Catherine Zeta Jones won an Oscar last year

Between September and last December around 41,000 nominations were logged by the '100 Welsh Heroes' website.

Now a top 100 list has been drawn up for people to vote for the Welsh person they most admire.

The Welsh hero at the top of the public vote will be unveiled on St David's Day.

In November, Pontypridd's Tom Jones - who has successfully relaunched his pop career in recent years- looked set to lead the poll.

But from Monday voting started afresh.

Swansea-born Zeta Jones, who won a best supporting actress Oscar last year for her performance in the hit movie Chicago, has been nominated in the performers category.

The poll is divided into five different categories for voters to choose from - creatives, groundbreakers, leaders, thinkers and performers.

The resulting list reflects..the diversity of...Wales itself Culture Minister Alun Pugh

But there are some surprise omissions from the list.

First Minister Rhodri Morgan fails to move into the second phase of the poll, although Ron Davies, the man widely regarded as the father of Welsh devolution, does make it through.

Plaid Cymru's folk-singer president Dafydd Iwan, EU Commissioner Neil Kinnock and Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams also make the top 100.

Children's author Roald Dahl, who spent his childhood in Cardiff, is nominated in the creative category.

Joining him in that category is Aberavon-born artist Andrew Vicari.

Vicari has just been commissioned to produce the biggest oil painting in the world for King Fahd of Saudi Arabia, and is flattered to be on the heroes shortlist.

Artist Andrew Vicari was surprised to be in the list

"It's one of the best Christmas presents I've ever had," he said.

"This is very special, an honour in your home place, to be classed as someone special. It's a very special thing."

The poll was created by Culturenet Cymru, a Welsh assembly funded body set up to promote the best of Welsh culture globally via the internet.

It is part of a range of projects which also includes 'Gathering the Jewels' - the ongoing digitisation of images from museums, galleries and collections around Wales.

The website was officially launched by Alun Pugh, Welsh Culture Minister, in September.

He said it was "a measure of the pride we take in the achievements of our fellow Welsh men and women that so many people have provided nominations for 100 Welsh Heroes."

Roald Dahl has been nominated in the creative category

"The resulting list reflects both the diversity of those achievements and that of Wales itself," he said.

"At last September's launch, I said we would probably disagree about who our individual heroes are.

"This list will energise and inform that debate."

Other Welsh greats who have made it into the top 100 list include politician and architect of the NHS Aneurin Bevan, actor Richard Burton and rugby player Gareth Edwards.

Dylan Thomas and Paralympic athlete Tanni Grey- Thompson are also there.

Voting will continue until 23 February.

The final results will be announced at a special St David's Day event on 1 March.