This year's top female and male athletes of the year are again heavily favoured to emerge from the local sailing fraternity during tonight's Annual Sports Award ceremony at the Fairmont Hamilton Princess Hotel.

After enjoying highly successful 2003 sailing campaigns, last year's recipients of the coveted Female and Male Athlete of The Year Awards Paula Lewin and Peter Bromby are expected to again be among the front runners while Sunfish sailor Malcolm Smith and Around The World Solo skipper Alan Paris could also stake strong claims for the prestigious award.

Among 19 awards up for grabs are prizes for last year's top local footballer and cricketer plus awards of appreciation, special mention and achievement and various sports citations.

Premier Alex Scott and Sports Minister Dale Butler will be on hand to present the awards at tonight's gala banquet.

For the first time in the annual event's history, local professional athletes who have excelled in the international arena have been nominated for an award for exemplary achievements at the highest level ? that award could be presented to overseas professional golfer Michael Sims, footballers Shaun Goater, Kyle Lightbourne ? who retired late last year ? John (Barry) Nusum or David Bascome.

Tonight's ceremony begins at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ZBM.

"The public can expect to see a wide array of sports personalities, administrators and the acknowledgement of sponsors for their continuing sponsorship," revealed Ministry of Youth and Sports director Brenton Roberts.

"There will be 19 awards offered tonight and included among them is the Minister's Choice Award for the most valuable player in local football and cricket considered to be worthy of that acknowledgement from the year 2003."

Last year saw Bromby maintained his high world ranking (fifth) in the Star Class with wins on the US and Europe racing circuits while Lewin produced a few impressive performances in the Yngling Class in Europe and retained her Bermuda International Women's Match Racing Championship. The Bermudian also qualified for the King Edward VII Gold Cup for the second successive year, brushing aside legendary US skipper and former America's Cup winner Dennis Connor in the first round, 3-0.

Smith, meanwhile, captured the Island's only medal (silver) at last year's Pan Am Games in the Dominican Republic before winning the World Sunfish Championship in South America while Paris completed a gruelling journey around the globe solo.