Amanda Dwyer wins Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award at International Comedy Festival

Amanda Dwyer has been crowned the winner of this year’s Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award at Glasgow International Comedy Festival.

The comedian collected her award onstage at the festival’s closing gala on Sunday, following a personalised video message sent from Sir Billy Connolly.

The gala, at King’s Theatre, saw a special live reunion of Almost Angelic, with Karen Dunbar and Tom Urie performing as the cult musical double act once again, alongside appearances from Connor Burns, Susan Riddell, Fred MacAulay and more.

Amanda Dwyer is the fourth winner of GICF’s only award – which celebrates “all that makes comedy and the city of Glasgow so entwined with Sir Billy Connolly”.

In a video message, the Big Yin said: “Hello everybody, I hope you’re enjoying the Gala. Comedy’s come a long way when they give you Galas. Galas were for Bearsden people!”

“I’d like to congratulate the winner, Amanda Dwyer, who is superb and knows more about bumholes than I do. Have a ball – enjoy yourself!”

Dwyer joins Rosco McClelland, Susie McCabe and Janey Godley as winners of the award.

Accepting the award, she said: “It means the world to me. My entire family are Billy Connolly fans – the first thing I’m going to do is phone my Dad. I’m definitely going to be the favourite child.”

Festival director Krista MacDonald said: “Amanda Dwyer is a comic who personifies the city she comes from in every way.

“Something Glaswegians are renowned for is finding humour even in dark times, and that is something Amanda does so deftly and thoughtfully in her comedy as she tackles the raw, and often traumatic, realities of being a woman.”

GICF’s Comedy Gala rounded off almost three weeks of comedy in the city, with acts from across the Festival performing at the King’s Theatre.