The fun, lighthearted atmosphere at the 26th Annual Small Business Leadership Awards did nothing to take away from the serious accomplishments of local businesses and entrepreneurs.

The May 3 event, organized by the South Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce and hosted by Comedy Works South in Greenwood Village, recognized standout community leaders in three main areas: Brian Vogt Community Leader of the Year, Emerging Business of the Year and Small Business of the Year.

All told, a record number of nearly 40 candidates were nominated. A Chamber of Commerce selection committee whittled the choices down to three finalists in each category.

The finalists for the Brian Vogt Community Leader of the Year were Joe Blake, Gayle Dendinger and Jeff G. Wasden. Dendinger, the CEO of CAPS Logistics, took home the award. He spoke at length thanking his family, friends and co-workers, as well as complimenting the Chamber of Commerce.

“There is so much spirit in this place, there’s no place like it,” Dendinger said.

Bye Energy won Emerging Business of the Year, edging out Speed Raceway and Telocity Group. The award honors companies with five or more employees that have been in business for one to four years. Bye Energy was selected largely due to its Green Flight Program, which aims to put a hybrid-electric aircraft in the area within the year.

“We thank you so much for believing in us, and we look forward to a very successful future,” said Diane Garcia, the company’s chief of staff and corporate communications, during her acceptance speech.

The evening was capped off with the presentation of the Small Business of the Year Award to apparel manufacturer Ouray Sportswear. The other two finalists were Tony’s Market and WhippleWood CPAs. Following a short video presentation about each candidate, Ouray Sportswear was named the winner and Vice President of Corporate Development Jon Boris accepted the award.

“We’re incredibly thankful, this is a tremendous honor for everyone in the company,” Boris said.

Also during the event, which featured comedian and emcee David Kious, the U.S. Small Business Administration presented the South Metro Denver Small Business Development Council with the 2010 Small Business Development Center of Excellence and Innovation Award.