Winner St James Securities

With a considerable role in developing Bridgewater Place, plus ongoing developments in Sheffield, Halifax and Wakefield, St James has interests right across the region. Judges felt the company had often been the unsung hero behind much of the best Yorkshrie development in recent years. Project team leader Daniel Murray said the developer is still busy in these uncertain times, "but we're not going crazy and won’t be doing anything speculative at this stage”.

Shortlist St James Securities, Dransfield Properties, K W Linfoot

Sponsored by Ernst & Young

Winner The Gatehaus, Bradford

This award is designed to go to developments that are really pushing the barrier in design in Yorkshire. Judges felt the Gatehaus, designed by Robinson Design Group and so called because it is in the Little Germany district, was a hugely attractive new building for Bradford, and physical proof that such things are possible in the city. They felt it proved that everyone who thought Bradford's redevelopment was just theory and not reality were wrong. Tony Mobbs, Robinson's managing director, revealed that the development was the first major project to be approved by Bradford Centre Regeneration. "It's an example of what can be achieved when you have a client - in this case Asquith Properties - who are prepared to go the extra mile. People coming into Bradford will look at the building and say: 'That is where we are now with design in Bradford.'"

Shortlist The Gatehaus, Bradford; No 1 Whitehall Riverside, Leeds; Velocity Village, Sheffield

Sponsored by BWB Consulting

Winner Architecture 2B

In contrast with the Design Excellence category, this award was meant to go to a particular practice for fine work it had carried out throughout the year, not just for one development. Architecture 2B is a relatively new practice that is still making a great name for itself with some innovative office developments and adaptations, including Bracken Estates' Calls Wharf in Leeds. Nick Brown, director at Architecture2B, said: “It’s the first time we’ve come up against our old employers Carey Jones. They have been very supportive to us as a company, but it’s nice to be at the stage where we’ve beaten them.”

Shortlist Architecture 2B, Carey Jones, Robinson Architects

Sponsored by RIBA

Winner Jones Lang LaSalle

JLL made it first in this catch-all award for all agents. The practice has had a 66 per cent increase in fee income for its office team this year, and has been involved in some key developments in Leeds including City Point and 2 Wellington Place. It's also joint letting agent on the £80m Square development in Sheffield. Jeff Pearey, head of JLL's Leeds office, said: "When I moved to take over the JLL office in 2006 it had been quiet for a number of years and my target was to triple turnover. We have done that in a year and now we are starting to see JLL take its proper place in Leeds."

Shortlist Jones Lang LaSalle, Atisreal, Sanderson Weatherall, Savills

Sponsored by Eversheds

Winner Rotherham MBC

Rotherham just made it through to the winning post for its well-balanced attitude towards development and ability to transform a city that had perhaps come from a lower starting point than any of the others on the shortlist. One judge even remarked how pavement cafes were even appearing in Rotherham town centre now, after an absence of some decades. Gerald Smith, cabinet member for economic regeneration and development at the council, said: “Round about the year 2000 the elected members realised the authority was struggling and was looked on as pretty poor. So we had an influx of new officers because we thought we needed some new ideas and since then we haven’t looked back!"

Shortlist Rotherham MBC, Creative Sheffield, Hull Forward, Leeds City council

Sponsored by Aedas

Winner St Stephen's, Hull

Hull's new shopping centre may have been more than six years in planning, but it has been a shot in the arm for a city that had, by its own admission, seen retail interest leaking away to other cities and towns nearby. John Holmes, chief executive of Hull Forward, said: “We’re always optimistic and feel as though we have got a fantastic project there because it’s not just about shopping, but also the hotel, residential, the Albemarle Music Centre and the Hull Truck development, which is going to be astounding.”

Shortlist: St Stephen's, Hull; Leopold Square, Sheffield; Marshall's Yard, Gainsborough

Sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers

Winner Anglo Irish Bank

The credit crunch may have put the brakes on some funders' ability to make money available for new projects in Yorkshire, but this category still proved to be the one the judges argued about most. In the end Anglo Irish Bank, which has been sole funder on, among other things, CTP St James and Modus Developments' projects in Wakefield, just pipped the post ahead of Barclays, which has provided lead funding for the Gateway Plaza in Barnsley and Bridgewater Place. Julian Naylor, regional director for Anglo Irish Bank in Yorkshire and Humber, said: “We have been successful in more than doubling our loan book in the last 12 months and attracting some very good professional clients in a fairly short space of time.”

Shortlist Anglo Irish Bank, Barclays, Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets

Sponsored by Velocity

Winner DLA Piper

This award to recognise Yorkshire's busiest property team over the last year had an entry from just about every real estate practice in the region. But even with such stiff competition, judges felt DLA Piper was a name that was cropping up most often on deal documents all over Yorkshire. Partner Tim Field said: “We’re involved in some big schemes at the moment in Leeds and remain very busy, even in the current marketplace.”

Shortlist DLA Piper, Cobbetts, Davidson Webber, Gordons

Sponsored by DWA Architects

Winner Innovate Green Office, Thorpe Park

Judges felt this flagship development in Leeds' biggest office park combines not just sustainability but great design too, providing the city's smaller businesses with a restful place to plan their next venture. James Poskitt, managing director of GMI, the developer responsible for Innovate Green Office, said: “It is fantastic that we have got the greenest office building in the UK here in Yorkshire and Humber.”

Shortlist Innovate, Thorpe Park; Dalby Forest Visitors Centre, Pickering; Primrose Hill, Huddersfield

Sponsored by Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets