EY Entrepreneur of the Year winners named

Rocket Lab chief executive Peter Beck is EY Entrepreneur of The Year in the technology category. Photo / File

Six of New Zealand's top entrepreneurs have been awarded EY's Entrepreneur of The Year award from a range of categories.

Rocket Lab chief executive Peter Beck won the technology & emerging industries category, Fisher Funds Management director Carmel Fisher won the services category, Nirvana Health Group director Ranjna Patel won the master category, Garage Projects' Jos Ruffell won the young category and Armer Farms directors Colin & Dale Armer for products.

Diane Foreman CNZM, chair of the judging panel, said was thrilled by the standard of this year's finalists.

"It's been a really difficult job - it always is - and most of the people we saw could have become category winners in any other year. There were so many solid and well-funded good businesses," Foreman said.

"For a lot of the businesses and entrepreneurs, it was early in their careers and we'd love to see them back in a couple of years."

All category winners had been recognised disruptors in their industries, chosen from a selection of 18 nominees.

Awards director and EY partner Jon Hooper said a theme among all finalists was commitment to community service.

"A number of businesses we saw are doing significant things to change people's lives, from improving the quality of the homes we live in, to helping others start their own businesses, to helping deal with violence in the community."

The winners will again face the judging panel in October, with one to be selected to represent New Zealand and EY's World Entrepreneur Of The Year in Monaco.