AFTER gruelling judging process the finalists of this year's Wiltshire Business Awards have today been announced.

But the 36 businesses now have an agonising wait until the middle of April to find out if they will walk away with a title naming them as one of the best in the business.

The awards are organised by the Swindon Advertiser's parent company Newsquest and supported by long-standing supporter Thrings, who are once again the overall sponsor for the awards, as well as sponsoring the coveted Outstanding Excellence Award.

Eight businesses from across the county in the running impressed the judges so much they have found themselves leading the way with nominations in four categories across the board.

Active Potential Therapy, Bewley & Merrett Funeral Directors, C4S-Search, Gooding Accounts, SMARTech energy, Bechtle, First City Nursing Services Ltd and Wiltshire Inch Loss Clinic have all been named as finalists in four of this year's categories.

Director of Gooding Accounts in Westbury, Sam Gooding, is up for the Business Person of the Year award, while his firm is also nominated for the Outstanding Excellence, Small Business, and Services to the Community categories.

He said: "Last year we were up for three awards, so to be shortlisted this year for all four categories that we entered is an even bigger privilege. We are hoping that reflects the level and quality of business we provide to our clients.

"We are very much looking forward to the awards ceremony at Longleat, it is always a really good night, with lots of great people there. And with three new categories of awards this year there will be even more happy people there whose achievements have been recognised."

Pete Gavan, editor of the Swindon Advertiser and its sister titles the Gazette & Herald and the Wiltshire Times, congratulated the 36 businesses who had made it on to the judges' shortlist. He said: “Well done to all those who’ve made it on to the shortlists for our business awards.

“It’s great for us to be able to highlight the great work that businesses of all kinds are doing across Wiltshire.

“Now we just have to wait for the big night in April to find out who the winners will be.”

Backing this year's awards are BBC Wiltshire who are sponsoring the Service to the Community award. RSM is backing the Business Person of the Year title, and The Enterprise Network has thrown its backing behind the start-up category.

New to the panel this year was Bespoke Training and HR4 Business which has created an exciting new category focusing on Learning and Development. C3 Marketing is sponsoring the creative marketing award and also the Small Business category; NatWest is sponsoring the Medium Size Enterprise title, while the team from Mainline is supporting the Customer and Staff Care trophy.

The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony on April 20 at Longleat.

The full list of finalists by category:

Outstanding Excellence

Active Potential Therapy

Bewley & Merrett Funeral Directors

C4S-Search

CMS Group

Ganges Indian Cuisine

Gooding Accounts

Greenway Training

H5 Adventure

Purpol Marketing

SMARTech energy

AB Dynamics Ltd

An Apple a Day Supply

Bechtle

Charles S. Winchcombe & Sons

Chippenham Motor Company

Complete I.T.

Crapper & Sons Landfill Ltd

First City Nursing Services Ltd

Lingerie Outlet Store

Mitchell Law

Poppy's Picnic

Wiltshire Inch Loss Clinic

Wiltshire Caravans

Medium Sized Enterprise

AB Dynamics Ltd

Bechtle

Crapper & Sons Landfill Ltd

First City Nursing Services Ltd

Lingerie Outlet Store

Wiltshire Caravans

Small Business

Active Potential Therapy

Bewley & Merrett Funeral Directors

C4S-Search

CMS Group

Gooding Accounts

Greenway Training

Mike Allen Services

SMARTech energy

Start Up Business

Around and About Bath

Mitchell Law

Poppy's Picnic

The Sound Emporium

The Squeeky Cleaners Ltd

Willtshire Inch Loss Clinic

Business Person of the year

Aaron Bewley of Bewley & Merrett Funeral Directors

Natasha Penny of Busy Books

Sam Gooding of Gooding Accounts

Paul Webb of H5 Adventure

Anthony Miles of Miles Window Systems

Pippa Birch of Pipster Solutions

Denise O'Leary of Purpol Marketing

Stuart Pearce of SMARTech energy

Hilary Coates of Wagging Tails

James Napp of Bechtle

Adam Bailey of Chippenham Motor Company

Stephen Trowbridge of First City Nursing Services Ltd

Lisa Wrintmore of Wiltshire Inch Loss Clinic

Customer & Staff Care

Beauty Boutique

Bewley & Merrett Funeral Directors

Busy Books

C4S-Search

An Apple a Day Supply

Bechtle

Charles S. Winchcombe & Sons

Complete I.T.

Forrester Sylvester Mackett Solicitors

Swindon's Bus Company

Learning & Development Employer

C4S-Search

SMARTech energy

An Apple a Day Supply

Complete I.T.

Creative Marketing

Active Potential Therapy

Miles Window Systems

Naturally Social

Chippenham Motor Company

Wiltshire Inch Loss Clinic

Services to the Community

Active Potential Therapy

Busy Books

Ganges Indian Cuisine

Gooding Accounts

First City Nursing Services Ltd

Corporate & Social Responsibility

Greenway Training

Purpol Marketing

Charles S. Winchcombe & Sons

Crapper & Sons Landfill Ltd

Create Studios

Green Machine Computers Ltd