The awards honor excellence, innovation, and dedication across various sectors, celebrating the businesses and individuals who are driving Cork’s economic and cultural growth.
Check out the 2025 finalists below.
This award celebrates businesses driving sustainable transformation by adopting practices that reduce environmental impact, enhance resource efficiency, and promote ethical standards. It highlights companies contributing to Cork City’s sustainability goals, aligning with Ireland’s national and global climate initiatives. By recognising these role models, we inspire others to embrace impactful changes, reinforcing Cork’s leadership in climate action and environmental responsibility.
This award is to highlight all new businesses that have opened since 1 January 2021. Entrants had to explain their business and explain why they chose to set up in Cork, what risks were taken and how has business been since starting out.
This award is to highlight all Family owned and managed businesses in the greater Cork City area. Entrants had to explain their business and family managed structure.
This Award recognises ‘Hotels’ in the wider Cork City area. A hotel is defined as a commercial establishment that provides accommodation, dining, and additional services to guests. The finalist hotels offers a range of amenities, including private rooms or suites, housekeeping, and other facilities such as restaurants, bars, conference spaces, fitness centers, and recreational activities.
This award is to highlight all Restaurants in the greater Cork City area. To enter, a Restaurant was defined as a formal dining place that serves full course meals. Entrants had to to explain their business and offering.
The best Café award recognises excellence in customer service, business innovation, premises ambiance and atmosphere. Entrants have to demonstrate high standards in food quality, cost, efficiency, imagination, attention to detail, marketing and how they have raised the profile of their business in this ever increasingly competitive sector.
This award honours Cork City VFI Members; licensed establishments that serve alcoholic beverages, and may also offer food, entertainment and events such as live music, quizzes or comedy.
This award is to highlight all Retail Businesses in the greater Cork City area. Entrants had to to explain their business and offering, ownerships, and any future business plans. Retail businesses must operate from a building / premise in the greater Cork City Area.
Cork has seen some rapid growth in the professional services sector over the last 12 months. Entries in this sector include architects, engineers, accountants, lawyers, financial advisors to name but a few. The nominees had to explain what sets their business apart from others in their sector and what their plans for the future are.
This award honours a business, organisation, or institution for outstanding contributions to Cork City’s culture, art, or tourism. Finalists excelled in promoting the city’s heritage, arts, or visitor engagement through innovative campaigns, unique experiences, or initiatives that attract tourists. The final winner will have enhanced Cork’s reputation as a vibrant destination, benefiting the local community, boosting visitor numbers, or improving the overall experience for visitors.
This award honours Cork’s most outstanding festival or event, celebrating its creativity, organisation, and impact on the community, businesses, or visitors. Finalists demonstrated how they excelled in planning, promotion, and execution, enhancing Cork’s cultural, social, or business vibrancy. This category was open to festivals, corporate, or community events, & the winner will have delivered an engaging, accessible experience that fosters spirit and promotes Cork as a destination for unique, exciting events.
