 Michael Frankland – Hosts a regular open mic night at the Dolphin in Old Portsmouth

6 The Raymond and Mr Timpkins Revue – Deserving of better than being ripped off on Britain’s Got Talent

7 Matt Roseblade – Toured Dignity Off with Sunjai Arif

8 Suzi Ruffell – You can take the girl out of Portsmouth, etc...

9 Joe Wells – Took his second show, I Hope I Die Before I Start Voting Conservative to Edinburgh

10 Readers’ Choice

B. BEST DJ sponsored by Mutiny Festival

1 Wheats - Young, but already with a wealth of experience

2 Nooch - Always pushing the limits of D&B with his own Ransaked Records imprint

3 Latecomer - A prolific tech-house duo

4 Banksy - A versatile scene veteran covering multiple genres

5 Cliquee - ‘Tech with a twist’ DJ who’s hosted his own show on Soundwave Radio

6 Liz Cornick - Sets at Isle of Wight and Mutiny Festivals were highlights

7 Zork - Making a name for himself outside of The Murky Squad

8 Hannibal - Using up to five decks, his mixing astounds

9 Soul Divide- The house duo and Love Amplified staples are scene favourites

10 Readers’ Choice

C. BEST BAND sponsored by The Wedgewood Rooms

1 Arcade Hearts - Won a popular vote to play at Indigo at the O2 in a busy year for the indie dance band

2 Bemis - Hard-working folk-rockers released their well-received sixth album, A World of Difference

3 Coax - Won a nationwide competition that saw them played to millions on the Big Top 40 radio show

4 The Collision - Off to a fast start, the pop-rock act have already sold out The Wedge in their first year

5 Emptifish - Supported punk legends The Damned on tour and released their first new material in 30 years.

6 Is Bliss - Psych-rockers making waves way beyond Portsmouth, even as far as Portugal.

7 Percival Elliott - A highlight of both Icebreaker and Victorious festivals

8 Personal Best - A busy year for the power-pop group playing dozens of gigs across the UK.

9 Sad Palace - Steadily releasing a stream of pretty pop songs.

10 Readers’ Choice

D. BEST SOLO ACT sponsored by BH Live

1 Tom Bertram - Made it into the singles charts with the aptly named Mr Lucky

2 Ben Brookes - Recorded his debut album in the US, which is now attracting rave reviews

3 Devin-Jade - Just 17, but got a great response to her debut EP, Adolescence

4 Fugitive Orchestra - Lots of gigging and a new EP getting political with a ‘disco protest song’.

5 Lily Garland - Picked up a brace of nominations in the 2017 UK Country Radio Awards

6 Aaron Middleton - Released a strong EP, Dreams of Old Guitars and gigged plenty

7 Richard Morriss - Won Best Unsigned Male category at the 2017 Unsigned Music Award

8 Roy Peplow - Got his music heard around the world through his Going Global project

9 Jerry Williams - Made her live TV debut as she continued to build her national profile.

10 Readers’ Choice

E. BEST EVENT sponsored by Victorious Festival

1 Goodwood Festival of Speed - ‘Peaks of performance’ was the theme, and it duly delivered.

2 Icebreaker - The unsigned regional music showcase goes from strength-to-strength

3 Journeys Festival International - Giving a voice to artists outside the mainstream

4 Kite Festival - Bringing people from across Europe to this annual event

5 Mutiny Festival - Drew in big names from the worlds of electronic music and hip-hop

6 Oktoberfest - Came back bigger and better for its second year

7 Wickham Festival - Broadening beyond their folk roots to embrace popular appeal

8 Cheese Festival - A new event that drew a full house for fans of fromage

9 Isle of Wight Festival - Rod Stewart and Arcade Fire with David Guetta and Run DMC headlined the island’s biggie

10 Readers’ Choice

F. BEST PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTION sponsored by The New Theatre Royal

1 King Lear - Chichester Festival Theatre - Sir Ian McKellen returned to the role with a powerhouse performance

2 Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night Time - Mayflower - An imaginative adaptation of Mark Haddon’s best-seller

3 Fiddler on the Roof – CFT - Omid Djalili led the cast in this much-lauded summer blockbuster

4 Our House - The Kings Theatre - The Madness musical was abetted by some fine performances

5 The House They Grew Up In – CFT - Well-praised but at times uncomfortable viewing in Deborah Bruce’s new play.

6 The Red Shoes - Mayflower - Superstar choreographer Sir Matthew Bourne’s new labour of love

7 Duet for One – CFT - humour and pathos in this trip to the psychiatrist’s couch

8 The Woman in Black - New Theatre Royal - Two-handed take on the supernatural horror

9 Quiz - CFT - Based on the Who Wants To Be a Millionaire

10 Readers’ Choice

G. BEST AMATEUR PRODUCTION sponsored by The Groundlings Theatre

1 The Loose Canon – Southsea Shakespeare Actors - The Station Theatre - An inventive take on all 39 of Shakespeare’s plays in one sitting

2 The Hound of the Baskervilles – Torchlight Mysteries - New Theatre Royal - A creative three-handed retelling of the Sherlock Holmes classic

3 Sive – The Bench - The Spring - John B Keane’s little-seen tale of forced marriage in 1950s Ireland.

4 Touched – HumDrum - The Spring - As the Second World War comes to an end, a group of women look to the future

5 Farm Boy - CCADS - The Station Theatre - The sequel to Michael Morpurgo’s runaway success, War Horse.

6 Death of a Salesman – Bench - The Spring - The troupe tackle Arthur Miller’s modern American classic

7 Brimstone & Treacle - HumDrum - The Spring - Powerful performances in this adaptation by Dennis Potter of his own controversial TV drama.

8 Yes Minister - Interalia - Ferneham Hall - A timely revival, adapted from episodes of the all-time-great sitcom.

9 Equus - Bench - The Spring - A demanding play, stand-out performances abound in Peter Shaffer’s controversial 1973 piece.

10 Readers’ Choice

H. BEST AMATEUR MUSICAL sponsored by The Kings Theatre

1 Made in Dagenham – SDMS - The Kings Theatre - Unlikely subject matter - factory strikes - makes for a top feelgood musical.

2 The Wizard of Oz – Portsmouth Players - The Kings - They followed that yellow brick road and followed it well.

3 Carrie: The Musical – CCADS - The Station Theatre - Who would have thought that Stephen King’s tale of a telekinetic girl pushed too far could be a great musical?

4 Our House - FMS - Ferneham Hall - Refusing to be overshadowed by a national touring version of the Madness-based musical juggernaut.

5 Sister Act - SDMS - Ferneham Hall - A spirited production of the film-turned-musical smash hit.

6 Calamity Jane - SDMS - Ferneham Hall - The girls done good, both on and off stage, despite the thin source material.

7 9 to 5: The Musical - Portsmouth Players - The Kings - Channeling Dolly Parton et al, and having great fund doing it.

8 Pirates of Penzance - UPDMS - New Theatre Royal - The Gilbert and Sullivan proved to be evergreen in these young hands.

9 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels - CCADS - The Kings - Who’s conning who in this great take on the musical adaptation of the hit comedy film?

10 Readers’ Choice

I. BEST AMATEUR ACTOR

1 Mark Wakeman – Death of a Salesman - Bench

2 Alan Jenkins – Made in Dagenham - SDMS

3 Tony Johnson – The Wizard of Oz – Portsmouth Players

4 Peter Colley - Farm Boy - CCADS

5 Jeff Bone – Equus – Bench

6 Sean Ridley – Farm Boy – CCADS

7 David Penrose – Equus – Bench

8 Mike Gondelle - Brimstone and Treacle - HumDrum

9 Vincent Adams - Twelfth Night - Bench

10 Readers’ Choice

J. BEST AMATEUR ACTRESS

1 Emma Van Kooperen – Brimstone and Treacle - HumDrum

2 Sarah Parnell – Brimstone and Treacle - HumDrum/Harlequinade - SSA

3 Helen Stoddart – Made in Dagenham - SDMS

4 Gemma Valler – Touched – HumDrum

5 Leigh Cunningham – Equus - Bench

6 Sue Rourke – Made in Dagenham – SDMS

7 Leila Millson – Touched – HumDrum

8 Alice Corrigan - Twelfth Night - Bench

9 Coral Hutchesson - Carrie: The Musical - CCADS

10 Readers’ Choice

K. BEST CLASSICAL

1 Peter Craddock - For his 50 years conducting, inspiring and leading the Havant Orchestras. Sadly died in October.

2 The Music Department of the University of Portsmouth - For the Portsmouth Messiah, a project led by Dr. George Burrows

3 Solent Symphony Orchestra - In their 25th anniversary year of providing Portsmouth with first class performances.

4 The Renaissance Choir’s partnership with the Palestrina Foundation in Italy - For their concerts in Palestrina cathedral and St. Peter’s, Rome.

5 Gareth Hemmings and the Portsmouth Grammar School Chamber Choir - For the premiere performance of a work by John Woolrich.

6 Ben Lathbury - For his well-received piano recital at Stansted House.

7 Portsmouth Choral Union - For their recent performance, and subsequent world premiere recording, of Samuel Wesley’s ‘Confitebor Tibi, Domine’.

8 Karen Kingsley - For her work with young musicians across Portsmouth and her solo performances with numerous local choirs and orchestras.

9 Petersfield Orchestra and Valentina Seferinova - For the orchestra’s 90th anniversary concert in June, 2017.

10 Readers’ Choice

L. BEST FILM with Portsmouth Film Society

1 Last Night - Director: Riyadh Haque & John McGinty - A young woman flees London after an innocent night out turns into something more sinister.

2 To Whoever Finds My Body - Director: Chris Jump - A teenage boy contemplating suicide discovers the unconscious body a young girl on the rooftop he intends jumping off of.

3 Black Dog - Director: Mark Oakley - There’s a black dog scratching at the door, what are you going to do about it?

4 Unwanted Hubbies - Director: Carol & Edward Lyon – As the name suggests, the film looks at how to get rid of unwanted husbands.

5 Readers’ Choice

M. BEST VISUAL ARTIST Sponsored by Aspex Gallery

1 Madjid Dhana & Natalia Michalska – This dynamic duo, a Zimbabwean artist/poet and Polish photographer, now both resident in Portsmouth were commissioned by the Journeys Festival International for the ‘Look Up’ commission, stunning work featuring portraits of local refugees and asylum seekers with their favourite Portsmouth landmarks, shown large scale around the City in October 2017.

2 Farkfk – Southsea’s Farkfk’s most recent addition to South Parade Pier has brightened up our already beautiful seaside, not to mention his numerous creations across the City.

3 Spencer Hunt (aka Petting Zoo Prints) – A prolific printer, Spencer has a studio at Hotwalls and recently had an ambitious solo show of new work ‘Never ever, ever After First Editions’ at Jack House Gallery in November 2017.

4 Naty Lopez-Holguín – An Art Space Portsmouth member, Naty has developed a reputation for making extraordinary sculptures out of ‘fluff’. She undertook a short residency at Aspex this year and invited thirteen other artists to get involved, presenting a dynamic pop-up exhibition ‘LOOK AT your city’.

5 M-one – M-one’s stencilled street art was showcased in a solo show at Southsea’s Playdead Studio - on top of a collaboration with fellow street artists for the Jurassix Pack Launch with Staggeringly Good Beer. He was also commissioned by Artreach to paint a container for the Journeys Festival International in Manchester this year, following the success of the container he painted for Portsmouth last year!

6 Svetlana Ochkovskaya – A recent graduate, Svetlana is an associate of Sticks Gallery, Gosport and was selected for inclusion in the regional Platform Award exhibition shown at Aspex. She is currently studying for an MFA in Fine Art at Goldsmiths College and is the Platform Alumni artist in residency at Aspex.

7 Mica Peet – Maker Mica Peet has gone from strength-to-strength, creating her beautifully hand-crafted jewellery from a studio at home in Southsea. Her pieces are stocked across the UK, including at Aspex and the prestigious Tate Modern.

8 Karl Rudziak – Portsmouth’s favourite portrait artist, based at Hotwalls, Karl completed a major series of paintings this year, ‘We Don’t Need Culture’ shown at Somerstown Community Hub, and is now continuing his work, immortalising the residents of Paulsgrove.

9 Sadie Tierney – It’s been a big year for Sadie, moving into the Hotwalls Studios, shows with Southsea’s Bureau of Change and Coastguard Studios, she was included in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and had a major solo show with the Rabley Gallery, Marlborough, Wiltshire.

10 Readers’ Choice