The winners of the St David Awards have been announced. The winners and nominees were all recognised by the First Minister at a ceremony at the Senedd on Thursday evening (March 27). The St David Awards, which were first awarded in 2014, are the national awards for Wales which recognise exceptional achievements by Welsh citizens. First Minister Eluned Morgan said: "This year’s awards are my first as First Minister, making it really special to me. It has been a privilege to celebrate an amazing group of talented and courageous people. The finalists are an inspiration to us all." Actor and TV writer Ruth Jones received a special honour at the Awards - the First Minister's Special Award for her successes, and putting an international spotlight on Wales. She is best known for playing the much-loved character Nessa in the popular sitcom Gavin and Stacey. The award categories were: Business; Bravery; Community Champion; Culture; Environment; Innovation; Science and Technology; Public Service; Sport; Volunteer; Young Person and the First Minister’s Special Award. The first 10 awards are nominated for by the public, before the finalists and winners are selected by the First Minister. Here are the full list of winners: Bravery - Justin Biggs Whilst paddling his surf ski around Cardiff Bay Justin Biggs came across a car upside down in the water near Cardiff Bay Yacht club. When local bystanders told him there was someone in the car, he quickly leapt into action, leaving behind his surf ski and paddle to enter the water and try to gain entry to the car and help those trapped inside. Knee deep in mud and chest deep in water, he struggled to open the car, only gaining access to the rear passenger door. Once open he could see the head of an unconscious person face down in the water and heard a second person actively drowning. He managed to roll the front seat backward enough to make space to enter underwater into the car. He pulled out the first person, a lady who had been trapped in the driver's seat struggling to stay above the water. Justin held her above the water whilst heading back into the car to pull her husband out. Unable to let go of either person for long and facing a 200m wade through mud and water, Justin carried out what little CPR he could. After several rounds of chest compressions and coaching the wife to carry out rescue breaths, the husband opened his eyes. Two very lucky people are still alive today because of the selfless action taken by Justin at the risk of his own life. You can read more about Justin's story here.Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here Business - Bad Wolf Ltd Bad Wolf is a high-end TV drama production company based in Cardiff and committed to making all of its productions in Wales. Its most recent productions are Dope Girls and Doctor Who. 2025 marks the 10-year anniversary of the company, which has also founded two other companies to grow the production base and crew in Wales - Wolf Studios Wales and Screen Alliance Wales. Community Champion - Paul Bromwell Paul Bromwell is an ex-Welsh Guardsman and Falklands War veteran. He founded the charity Valley Veterans in the Rhondda 20 years ago, providing weekly support for vulnerable veterans to benefit their mental and physical health. His diagnosis with PTSD 25 years ago gave him personal insight into the complex needs and struggles of fellow veterans. Paul received training as a veterans mental health support mentor that lead him to set up Valley Veterans. For the first 15 years Paul personally funded the group by remortgaging his home to purchase land to build stables for equine therapy services to assist veterans mental health and wellbeing. Since then, Paul has widened the support offered at the hub. Culture - David Hurn Born in 1934 and brought up in Roath, Cardiff, David Hurn is one of the leading figures in the world of photojournalism and was an early member of the prestigious Magnum Photos agency. He initially gained recognition as a freelance documentary photographer when he covered the Hungarian uprising in 1956, and over his long and varied subsequent career he has built a most influential body of work. As well as photographing cinema stars such as Sean Connery (as James Bond), Michael Caine, Audrey Hepburn and The Beatles, he captured memorable and searing images of the Aberfan disaster. As well as contributing his own genius to the world of photography, David Hurn has generously given his internationally significant collection of works by other photographers to Amgueddfa Cymru as a gift to the nation. Now living in Tintern, David Hurn is still actively documenting village life through his camera lens. He has been called the most important living photographer in Wales. You can read our full interview with Hurn here. Environment Champion - Peter Stanley Peter has contributed to environmental programmes and studies at a local, national and international scale. Transformational change has been achieved in tackling the legacy of metal mine pollution from 1,300 mines along 700km of waterways. He actively encouraged collaboration and knowledge exchange at all levels showcasing the world leading innovation in Wales to colleagues in New Zealand, Russia, Sweden and chairing international conferences in Wales. Peter has transformed our methods of dealing with abandoned metal mines. Prior to Pete’s involvement, there was no single approach in place to look at the scale of the problem and how to address it. Pete created and led a dedicated programme within Natural Resources Wales. One area he dramatically improved is understanding that the metal mines in Upland Wales are important for our landscape, heritage and specialised metal tolerant Calaminarian grassland habitats. Innovation, Science & Technology - Immunoserv Cardiff based biotechnology company ImmunoServ have devised kits for T cell testing that can indicate how protected people are from infectious diseases, such as COVID-19 and influenza. Located at Cardiff Medicentre next to the University Hospital of Wales, they have established links to sell their kits worldwide. Public Services - Patrick Watts Patrick Watts works as a consultant paediatric ophthalmologist at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff. He found a home in Wales, having migrated from India as a postgraduate qualified doctor. For five years he served as training programme director for ophthalmic training in Wales and was responsible for training singlehandedly a third of consultant ophthalmologists currently working in Wales, as well as others who have moved to work elsewhere. He is dedicated to the profession and has been a tireless writer of Royal College of Ophthalmologists guidelines and teaching documents in his own time. One area of research he has led is around non-accidental eye injury and how doctors can look out for signs of abuse in babies. His guidelines and studies in this area of research have led the way in the UK. Through his work, he has saved the sight of countless babies and children and is considered the most senior paediatric ophthalmologist in Wales for over a decade. Sport- Emmu Finucane MBE Emma Finucane is an Olympic Track Cyclist from Carmarthen who became the first woman in 60 years to win three medals for Team GB at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. At just 21 years old Emma has made significant strides on the national and international stage. Emma started cycling at eight years old with the Towy Riders and having been spotted by the Great Britain Cycling team she joined the academy programme in 2018. In 2023 Emma took all 4 women’s sprint titles at the National Track Championships, followed by her first individual world cup win in the sprint. She went onto win her first world title at the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow. With many successes under her belt the pinnacle of her sporting career was achieved 2024 at the Paris Olympics where she secured a gold in the team sprint and 2 bronzes in individual events for Team GB. Having brought such pride to Wales, Emma is a true inspiration to young Welsh cyclists through her exceptional talent and dedication to the sport. You can read more about how she went from riding a pink bike to Olympic glory here Volunteering - Llanberis Mountain Rescue Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team is a volunteer-based rescue organization serving the iconic Yr Wyddfa and the surrounding Eryri. Founded in 1965, the team is dedicated to providing emergency assistance to those who find themselves in peril while hiking, climbing, or mountaineering in the region. The team responds to a wide range of incidents, including lost or injured hikers, climbers in distress, and search-and-rescue operations for missing people. Their expertise covers not only mountain rescues but also water rescues in the area. The team is made up of highly skilled and brave volunteers who undergo extensive training and are available 24/7, 365 days a year, regardless of weather conditions. Receiving no government funding, the Mountain Rescue Team relies on donations, fundraising events, and the dedication of its members to maintain operations and cover the costs of equipment and training. They are the UK’s busiest mountain rescue team, in 2023 responding to 326 calls for assistance in 2024. Llanberis Mountain Rescue are considered a fourth emergency service. Young Person - Dylan Buller Dylan is a young person who transformed his life at the Young Persons Unit in HMP YOI Parc, by actively participating in educational and enrichment programs. Dylan arrived at Parc at 16 years of age as a result of going down the wrong path which resulted in him serving a custodial sentence. After being excluded from mainstream school and a Pupil Referral Unit Dylan recognised that this was an opportunity for a fresh start and a chance to better himself. During his time at Parc, Dylan successfully turned his life around by working with the staff and the charity Dallaglio Rugby Works. His passion for sports has resulted in Dylan gaining coaching, mentoring, communication and teamwork skills. Dylan has also been a driving force in trailing new activities for the young people at Parc., including animal care, gardening, photography and music as well as working closely with the Dallaglio Rugby Works to run fitness and sports sessions for his peers. On release from Parc, Dylan has led new activities, secured a job as a trainee rugby coach and now works with other young people who are at-risk in the community to stay on the right course. Defying the odds of his background, he serves as an inspiration to many, showcasing exceptional determination and commitment. First Minister's Special Award - Ruth Jones Gavin & Stacey co-creator Ruth Jones received the special honour for her massive success at the St David Awards. Jones, who starred as Nessa in the hit BBC sitcom which she wrote alongside James Corden, received the First Minister's Special Award for "putting an international spotlight on Wales". The award recognised her "outstanding contribution" to the cultural life of Wales. Speaking to the BBC at the ceremony, Jones said : "I've never been honoured by my homeland in this way, it's just fantastic. I was gobsmacked actually when I found out the First Minister was giving me this lovely award, so I'm just overwhelmed." First Minister, Eluned Morgan said: "I am thrilled to celebrate the huge success that Ruth Jones has achieved, she has showcased the warmth and wit of the Welsh people. We are proud to have such a huge talent here. Ruth Jones (through Ness in Gavin and Stacey) has given us permission to laugh at ourselves as Welsh people, and at the quirky things we do and say, and because of that we have become more confident and relaxed as a nation which has led to an outpouring of love for the Welsh people across the world. "Ruth Jones has done more to put our country on the map than anyone else in decades – and we could not be more proud of her."