THE Pride of Andover Awards are one step closer after category sponsors met earlier this month for the annual Judging Day.

The awards committee met at The Lights on September 10 for more than five hours of deliberation, with 22 judges, including event sponsor David Mellor Family Jewellers, working to find the 2022 finalists.

Following plenty of tough decisions, this year’s finalists have been decided and will those shortlisted will be revealed next month.

An awards spokesperson said: “The day was a mixture of excitement and emotion as each of the committee members and sponsors learned about the people within the Andover community that we now know as our unsung heroes, each deserving recognition for their outstanding achievements within the Andover community.

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“Flooded with nominations, category sponsors and committee members took their time in carefully selecting this year’s finalists for the Pride of Andover Awards, not an easy task when each nomination was deserving of recognition for their commitment and dedication to the Andover community.”

The Pride of Andover Awards honours the town’s exceptional unsung heroes, recognising the inspiring and often selfless actions of Andover’s most generous individuals, the people who make such a big difference to so many lives, without realising the positive impact their actions make.