A recruitment chief at a commercial property consultancy has been named the city's top young professional.

Daniel Williams, head of resourcing at the city's office of Avison Young, was named Birmingham Young Professional of the Year (BYPY) last night at the annual ceremony which celebrates the city's up-and-coming business stars aged 35 and under.

Judges said Mr Williams would be "a force for good" for the city and praised him for his positivity and desire to push diversity and inclusivity.

He won the HR, recruitment and training award before being chosen ahead of five other category winners to be named overall BYPY 2019.

Mr Williams, 26, will now receive a fully funded scholarship to study an executive MBA at Aston Business School worth £18,000 and spend the next year representing the city as BYPY.

The annual awards are organised by business networking and membership group BPS Birmingham Future.

Chairwoman Katie Fulcher said: "A huge congratulations to Daniel. He's not only really impressive professionally but a very engaging individual and a force for good.

"I have no doubt he will change lives and be able to do something really positive for the city.

"We were so impressed by the high standard of candidates this year, demonstrating just how much young talent exists in Birmingham."

The five other category winners are below and click through here to read for the full 2019 shortlist:

Legal

Michelle Adams, Squire Patton Boggs

Marketing & Communications

Kerry Lenihan,  T|A|C Events

Property & Construction

Raj Sanghera, Blackswan Property

Technology & Innovation

Rich Westman, Kaido

Finance

Susan Webb, PwC

The aspiring talent category, for individuals aged 16 to 24 and who are currently in education or training for a professional services career, was won by Heidi Walford from Pinsent Masons.

Alex Bishop, partner and national head of the litigation services practice at law firm Shoosmiths, was named inspiring leader for her continued commitment to the business community in Birmingham.

Claire Moore, director of operations at headline sponsor BNP Paribas Personal Finance, added: "As a local employer in the West Midlands region, we're always keen to help young talent grow and develop.

"Our ongoing commitment to BYPY gives us an excellent opportunity to recognise and celebrate the incredible success of young professionals in Birmingham, all of whom are great advocates for the city and its rapidly evolving professional services sector.

"I'm proud to be among the first to offer congratulations to this year's winner Daniel Williams.

"It's an incredible achievement to win such a prestigious award and we hope it helps him to continue to fast-track his development in what is already proving to be an exciting, rewarding and successful career."

The awards ceremony was hosted by sports presenter Mark Durden-Smith and held at the ICC.