Via Satellite handed out its 20th Satellite Executive of the Year award a year ago, and the competition for the 21st award has never been stronger. The field of seven nominees is a diverse cross-section of executives, all of whom have made lasting contributions to the satellite industry in the past year. Of course, with such a large field of deserving winners, that means six will not take home the prize. That doesn’t diminish what they accomplished in 2008, and their efforts likely put them in early contention for a future Executive of the Year award.

Please take a look at our nominees, which include satellite operators, network operators, component manufacturers and other sectors, and let us know which one you favor. Input from the industry as a whole always plays a role in our decisions, and we would love to hear from our readers.