Shed of the Year 2012 finalists announced

The annual celebration of sheds is nearing its conclusion as the winners of each category are revealed

After weeks of online voting and canvassing via social networks, a flurry of last minute voting has whittled down the hundreds of entries for the 2012 Shed of the Year to eight category winners.

The eight categories are eco shed, normal shed, garden office, cabin/summerhouse, workshop/studio, unique shed, pub shed, and Tardis.

With the public vote now complete, the overall winner will be chosen by a panel of judges including writer Neil Gaiman, property expert Sarah Beeny, the winner of the 2011 competition Jon 'Songs from the Shed' Earl, competition organiser Uncle Wilco and Alex Johnson from Shedworking.

"What started as a petition to Downing Street to celebrate sheds that was turned down has blossomed into a competition that captures the country's imagination," said Uncle Wilco of readersheds.co.uk. "Each year we get more and more innovative and quirky sheds being entered. The passion of the sheddies is inspiring for anyone who wants to create a retreat at the end of their garden."

The winner will be announced during National Shed Week which begins on July 2. During that week, the top five sheds in each category will also be announced.