New nomination process for Young Professional of the Year Awards

Future Faces, the young professionals’ division of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, is introducing a simpler nomination process for the Greater Birmingham Young Professional of the Year Awards - making it easier to recognise talented young professionals across the region.

Instead of requiring nominees to complete the full application form, individuals will now be able to nominate someone by submitting a few basic details, including their name, email address and a short statement outlining why they deserve recognition.

Once the nomination has been submitted, the nominee will receive an email informing them of their nomination and inviting them to complete the full application.

The nomination process is free, and shortlisted finalists will be invited to attend the awards ceremony.

The deadline to apply for the awards is 10 July, 2026.

Lillian Elekan, (pictured) director of membership at the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: “We’ve seen a really encouraging rise in young professionals putting themselves forward for the awards over the last few years. It takes confidence and courage to step forward, and we absolutely celebrate that.

“At the same time, however, we know there are many talented individuals who may not naturally put themselves in the spotlight and sometimes just need that extra encouragement from their peers, colleagues, mentors or managers.

“Introducing a simple nomination process makes it easier than ever to recognise emerging talent, while still giving individuals the opportunity to tell their own story through the application stage.

“Our aim is to make the awards more accessible, more inclusive, and to ensure we are recognising the full breadth of young professional talent across our network.”

The awards are open to both members and non-members who work within the Greater Birmingham region including Birmingham, Burton, Cannock Chase, Lichfield, Tamworth, Solihull and Sutton Coldfield postcode areas.

Applicants must be 35 or younger on the 24 September 2026 to be eligible to apply. If applicants are under 18, they will need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian and GBCC must be notified in advance. Entrants are only permitted to enter one sector award. 

There are 13 sector awards: 

• Greater Birmingham Apprentice of the Year 
• GBYPY - Creative Industries and Culture 
• GBYPY - Digital, Tech & Innovation 
• GBYPY - Sustainability and ESG 
• GBYPY - Events and Hospitality 
• GBYPY - Finance 
• GBYPY - Legal 
• GBYPY - Built Environment and Engineering 
• GBYPY - People and Wellbeing 

One of the category winners will then be crowned the overall Greater Birmingham Young Professional of the Year 2026.

Find out more information on the awards, sponsorship opportunities and fill out your application HERE