Thirty businesses, individuals and organisations from around Gwent have made the shortlist of the inaugural South Wales Argus Business Awards.

A team of judges made up from the sponsors of each category and including South Wales Argus MD Hussain Bayoomi, editor Nicole Garnon and business editor Jo Barnes got together to whittle down the entries to three finalists in each category.

Newport-based Industrial Automation and Control Ltd leads the field being named as finalists in four categories. The firm was shortlisted for Large Business of the Year, Environmental Business of the Year, and Training and Development Business of the Year. The company's managing director Peter Lewis has also been shortlisted in the Entrepreneur of the Year category.

Cwmbran-based Solar Buddies are in the running for three awards after being shortlisted for Innovative Business of the Year and Small Business of the Year. While its founders Kelli Aspland and Laura Griffin are finalists in the Entrepreneur of the Year category.

Other multiple finalists were Specsavers, at Friars Walk, Newport, which was shortlisted for the Best BID National Business and the Customer Service Award; Livertons Opticians, Newport, which are finalists in the Best BID Independent Business and the Customer Service Award; Abersychan-based Purely Disposables, which is shortlisted for Start Up Business of the Year and Environmental Business of the Year; and Newport-based The Escape Rooms, which is up for Family Business of the Year, and Start Up Business of the Year.

Other finalists are: Family Business of the Year Award (sponsored by MHA Broomfield Alexander) - Lifesize Models, of Ebbw Vale, and Tovey Bros Funeral Directors, Newport; Best BID Independent of the Year (sponsored by Newport Now) - Diverse Vinyl and Kymin Financial Services Ltd, both of Newport; Best BID National Business of the Year (sponsored by Newport Now) - the Newport branches of Admiral Group plc and The Entertainer; Entrepreneur of the Year (sponsored by Johnsey Estates) - Ray Adams, of Newport's Niche Independent Financial Advisers Ltd; Innovative Business of the Year (sponsored by Western Power Distribution) - CashCalc Ltd and Cintec Worldwide, which are both based in Newport; Young Entrepreneur of the Year (sponsored by Icon Creative Design) - Emma Casburn, of Infinite Travel, Usk, Jonathan Hill, of Hi Coffee UK Ltd, Newport and Samuel Pique-Perry, of Monmouth-based So.Social Media; Large Business of the Year (sponsored by Thomas Carroll Group) - Chepstow Racecourse and Newport-based Monmouthshire Building Society; Small Business of the Year (sponsored by Kymin) - Axis Chiropractic and The Pod, both of Newport; Start Up Business of the Year Award (sponsored by St Joseph's Hospital) - Simply Do Ideas Limited, Caerphilly; Environmental Business Award - Friars Walk Newport; Contribution to the Community Award (sponsored by Monmouthshire Building Society) - Dragons, Phil Bessant Limited and St David's Hospice Care, which are all based in Newport; Customer Service Award (sponsored by Friars Walk and The Kingsway Centre) - Manic Mechanics Newport Ltd; and Training and Development Business of the Year - 1 to 1 Accountancy Services Ltd, Newport, and Panda Education & Training Ltd, Caerphilly.

Kevin Ward, manager of Newport Now Business Improvement District, which is the lead sponsor of the awards, said: "As headline sponsors, we have been really impressed with the quantity and quality of the entries.

"We're sure our fellow judges will agree that choosing winners from such a high-quality set of entries was an extremely difficult task.

"Above all, the judging process proved that we have fantastic businesses of all sizes operating in Newport and the surrounding areas."

South Wales Argus business editor Jo Barnes said: "It really was tough trying to pick finalists from all the entries. We are really grateful to all the judges who took part and who, we think, have come up with a great selection on the shortlist. We are really looking forward to the awards evening on September 27 when the winners will be announced."

Also to be announced on the evening is the Business of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement Award.

For more details of tickets for the awards evening, which is being held at the Newport Centre, contact Matt Berry on 01633 777043 or Samantha Taylor on 01633 777147.