KIRSTY Williams has been named the Welsh Assembly Member of the year - but missed the glitzy awards bash for a meeting in Llanwrtyd Wells.
The Welsh Liberal Democrat leader was named AM of the Year at the annual Welsh Political Awards at Cardiff City Hall.
But the Brecon and Radnorshire AM had gone to a meeting in Llanwrtyd Wells instead to discuss the future of banking in the tiny town after its only bank, Barclays, shut its branch at the end of November.
Ms Williams said: "Whilst receiving these sorts of awards is always nice, it is not why I got into politics, that is why I went to the meeting in Llanwrtyd instead.
"It is far more important to me that the communities of Brecon and Radnorshire have access to banking services than any personal recognition.
"I will continue to fight for the people of Brecon and Radnorshire making sure that their voice is heard loud and clear in Cardiff Bay."
Ms Williams won the award, for the second year in a row, for her work on the More Nurses bill, which is intended to introduce a minimum number of nurses on hospital wards in Wales. It is the third time in five years Ms Williams has won the award.
The award, and a cartoon of Ms Williams as a nurse, was collected on her behalf by party colleague Eluned Parrot AM.
The awards programme will be shown on ITV Wales this Thursday at 10.40pm and repeated Sunday lunchtime.