BILLY Connolly and comedy festival organisers have announced a new award celebrating the “spirit of Glasgow”.
The Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award will be the only official gong given by the Glasgow International Comedy Festival (GICF) when it takes place next spring.
An independent judging panel will consider nominations made by registered participants in the festival, which runs from March 15 to April 2.
The eventual winner will be the show, individual or group that judges feel most personifies the “spirit of Glasgow”.
READ MORE: East Ayrshire provost promotes Scotland’s Towns Conference 2022
Connolly said: “Glasgow defies description. Many great men and women have tried to describe its spirit and failed miserably.
“What do you say about a town that dances, sings, plays and jokes differently from everybody else? The winner of this award will have to be a nutter like me.”
The comedian, also known as the Big Yin, was knighted in 2017 for services to entertainment and charity.
Born in Glasgow in 1942, he began his working life as a welder in the Clyde shipyards before embarking on a career as a folk singer and musician alongside Gerry Rafferty in The Humblebums, and then developed the stand-up act that made him famous.
The inaugural winner will be announced at the festival’s closing gala at the King’s Theatre on April 2.
Festival director Krista MacDonald said: “It is the beginning of a new era for the Glasgow International Comedy Festival and we are very proud to have Sir Billy Connolly’s support in celebrating the spirit of the city shown through the immense comedy talent on display during our three weeks in March.
“No-one more personifies both that spirit and that talent than Sir Billy.”
The award was conceived by Karen Koren, corporate director of GICF and GB Festivals, and it will be open to any individual, group, show or venue involved in the festival – not just those from Glasgow.
She said: “We feel incredibly privileged to be able to introduce the Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award to this year’s festival.
“We hope the award will add to the celebration and really shine a light on some of the incredible hard work by acts and individuals within the comedy industry.”
Annette Christie, the chairperson of Glasgow Life, said: “Glasgow and its people are renowned for their great sense of humour, love of comedy and indefatigable spirit, and I can’t think of anyone who represents that life-affirming combination of characteristics more than Sir Billy Connolly.
“That this exciting new award – to recognise outstanding talent at Glasgow International Comedy Festival – is named after and honours the city’s beloved comedy genius, who has put Glasgow firmly on the worldwide comedy stage, gives it even greater importance.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here