Strep throat made the winner of the Creative Northland Excellence in Arts Business Award the least likely person of the night to defy the "keep it short" rule when it came to speeches.
Photographer Megan Bowers-Vette caught the judges' eye in a strong field for "business acumen, artistic ability ... and a unique quirky element that made her operation stand out".
A sole trader, Ms Bowers earns her living mainly by illustrative photography for magazines and newspapers, advertising campaigns and websites.
She also produces her own artwork and has written a children's book, Mangu and Ma.
