The winners

Find out who won what at this year's Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards

More than a hundred of the country's biggest stars united to celebrate the most remarkable people of the year - the nation's unsung heroes - at the Daily Mirror's Pride of Britain Awards.  

Prince Charles and Prime Minister Gordon Brown joined JK Rowling, Ewan McGregor, Peter Kay, Westlife, the Sugababes, Ant and Dec, Stephen Fry, Kelly Brook, Dame Shirley Bassey, Jamie Oliver and Little Britain's Matt Lucas and David Walliams in saluting the amazing real-life winners.

Other participants included TV stars Gary Lineker, Davina McCall and Richard Hammond, as well as the nation's soap favourites.

Hosted by Carol Vorderman, the glittering annual award ceremony was packed with breathtaking stories of heroism and courage, uplifting moments and hilarious surprises.

Winners were chosen from thousands of nominations by a panel of distinguished judges including Gordon Brown's wife Sarah, Simon Cowell, GMTV's Fiona Phillips, British Medical Association chairman Dr Hamish Meldrum, ITN anchorman Mark Austin and Manchester Chief Constable Michael Todd.

The winners

GMTV EMERGENCY SERVICES

Tam Brown: The firefighter from Stanley, Perthshire nearly lost his job after breaching safety rules to rescue a drowning woman. In March Tam, 42, went against brigade regulations which forbid entry into the water when he plunged into the swollen River Tay to reach a woman who was struggling in the freezing water.

OUTSTANDING BRAVERY

Robert Dunn: The 12-year-old from Cheltenham showed amazing bravery when he saved his entire family from a drunken attacker wielding a meat cleaver.

Glasgow Airport heroes - John Smeaton, Michael Kerr, Alex McIlveen, and Stephen Clarkson: When two crazed terrorists crashed a flaming jeep into the main terminal at Glasgow Airport, the four heroes put their own lives in danger to stop the terrorist attack.

CHILD OF COURAGE

Lydia Cross: The brave six-year-old from Devon has battled against the killer disease meningitis, but still thinks of others by helping raise crucial awareness of its deadly symptoms.

Megan Blunt: The 15-year-old from Essex has battled through cancer and suffered the heartbreak of losing a best friend to the disease. But to then write a guide to help other children cope with cancer is truly inspirational.

FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR

Chloe Gambrill: Chloe from Ramsgate was just six years old when she signed up to run the Cancer Research UK Race For Life in memory of her "beloved nanny" who died of cancer. But, tragically, just five weeks before the race Chloe, now nine, was diagnosed with leukaemia. Despite starting an intensive course of chemotherapy and having had an operation just three days before the race, Chloe shocked everyone by vowing to go ahead with the run.

TESCO NEIGHBOUR OF THE YEAR

Anne Glover:  The 47-year-old from Leicester has suffered a terrifying hate campaign in which her car was fire-bombed, bricks hurled through her windows and paint thrown over her home. But despite all this Anne refused to give in to hooligans on her estate. When 25 people failed to give evidence in court against a notorious drug dealer for fear of retribution, Anne took the stand alone.

TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Pam Redican: Pam's dedication to so-called 'difficult' children is second to none. The mother-of-two from Cumbria spent her childhood in a series of children's and foster homes, and turned to alcohol as a teenager. Nearly 30 years later, she spent her lifesavings entering a clinic for two weeks to dry out for good. Then she seized on her life-long dream to open a school for youngsters with behavourial problems – even remortgaging her home to pay for it.

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

Sgt Michelle Cunningham and the EOD Unit: The 32-year-old from Tewkesbury single-handedly gained control of a blazing factory, a feat which earned her a Queen's Gallantry Medal for acting beyond the call of duty – the first woman to receive this award. The EOD unit – of which Michelle is a part – conducted 398 bomb disposals between October 2006 and May 2007 in an extremely hostile environment.

Henry Allingham:  The 111-year-old from Ovingdean, near Brighton is Europe's oldest man, but still dedicates his time to teaching children about his experiences of the Great War. His life has spanned three centuries, six monarchs and 21 prime ministers.

Stormont security guards: Peter Lachanudis and Susan Porter: Peter, 56, and Susan, 59, knew it was risky protecting Northern Ireland's parliament building. But even they never expected to come face to face with armed mass murderer Michael Stone. The pair grappled with Stone when he burst into Stormont brandishing a fake pistol and a rucksack full of bombs in November last year.

Carol Miller: The First Choice Airways flight attendant from Liverpool single-handedly delivered and battled to save a seriously premature 1lb baby at 30,000ft.

JK Rowling: Twelve years ago, a woman sitting in Edinburgh coffee shop could be seen scribbling in a notebook, creating the life of a schoolboy wizard. Since the success of Harry Potter, Jo has inspired a new generation of avid readers, and she has encouraged a whole host of wannabe writers to put pen to paper. But despite a full-time writing schedule, Jo is also President of the charity One Parent Families, the patron of The Multiple Sclerosis Society and co-founder of the Children's High Level Group, helping young people in care.

ITV CARER OF THE YEAR

Miriam Bennett: Miriam, 57, is a remarkable foster carer. She has looked after more than 300 kids. At the moment she is caring for 10 children, two of whom have cerebral palsy, while another pair have cystic fibrosis.

PRINCE'S TRUST YOUNG ACHIEVER

Vicki Peters: Vicki, 26 has overcome a severe psychotic breakdown, drink and drug addictions and a bipolar disorder. Vicki, from Luton, has come through an horrendous ordeal and then seized the opportunity to turn her life around when a nurse suggested a Prince's Trust 12-week personal development programme. Vicki finished the course determined to get a job, which she did, with Mencap, helping other people with bipolar disorder.

INSPIRING PERSONALITY

Lewis Hamilton: The racing driver shot to fame this year after a spectacular run of podium finishes in Formula One.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Sir Magdi Yacoub: The eminent heart surgeon, 71, has performed more transplants than anybody else in the world – saving thousands of lives across the globe. He founded the Chain of Hope charity in 1995, which treats children in developing countries.

Watch the Daily Mirror Pride of Britain Awards at 9pm on ITV1.