Now in its tenth year, the annual event which recognises excellence, innovation and ethics among UK plc, saw the best of British business celebrate the hard won achievements of exemplary organisations and individuals throughout the public and private sectors.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rt Hon George Osborne MP delivered the welcome address to over 1,100 top UK business leaders and entrepreneurs in attendance including Dr Richard Ward, CEO, Lloyd’s; Jasmine Whitbread, International CEO, Save the Children; Martin McCourt, CEO, Dyson and Lord Wolfson, Chief Executive of Next who won the Daily Telegraph Award for a Decade of Excellence in Business.

Awarded for her exceptional leadership it was Ruby McGregor-Smith, CEO, MITIE Group, who won the prestigious Orange Leader of the Year accolade; the only National Business Award to be determined by an expert panel of judges from across the business community, as well as by public vote. Under McGregor-Smith’s leadership, MITIE Group has become one of the largest integrated facilities management providers in the UK.

“The National Business Awards are a celebration of the very best in British business. They are a unique opportunity to recognise the hard work you all do, as small businesses or multi-national companies, to achieve commercial success”, said Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rt Hon George Osborne MP.

“Day in and day out I meet the sorts of businesses that are up for an Award this year and they all have one thing in common: a relentless capacity to focus on results. It is from that effort and endeavour that great things emerge – new ideas, new products and new jobs”, the Chancellor added.

Wakefield-based Harvard Engineering won the Orange Innovation Award, impressing the judges with its innovative wireless street-lighting system which saved their customers £322m per annum and reduced their carbon emissions by 700m kgs per annum - “A triumph of customer led entrepreneurship”, said the judging panel.

Martin Stiven, Vice President of Business, Orange, said: “Looking at the quality of award entries, the UK is overflowing with businesses that are consistently delivering outstanding performance – from sole traders to large corporates.  The economy needs companies like these – world-leading businesses that employ some of the UK’s most talented people.  That’s why we’ve partnered with the National Business Awards for the last decade – to recognise and reward great British businesses.”

Awards host BBC presenter John Humphrys ensured that the evening’s action packed programme ran smoothly with 17 award presentations and an outstanding performance by previous finalists, the 200-strong Rock Choir whose Director, Caroline Redman Lusher, was shortlisted for Entrepreneur of the Year in 2010.

Liverpool’s Bibby Line Group won the 3i Private Business of the Year category; London-based Johnson Matthey seized the Coutts & Co Large-Cap Business of the Year Award; while Gloucestershire-based Renishaw, was presented with the Grant Thornton Mid-Cap Business of the Year accolade.

Paul Lindley, Founder and CEO of Ella’s Kitchen was awarded with the Entrepreneur of the Year award, online wine retailer Naked Wines secured the WorldPay Online Business of the Year, while publishers ShortList Media triumphed with the Santander Small to Medium Sized Business of the Year honour.

“The National Business Awards are unique in that any organisation – from the smallest SME to the largest FTSE, and from charities and social enterprises to government agencies – can compete for recognition on the same playing field”, said Baroness Virginia Bottomley, Chair of Judges at the National Business Awards. “It’s vitally important, as many seek to transform in the post-recession economy, that good ideas and approaches are shared between the public, commercial and third sectors”, Bottomley added.

Nearly 100 eminent judges across multi disciplines brought their insight and expertise to the judging which saw over 150 of the UK’s most exceptional organisations from the public, private and third sectors complete a three-stage judging process culminating in ‘Dragon’s Den’ style presentations.

Commenting on the quality of entries, Baroness Bottomley concluded: “Now in their tenth year, and continually growing in relevance and status, the National Business Awards are the most prestigious accolades within the business community. Huge congratulations to all the winners and finalists – those who are recognised this year should consider themselves the very best of the best.”

Visit www.nationalbusinessawards.co.uk for the full list of winners and images.