Fans will get the chance to decide who is crowned the 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 will be free to nominate any soap star from any show.

The main four soaps in Coronation Street, EastEnders, Hollyoaks and Emmerdale received the majority of the nominations which were announced on Tuesday, July 19.

The Northern Echo: Coronation Street has once again been nominated for a vast amount of awards (PA)Coronation Street has once again been nominated for a vast amount of awards (PA)

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.

Gary Gillatt, editor of Inside Soap magazine, said ahead of the awards: “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.

“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 will open at 12pm on Tuesday, July 19 and can be done over on the Inside Soap website here.