This award will recognise public houses that have demonstrated consistent commitment to excellence.

The category is open to all bars/pubs/nightclubs who can demonstrate they have provided a professional, safe, responsible and ambient environment for their customers. Applicants must also be committed to providing the best standards of practice for their sector.

This award is tailored to celebrate restaurants who have demonstrated a commitment to creating the ultimate dining experience for customers.

Entrants will be judged on their abilities at providing cooking, ingredients, customer service, atmosphere and environment.

This award acknowledges the business that has minimised its Environmental Impact, has demonstrated a sustainable business model and best-practice in the development of environmentally friendly products, services, practices and/or operations and strives to protect and enhance the local environment and contribute towards a circular economy

This category celebrates everything from businesses, people, events and tourism initiatives that have; helped to develop the NW economy or enhanced the image and profile of the NW over the past year.

A quality hotel offering is a critical element of the NW economy.

The award is designed to recognise the hotel that has provided an excellent visitor experience for our leisure and business visitors and of course our locals.

This award will be judged from nominations received from schools, colleges and the general public.

This will recognise the outstanding work of a young person in any aspect of business activity. This category will be open to any young person under the age of 22 years of age (before 7th June 2019).

Judges will require evidence of unique skills and dedication to business.

Creative industries are defined as ‘those industries that are based on individual creativity, skill and talent.

This award recognises the growing importance of the creative industries to the local economy. It is open to businesses from the sector, including: Arts, Crafts, Advertising, Architecture, Art and Antiques, Design, Designer Fashion, Film, Video Games, Music, Performing Arts, Publishing and TV and Radio.

Innovation is a new idea, more effective device or process.

Innovation can be viewed as the application of better solutions that meet new requirements or existing market needs through more effective products, processes, services technologies or ideas.

This award therefore will recognise local businesses that have embraced innovation to significantly improve the commercial performance or prospects of the company.

This award should reflect an organisation that has demonstrated the best application of marketing and/or digital technologies in their business.

The award winner should illustrate how the use of marketing and/or digital techniques has helped to develop and build their business and how the use of marketing and/or digital/ social media is incorporated, as well as the impact it has had on their business growth.

This award reflects businesses who have gone that extra mile to build their organisation around the needs of their target audience and are focused on delivering excellence in the retail environment.

The category recognises and rewards great customer service based on evidence of customer satisfaction, future plans for the business, originality of offering through products on sale, service, added value for consumers and customer engagement.

The Ulster University Business School at Magee is committed to supporting and developing leadership and management talent across the North West region. This award celebrates and recognises outstanding individuals who can demonstrate exceptional leadership qualities. The award is open to individual business leaders who can demonstrate excellence in some of all of the following criteria: 

• Lead with a vision to deliver impact for the region; 
• Inspire and motivate teams; 
• Collaborate and create new partnership opportunities; 
• Deliver sustainable results. 

The category will recognise a small business that represents the best quality and dedicated practice to its field. This category is open to any business with less than 50 employees.

The category will recognise a large business that represents the best quality and dedicated practice to its field. This category is open to any business with more than 50 employees.

The Entreprenuer/Business of the Year Award is the most coveted and hotly anticipated presentation of the night.

The award will go to the business or entrepreneur that is representative of all that is positive about the work that takes place in the city on a daily basis.

This is a non-entry award which has been awarded by the judging panel; this company or person will be chosen on the basis of outstanding contribution to business, drive, ambition, vision, tenacity, inspirational leadership, inventiveness and confidence.

Visit Derry is a public-private partnership established to increase visitor numbers and spend to the city and region through destination marketing and visitor servicing.

Our Conference Ambassador Programme is a dynamic collaboration of local professionals who use their influence to attract conferences and events from within their business, medical, academic or sporting industries to the city.

Our Ambassadors generate over £2m to the local economy each year and we are delighted to celebrate their outstanding efforts, commitment and passion, and hope that their achievement will inspire others to play their part and consider regional, national or international conference or event.

This is a non-entry award, winners will be selected from the Visit Derry Ambassador Programme.

Nominations for this category will be invited from the public who must demonstrate why they believe their choice is the NW Business Hero of the year.

Choices should reflect either a person, business, service or initiative that has either; gone beyond to help the NW region, individuals, businesses; provided an exceptional value or service for the area or has shown commitment and dedication to promoting the NW.