The EY Entrepreneur of the Year Awards are in full swing with a final winner announced around 10.15pm.
Competiting for the awards are Ihaka Rongonui from Turbo Staff, Peter Harris from CBL Corporation, Peter Cross from Dairyworks, Andy Prow from RedSheild Security and Will Lomax from Onguard Group.
The annual awards are directed by Darren White and the judging panel chaired by Anne Norman.
The finalists were drawn from five NZ categorys including Young (Rongonui), Master (Harris), Products (Cross), Services (Prow), and Technology and emerging industries (Lomax).
White said he is encouraged by the diversity of the category winners' businesses this year.
The other judges are Tim Alpe, chief executive of JUCY Group, Diane Forman, founder and chief executive of Emerald Group, and Dan Radcliffe, founder and executive director of International Volunteer HQ.