FOUR York business women will tomorrow find out whether they have scooped accolades in this year's Forward Ladies regional awards.

Maria Florou, Ashley Hyde, Claire Turner and Christina Gabbitas are all finalists in the Forward Ladies Women in Business Awards Yorkshire and North East regional shortlist.

Miss Florou, general manager of the Grand Hotel & Spa, York, is nominated in the Inspiring Leader category, Mrs Hyde, from Baba Ganoush Private Dining, is among the Young Entrepreneur contenders and Mrs Turner, a partner in Sheriff Hutton accountancy firm Turner Lister & Co, has been shortlisted in the Start-Up Business of the Year category.

Completing the list is local author Ms Gabbitas, who set up Poems and Pictures in 2012, and is nominated in the Digital and Online Business of the Year. She said: "I feel very privileged to be among some very inspirational ladies.

"It is wonderful to be recognised, but this doesn’t come without a lot of hard work. My motto is to ‘never give up’ even if somebody tells you otherwise. If you believe in what you are doing and yourself, you can make it work.”

The regional winners will be announced at The Crowne Plaza in Newcastle tomorrow evening/

They will then meet the judges live on November 4 and the national winners will be announced on November 20 at the Queens Hotel in Leeds.