Fans will get the chance to decide who is crowned greatest soap opera star of all time at the Inside Soap Awards 2022.
The title of All-Time Icon will be announced alongside other familiar awards at the annual ceremony including best actor, best actress, best newcomer, and best villain.
Following two years of virtual ceremonies, the awards are due to return as an in-person event in London in October – which also marks the show’s 30th anniversary.
Viewers are free to nominate any soap star, from any show, who has made watching TV truly special for them for the All-Time Icon award.
It comes as nominations for the major categories were officially announced on Tuesday, with an even spread of nods across the four major shows; Coronation Street, EastEnders, Emmerdale and Hollyoaks, all of which are in contention for best soap overall.
Among the contenders for best storyline are hard-hitting issues such as Abi’s battle for baby Alfie in Coronation Street, Ben’s rape and Jean’s bipolar disorder in EastEnders, and John Paul’s alcohol addiction in Hollyoaks.
“Even in a world of battling streaming services, the soaps remain the most-watched shows on TV, and their main characters the biggest stars in Britain,” said Gary Gillatt, editor of Inside Soap magazine.
“To celebrate 30 glorious, ridiculous years of Inside Soap, we’re offering our readers – the best-informed viewers there are – this chance to celebrate the absolute best of the best.
“We’re looking to name TV’s ultimate drama magnet. The soap icon above all icons.”
The Inside Soap Awards are the only accolades of their kind to be awarded based solely on the votes of viewers and each year around 100,000 members of the public vote.
Voting for the awards opens midday on July 19.
Last year, Coronation Street dominated the field at the awards, winning best soap overall and a host of other accolades.
The long-running drama picked up seven awards, including best actor, best actress, best newcomer and funniest performance.