The Glasgow International Comedy Festival has launched its search for the winner of the 2025 Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award.
Applications for the award have now opened with acts, venues and staff in 2025’s festival being encouraged to apply online now.
Previous winners of the award include Janey Godley, who won in 2023, and Susie McCabe, who was awarded it last year.
Sir Billy Connolly decides the final winner, with the 2025 victor to be revealed at the festival’s comedy gala on Sunday, March 30 at Glasgow’s King’s Theatre.
The deadline for nominations is January 13, 2025 at 5pm before the independent panel chooses a shortlist from all applications before Sir Billy decides the winner based on who most personifies the ‘spirit of Glasgow’.
The winner will receive a glass trophy with one of the Big Yin’s famous self-portraits engraved on it, and he has previously said the winner needs to be just like him.
Speaking about the award’s inception in 2023, he 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 award was first introduced in 2023 to celebrate the city and its warmth, resilience and humour.
The award recognises a person, or a group of people, meaning any GICF performer, venue staff, promoter or anyone otherwise involved in the festival can apply – and they don’t need to be from Glasgow or live in the city either.
Festival Director Krista MacDonald said: “In its third year, the Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award will once again celebrate the characteristics and ideals that make the city of Glasgow so synonymous with comedy. Sir Billy Connolly is renowned around the world for his unique blend of warmth, hilarity and boldness - all values the award seeks to honour and that anyone, whether a life-long Glaswegian or a visitor to our city, will be very familiar with.
“This year’s Glasgow International Comedy Festival is once again shaping up to be one of our biggest events yet, which means there is a huge wealth of talent who can apply for this prestigious award - we look forward to celebrating this year’s Shortlist at our Comedy Gala at the King’s Theatre.”
Karen Koren, of GICF corporate director GB Festivals Ltd said: “We're delighted to once again be working with Sir Billy on this award in his honour - we've recognised two incredibly worthy winners since the award's inception in 2022 and can't wait to reveal the winner at 2025's GICF Comedy Gala."
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Susie McCabe wins Sir Billy Connolly Award at Glasgow International Comedy Festival
Speaking after she won the award in 2024, Susie McCabe said: "When you start this career as a dare you don’t think for a minute you’re going to hear your name come out of Billy Connolly’s face! Thank you to Glasgow for being the wind in my sails.
“When you stand on this stage you stand on the shoulders of Billy, Elaine, Dorothy Paul and Janey. This means the absolute world to me - this city means the absolute world to me.”
The 2025 festival will celebrate Glasgow as the ‘funniest city in the world’ from 12th - 30th March 2025 with shows already announced including: Here Comes the Guillotine, Susie McCabe, Connor Burns, Val McDermid & Nicola Sturgeon’s Books and Banter, Jimeoin, Russell Kane, Jamali Maddix, Darren Connell, Kemah Bob, Craig Hill, Susan Riddell and more.
The 2025 festival will feature shows across every genre of comedy from traditional stand-up, live podcasts, clowning, improv, theatre, kids shows, musicals and more, with shows for all age ranges hosted in venues across the city.
Acts and venues can register to be included in GICF’s printed festival guide by 22nd November via www.glasgowcomedyfestival.com
2025 festival tickets are on sale via www.glasgowcomedyfestival.com with the full festival launch in early January.
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