There were cheers and tears of delight as Jay Bowen from James Roberts Hairdressing in Manchester was crowned overall winner of the L'Oréal Professionnel Colour Trophy - Young Colourist Award at the L'Oréal Professionnel Colour Trophy Grand Final.

The talented young hairdresser from Manchester scooped the coveted award in the world's longest running, most stylish competition with his stunning colour work and incredible passion.

Over 1,300 of the world's top hairdressers gave a standing ovation as James collected his award from the evening's ultra-fashionable presenter Fearne Cotton and Jayne Lewis-Orr, Editor-In-Chief of industry bible Hairdressers Journal. Speaking moments after he came off stage, it was clear that the enormity of his achievement would take a while to sink in; "I was absolutely speechless when I heard my name - I still can't believe it.”

Talent, drive and determination saw him through three tough rounds of the competition which started way back in March. Over 1,200 salon teams entered, 351 Regional Finalists were short-listed; with 45 Finalists selected to compete at the Grand Final.

The win means that Jay is on his way to hitting the hairdressing big time at the age of just 22. In addition to the industry recognition he will gain, he picks up a once-in-a-lifetime prize package that will catapult him ahead of his peers and into the future of a glittering career.

Two weeks prior to the Grand Final, Jay represented the North Western region alongside eight aspiring Young Colourist's from across the UK at the L'Oréal International Academy in London. They had 3.5 hours to create a fashionable, high-street look on their model. The pressure was on to perform as a panel of prestigious industry judges observed them at work and then interviewed each competitor about their inspiration and ambition for the future. "I was really nervous but I soon realised that everyone was feeling the same and that gave me a lot of comfort! It was a brilliant experience and I got so much out of the whole day,” said Jay.

Unaware of his fate, Jay and his supporters attended the spectacular Grand Final at Earls Court 2 to experience total glamour, total sophistication and total inspiration - the very best of British Hairdressing. Throughout the evening there were stunning shows by Andrew Collinge and Alan Edwards in addition to an exclusive showcase of fashion designer Marios Schwabs' Autumn/Winter 07/08 collection.

After an anxious wait, it was time to reveal the winner. Upon hearing his name called out, there was disbelief then delight for Jay who was clearly overwhelmed at the news that she had won; "Just to be at the Grand Final is a dream come true - to win is simply the best feeling in the world. My prize is amazing and I'll be working on magazine photo shoots and I will also be shadowing a top colourist. It will be great to find out all the tricks of the trade and bring them back to the salon to my clients.”

Despite stiff competition, the judges unanimously agreed that Jay was the most promising young colourist in the UK as Jo O'Neil, Global Technical Director for Toni&Guy explains: "We were able see and feel everything that Jay was hoping to achieve. He described the robustness of his tones and the intricacy of his technique with an eloquence that belied his youth. Jay's incredible spirit shone through and upon on completion his look, it was exactly as he had described.”

L_Or_al_Professionnel_Young_Colourist_Award_Winner.zip