FIVE women of the Bournemouth Accommodation and Hotels Association have scooped nominations among 1,300 others in this year's Working Women's Oscars.

Rosie Wallace, Sara Uzzell, Debra Adams, Mandy Payne and Nicki Allan have made it through to the finals alongside 40 of their peers all of whom are hoping to take home a coveted Venus award at the glamorous ceremony later this summer.

It will be held at the Lighthouse Theatre in Poole on September 18.

Rosie Wallace, managing director of the Marsham Court Hotel, has been nominated for the Smart Accountancy Business of the Year category.

This is her second nomination after she reached the finals in last year's Customer Service award category.

She said: "It's deeply satisfying that BAHA has such a presence in this year's Venus Awards. My family have been involved with BAHA since it began as the Bournemouth Hotel and Restaurant Association. Indeed, my father Christopher Dixon-Box was a President of BHRA.

"I think we are all proud to be part of an organisation which gives so much support to local accommodation owners. And it's also a great honour to be recognised as successful individuals amongst so many talented women."

Rosie's events manager is Nicki Allan, who is up for the Gem of England Customer Service award.

Ms Payne, who was last year's president of the Bournemouth Chamber of Commerce, has been shortlisted for the Stewarts Garden Centre Lifetime Achievement Award, and Ms Adams, owner of Area4finance, hopes to win the Digital Media and Online Business award.

Ms Uzzell, who owns Bournemouth's Whitehall and Arlington Hotels, is a finalist in the Exterion Media Marketing and PR category.

"I have been a hotelier in Bournemouth for 12 years now and a member of the BAHA committee for around 10 years," she said. "I was thrilled when I was nominated for a Venus award because they recognise inspirational and successful women throughout Dorset's business community.

"And I was even more pleased when I discovered I was one of five BAHA members to reach the finals - it's a great reflection on the organisation and the many hard working women (and men) within it."