Finalists from across the county are looking forward to tonight's 2016 Oxfordshire Business Awards.

About 300 firms came forward this year to compete in 15 different categories and the winners will be announced at a ceremony tonight.

This year the awards, now in their 22nd year, include a new Food or Drink Producer of the Year Award, sponsored by caterers Oxford Fine Dining.

Three finalists for each category were chosen by judges at the Four Pillars Hotel in Sandford-on-Thames last month and the gala awards dinner will be held there tonight.

Awards chairman Paul Lowe said earlier that it took " a long and challenging judges' meeting" to decide the finalists.

The finalists are:

•The Hays Employer of the Year Award: Oxford Products, Newton Europe, The Rooflight Company.

•The Oxfordshire Apprenticeships Apprenticeship of the Year Award: Norbar Torque Tools, Grundon Waste Management, Stuart Barr CDR.

•The Oxfordshire LEP New Business Award: Fidelis Market Consultants, Aerial Motion Pictures, iRepairTech.

•The Knights Small Business Award: CIS, Ue Coffee Roasters, Ross & Ross Food.

•The NatWest Large Business Award: Hunts, Newton Europe, Oxford Products.

•The Shaw Gibbs Young Business Person of the Year Award: Darren Aston of Aston & James, Stuart Barr of Stuart Barr CDR, Richard Marsh of CIS.

•The Oxford Science Park Innovation Award: Zeta Specialist Lighting, Oxford Space Systems, Gusto Telecom.

•The Inchcape Mercedes-Benz Retail Award: Lily's Attic, Andy's Barber Shop, Bakers Butchers.

•The Oxford Times Charity and Community Award: SeeSaw, The Hummingbird Centre, Aspire.

•The Heart Cultural Events and Tourism Award: Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons, The Thame Food Festival, NiRa Events/Oxford Christmas Market.

•The Oxford Fine Dining Food or Drink Producer of the Year Award: Ue Coffee Roasters, Hook Norton Brewery, Cotswold Fudge Co.

•The Savills Property Award: MEPC Milton Park, Bicester Heritage, Heyford Park.

•The Ridgeway Marketing Excellence Award: Oxford United, webexpenses, Perfectly Picked.

•The Shaw Gibbs Business Person of the Year: Annie Sloan of Annie Sloan, David King of Project 12 Spray Coatings, Simon Biltcliffe of Webmart.

•The Darke & Taylor Business of the Year Award will be announced tonight.

For full details of the winners and awards ceremony see oxfordmail.co.uk and Monday's Oxford Mail.