2019 is ’The United Nations Year o Indigenous Language.’ Tae gie recognition tae it an oor ain guid Scots Leid, Hands Up for Trad alang wi Creative Scotland hae brocht forrit a new annual award ceremony celebratin the verra best in Scotland’s strang cultural calendar.

The Scots Leid is lang favourit by scrievers an yaised as the spiken wird in mony o oor weel kent films. Scots is ane o the maist publishit minority leids in the warld. Ilka year sees it camin mair an mair tae the fore amang the populace wi the growin use o social media bringin communities thegither wi fowk o influence an the media. The Scots leid, or ‘Lallans’ as it was aince better kent, is an important pairt o Scottish life.

The verra first Scots Leid Awards ceremony, wi hosts Alistair Heather an Freida Morrison, wull tak place on the 27th September 2019 in The Mitchell Theatre, Glasgow. An excitin celebration o Scotland’s national leid spiken by ower 30% o the population an giein reward for excellence in schuils, communities and the airts.

Nominees include internationaly acclaimed scriever, actor, director, sangster sangscriever Gerda Stevenson.

Founder Simon Thoumire, Creative Director of Hands up for Trad said: “The verra first Scots Leid Awards wull tak place on the 27th September 2019 in The Mitchell Theatre, Glasgow. There wull be 10 categories an 1 Lifetime Achievement Award. The thocht ahint the awards is tae heighlicht the Scots Leid, bringin it forrit intae the een o the public an media in aa its mony forms.”

Deputy First Minister, John Swinney, said:

“I am pleased to welcome the inaugural Scots Language Awards which highlight the achievements and contribution of those strengthening and promoting Scots in the Arts, Cultural and Education sectors.

“We know the important role that the language has for many across Scotland who use it every day and these awards go some way to recognising this.”

Education Scotland are sponsoring the Young Scots Speaker Award, with Scots Language Co-ordinator Bruce Eunson and Senior Education Officer Louise Glen sitting on an incredible Panel of 9 decision makers alongside:

Fife Poet, Musician, Songwriter & Teacher Willie Hershaw;

Dumfries born Author, Musician and Songwriter Susi Briggs;

Ayrshire born Dundee United fan & Parliamentary Advisor, the writer and broadcaster Billy Kay;

Glasgow born Donald Smith, Chief Executive of TRACS;

Dundee’s Singer Sheena Wellington, who opened the Scottish Parliament in 1999, and Scots Poet, Novelist and National Scots Language Development Officer Matthew Fitt; and

Auditory Neuroscientist, Author and the National Library of Scotland’s current Scots Screiver In Residence, Dr. Michael Dempster.

For mair information gae tae www.scotslanguageawards.com

Tickets are priced £12 (£10 conc) an are available fae www.ticketglasgow.com

The tapmaist cultural accolade is a new annual ‘Janet Paisley Lifetime Achievemint Award’, bein presentit on the nicht tae Sheena Blackhall. Caad in honour o the warld acclaimit scriever Janet Paisley, a poet an playwright sae weel thocht o as tae be recognized for her ‘Services tae Scots’ in 2018’s Trad Music Awards. Janet championed and scrievit in the Scots Leid, an verra sadly passed awa in November 2018.

Nominees for the ither categories are:

1. Scots Writer o the Year, sponsored by Scots Language Centre

a) Morna Young

b) Chris McQueer

c) Gerda Stevenson

d) Rab Wilson

e) Matthew Fitt

2. Scots Media Person o the Year

a) Alistair Heather

b) Frieda Morrison

c) Billy Kay

d) Ashley Douglas

e) Thomas Clark

3. Scots Bairns’ Book o the Year, sponsored by Scottish Government

a) Nib Nebs by Susi Briggs

b) Diary o a Wimpy Wean by Thomas Clark

c) Tale o the Wee Mowdie by Matthew Mackie

d) Matilda in Scots by Anne Donovan

4. Scots Speaker o the Year

a) Dr Michael Dempster

b) Frieda Morrison

c) Stuart Paterson

d) Ishbel McFarlane

5. Young Scots Speaker o the Year, sponsored by Education Scotland

a) Iona Fyfe

b) Robert Legge

c) Jack Capener

d) Hannah Lisa-Laurenson

e) Isla Noble & Eilidh Noble

6. Scots Teacher o the Year, sponsored by Scottish Qualifications Authority

a) Dr. Jamie Fairbairn (Banff Academy, Aberdeenshire)

b) Laura Green (Scots Language Centre)

c) John Black (Meethill Primary, Aberdeenshire)

d) Kirsty Crommie (Deanburn Primary, Falkirk)

e) Jill Haywood (Smithycroft Secondary, Glasgow)

7. Scots Schuil o the Year, sponsored by Itchy Coo and Black & White Publishing

a) Cairn Primary School, Maybole, South Ayrshire

b) Douglas Ewart High School, Dumfries & Galloway

c) Sandwood Primary School, Glasgow

d) Meethill Primary School, Aberdeenshire

e) Hill Of Beath Primary School, Fife

f) Smithycroft Secondary, Glasgow

g) Hawick High School, Scottish Borders

h) Comely Park Primary School, Falkirk

i) St John’s RC Academy, Perth

j) Dunfermline High School, Fife

k) Preston Tower Primary School (Previously Prestonpans Primary)

l) Lanark Primary, South Lanarkshire

8. Scots Project o the Year

a) Doric Film Festival

b) Jock’s Jocks

c) Mak Forrit

d) Scots Opera

9. Scots Business o the Year

a) Mither Tongue

b) Stagecoach North Scotland

c) Scots Radio

d) Claire Barclay Draws

e) Itchy Coo/Black & White Publishing

10. Scots Performer o the Year, sponsored by TRACS

a) Gary Robertson

b) Joyce Falconer

c) Harry Josephine Giles

d) Gerda Stevenson

Keep up to date on Twitter @handsupfortrad Instagram @handsupfortrad on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/handsupfortrad and use hashtag #ScotsLA

Press: For further press information please contact Chris Hunt at Genuine via chris@genuine.scot

Notes to Editors:

Imagery and Logos available on Dropbox via https://bit.ly/2Udd2Me

Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits here. We enable people and organisations to work in and experience the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland by helping others to develop great ideas and bring them to life. We distribute funding provided by the Scottish Government and the National Lottery.

For further information about Creative Scotland please visit www.creativescotland.com. Follow @creativescots and www.facebook.com/CreativeScotland

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