SOME of the county's best businesses have beaten hundreds of other companies to make the shortlist for the Sussex Business Awards.

A total of 41 finalists from 27 towns have made the shortlist and this year's ceremony, which is in its 28th year, is set to be a hot contest to receive one or more of the prestigious seventeen trophies.

To reach their crucial decision, the judges reviewed all the entries to come to their long lists.

Candidates then go through a rigorous reviewing system, including phone, face to face and panel interviews, to determine who will be in the running for one of the most highly coveted awards in Sussex.

Sussex Businessperson of the Year finalists have been automatically selected from entrants to the Sussex Company of the Year and the Small Business of the Year Awards, as well as direct entries.

Winners will then be decided after a series of face to face interviews in front of a panel of judges.

Entries were judged by an expert panel which included representatives from Mazars, Morgan Sindall, HSBC, Southern Railway, Vantage Professional Risks, Checkatrade.com, Sussex Innovation Centre, Checkaprofessional.com, Wealden District Council, Sussex Chamber of Commerce, University of Sussex, Natures Way Food, Coffin Mew, The Argus, Platinum Business, Heart FM and Title Sussex.

This year’s ceremony will take place on Thursday December 1 at The Grand, Brighton and will be presented by comedian Simon Evans.

The Awards sell out each year so make sure to book your tickets soon.

Tickets are available at www.sbawards.org.uk.

Tickets cost £90 each (plus VAT) or £850 (plus VAT) for a table of ten. This includes champagne reception, three course meal, and two bottles of wine on each table, as well as entertainment, dancing and a few surprises.

For more information or to buy tickets, please contact us on T: 01273 666200 or E: sussex@midnight.co.uk. Follow us on Twitter @SussexBizAwards.

The Best Place To Entertain Your Clients

Sponsored by Title Sussex

Blanch House

Sussex County Cricket Club

East Sussex National

Brighton Fringe

The Award for Healthiest Workplace

Sponsored by Natures Way Food

Legal & General

European Recruitment

The Scout Association

The International Business of the Year

Sponsored by HSBC

Frontier Pitts

Ridgeview Wine Estate

Stelfox

The Award for Leisure & Tourism

Sponsored by Southern Railway

The BaseSkate Park CIC

Best of England

Smart Performance

The Entrepreneur of the Year

Sponsored by Platinum Business

Neil Laughton, Laughton & Co Ltd

Terry Nitman & Steve Hayman, Cheesmur Building Contractors

Amber Rust, Bonieri

The Award for the Most Sustainable Business

Sponsored by Wealden District Council

The Big Lemon

Burleys

Green Mop Ltd

The Responsible Business Award

Sponsored by Checkaprofessional.com

ILG

Lovelocaljobs.com

Wave Leisure Trust

The Small Business of the Year

Sponsored by Sussex Chamber of Commerce

Boom Boom the Label

Fundraising Auctions Ltd

The Dental Barn Ltd

The Award for the Most Promising New Business

Sponsored by Coffin Mew

The BaseSkate Park CIC

Opun

SourcedBox

The Award for Innovation in Business

Sponsored by Sussex Innovation Centre

Curry Leaf Café

PULSE.AERO

TECO Building Products

The Award for Best Employer

Sponsored by Morgan Sindall

Stelfox

Yelo Architects

ILG

The Award for Best Customer Service

Sponsored by Checkatrade.com

The Dental Barn Ltd

The Grand Brighton

Welbeing

The Award for Professional Services

Sponsored by Vantage Professional Services

Robinson Low Francis

Yelo Architects

Juno Wealth Management

The Sussex Company of the Year

Sponsored by Mazars

ILG

Crunch Accounting

The Kitchen Store

Newview Homes Ltd

Cheesmur Building Contractors

The Greatest Contribution to Sussex Charity

Sponsored by The Argus

Andy Cheesman, City Cabs

Brighton & Hove Buses

Carousel