The 2018 finalists are:

Category 1: Accommodation

1. Central Motel
2. The Bay Holidays - Raine & Horne Nelson Bay
3. Colonial Terrace Motor Inn
4. Crows Nest D'Albora Marina
5. Oaks Pacific Blue Resort

Category 2: Accountant

1. ABC Taxation and Business Solutions

2. Addison Partners
3. Advanced Finance Solutions
4. TJC Accounting
5. DJ Cooper Accounting

Category 3: Animal Services

1. The Pet Shed Medowie

2. Williams Pet Produce
3. Raymond Terrace Veterinary Clinic
4. Salamander Bay Veterinary Clinic
5. Jenni's Pet & Home Care

Category 4: Automotive Services

1. BP Salt Ash
2. Malones Services
3. Nelson Bay Mechanical
4. Nelson Bay Radiator & Automotive Services
5. Bartlett Automotive

Category 5: Bakery

1. Medowie Family Bakehouse & Cafe

2. Bakers La Vie
3. Saxby's Bakery Cafe
4. Terrace Bake & Break Cafe Bakery
5. Anna Bay Hot Bread Shop

Category 6: Beauty Therapy

1. Samantha Storer - Brows & Beauty

2. Forever Hair & Beauty
 3. Headz Up Hairdressing
4. Fresh Salon
5. Beautification

Category 7: Boating, Fishing or Camping

1. Cove Marine
2. BCF Taylors Beach
3. Duff's Salamander Bait & Tackle
4. Tackle World Port Stephens
5. Soldiers Point Marina

Category 8: Building, Construction and Renovation

1. Banana Bathrooms
2. Polytherm Tomago
3. East Coast Timber Floors and More
4. Greeny's Garage Doors
5. Hotondo Homes Greater Port Stephens

Category 9: Butcher

1. Medowie Meats
2. Tilligerry Quality Meats
3. Hodges Butchery
4. Salamander Village Butchery
5. Terrace Meats

Category 10: Cafe

1. Central Beans Cafe

2. Heather's Place
3. The Tea & Bean Cafe
4. Cups N' Saucers
5. Fibonacci Coffee MarketPlace

Category 11: Childrens Services

1. Goal Soccer Academy

2. Williamtown Preschool
3. Tilli Tadpoles Early Learning Centre
4. TLC Early Learning Centre
5. Wirreanda OOSH

Category 12: Club

 1. Nelson Bay Golf Club
2. Horizons Golf Resort
3. Nelson Bay Bowling Club
4. Wests Nelson Bay
5. Muree Golf Club

Category 13: Dance Studio

1. Dance 'n Dazzle Studio

2. Elite Diamond Dancers
3. Ultimate Dance & Performing Arts
4. Robyn Yvette Dance Centre
5. DanceXtreme

Category 14: Fashion or Footwear- Ladies

1. Berry Lush Designs

2. Ally Fashion Salamander Bay
3. Just Jeans Salamander Bay
4. Privvy Salamander Bay
5. Totally Workwear Salamander Bay

Category 15: Fashion or Footwear- Mens

1. Just Jeans Salamander Bay

2. Totally Workwear Salamander Bay

Category 16: Financial Services

1. The Mutual Raymond Terrace

2. Advanced Finance Solutions
3. Leah Anderson & Associates
4. Aussie Raymond Terrace
5. Greater Bank Raymond Terrace

Category 17: Fitness

1. Plus Fitness Medowie

2. Imugi Martial Arts
3. Tomaree Aquatic Centre
4. Balance Collective Nelson Bay
5. Zumba with Belinda and Shane

Category 18: Florist/Nursery

1. Daisy Belle Flowers & Gifts

 2. Salamander Village Florist
3. Absolutely Beautiful Flowers
4. The Gazebo Florist
5. Poppies of the Bay

Category 19: Fresh Produce or Markets

1. Tomatoes in Abundance
2. Real Food Culture
3. Little Tin Shed Medowie
4. Lovey's Grocers IGA Hawks Nest
5. Good Food Distributors

Category 20: Furniture/Home Decor

1. FAB Furniture & Bedding

2. Outdoor Obsessions
3. Nelson Bay Carpet Court
4. Betta Home Living Raymond Terrace
5. Just Mattresses Heatherbrae

Category 21: Gift Store

1. Tilligerry Emporium
2. Berry Lush Designs
3. Bay Electronics Centre (Jaycar)
4. Boho Luxe Trader
5. Treasure Trove

Category 22: Hair Salon

1. Forever Hair & Beauty

2. Uneek Hair
3. Headz Up Hairdressing
4. Christiane's Hair Design Salamander Bay
5. Hair Art by Ashlie

Category 23: Hardware

1. H&D Timber
2. Tanilba Bay Hardware
3. Bunnings Port Stephens
4. George's Road Timber & Hardware
5. Reece Plumbing Salamander Bay
Category 24: Health & Medical

1. Central Health Alliance

2. Nelson Bay Physiotherapy & Sports Injury Centre
3. OPAAT HEALTH
4. Speech Moves Speech Pathology
5. Nelson Bay Health Foods

Category 25: Hotel or Bottle Shop

1. McCauley's Bottleshop
2. Spinning Wheel Hotel
3. BWS Nelson Bay
4. BYO Cellars Anna Bay
5. Seabreeze Hotel

Category 26: Jeweller

1. Jewel of the Bay

2. Matthews Jewellers Salamander Bay
3. Terrace Showcase Jewellers
4. Bayside Jewellers
5. Prouds The Jewellers Salamander Bay

Category 27: Learning, Training or Recruitment

1. Williamtown Preschool
2. Lexon Training Consultants
3. Tomaree Community College
4. Yin Yang Consultancy
5. Workskil Australia Raymond Terrace

Category 28: Legal Services

1. Cunningham & Adam Solicitors

2. Steven T Parrott Solicitor and Attorney
3. Sawers & Levonpera Raymond Terrace
4. Karen Cranney Licenced Conveyancer
5. LMC Lawyers

Category 29: Newsagency

1. Medowie Newsagency & Post Office

2. Tanilba Bay Newspower Newsagency
3. Salamander Bay Newspower
4. Anna Bay Newspower
 5. Nelson Bay Newspower

Category 30: Pharmacy

1. Capital Chemist Raymond Terrace

2. Karuah Pharmacy
3. Lemon Tree Passage Pharmacy
4. Amcal+ Salamander Bay
5. Blooms the Chemist Raymond Terrace

Category 31: Real Estate - Sales

1. Coastal Real Estate & Property Management

2. PRDnationwide Port Stephens
3. Raine & Horne Nelson Bay
4. Steve Bates Real Estate
5. Century 21 Curtis and Blair Medowie

Category 32: Real Estate - Property Management

1. Coastal Real Estate & Property Management

2. Raine & Horne Nelson Bay
3. Steve Bates Real Estate
4. Century 21 Curtis and Blair Medowie
5. LJ Hooker Nelson Bay

Category 33: Restaurant- Australian Cuisine

1. The Poyer's
2. Bluewater Grill
3. Mavericks on the Bay
4. Shoal Bay Country Club
5. Little Beach Boathouse

Category 34: Restaurant- International Cuisine

1. The Poyer's
2. Tilli Thai
3. Sanook Thai Restaurant
4. Sienna's Restaurant
5. L'il Buddha Asian Cuisine

Category 35: Shopping Complex or Precinct

1. Terrace Central
2. Woolworths Medowie
 3. Salamander Bay Square
4. MarketPlace Raymond Terrace

Category 36: Takeaway Food

1. Portside Pizza and Kebabs

2. The Oyster Shack
3. Tilli Thai
4. Soul Origin Salamander Bay
5. Salt Mine Fish & Chips

Category 37: Technology Industry

1. Excel IT Nelson Bay

2. Bay Electronics Centre (Jaycar)
3. Virtual Simulation Systems Taylors Beach
4. Bling on the Bay
5. EB Games Salamander Bay

Category 38: Tourist Attraction

1. Oakvale Wildlife Park

2. Horizons Golf Resort
3. Hunter Region Botanic Gardens
4. Imagine Cruises
5. Sand Dune Safaris

Category 39: Specialised Services

1. Imugi Martial Arts

2. NYC McLaren Tattoo
3. The Food War Inc
4. Aubree & Me
5. Bays Landscape & Property Maintenance

Category 40: New business (1st year)

1. Central Beans Cafe

2. Williams Pet Produce
3. OPAAT Health
4. East Coast Timber Floors & More
5. Horizons FootGolf