The Northern Daily Leader has combined with the Tamworth Business Chamber to present the inaugural People’s Choice Award, with voting opening online at 9am Monday morning as the finalists in all 27 categories are announced.

This year the Chamber were inundated with a record 500 individual businesses nominated, some across several of the record 27 categories, with eight finalists named in each.

That was the second year the Chamber have released finalists before the big night, and while the judging has already been completed, and the winners names under lockdown, it is time for the public to speak up.

Due to the huge response to this year’s awards, over 100 businesses have been nominated for the People’s Choice.

Chamber executive Jill Stewart is hoping local businesses can get right behind the new category, urging them to get on board with balloons, streamers, signs and social media to do whatever it takes to get their customers online and voting for the top gong.

“We want to see the entire business community, and more importantly their customers come out in support of one another, and have their say in this new and exciting dynamic to the business gala event of the year,” she said.

This year 60 independent judges, 30 locals and 30 from the NSW Business Chamber, will examine all nominees and ultimately decide who goes home with the trophies.

Voting will close on the People’s Choice Award at 5pm on Wednesday August 1.