Categories

Tweet of the Year

This award will be presented to the MSP who has used Twitter to best effect to be witty, to inform and to even shut down critics. The judges will be looking for eloquence, dignity, humour and grace and all in the best possible taste.

MSP of the Year

While awards of this nature tend to always be reserved for the party leaders, there are many talented MSPs who sit squarely behind the leader and help their star shine bright, so nominations for this award should cast the net a little wider than just the usual suspects and answer, ‘who has really shone?'

Staffer of the Year

Awarded to someone who has demonstrated a real commitment to digging that bit deeper, going the extra mile and unearthing facts, figures and human stories that assist politicians in making good policy or in simply changing one person’s life.

Wag of the Year

This award will go to the MSP that has kept us entertained throughout the year either by accident or design. Who has made the most entertaining speeches in the Chamber, been the most self-deprecating, the greatest wit, or simply told the best jokes?

Backbencher of the Year

Being a successful backbencher takes a certain amount of grit. It takes a certain type of MSP to be able to make their presence felt without the natural platform of a front bench position. Who has made themselves noticed, gone against a conventional party line or simply put forward a point that forcibly cuts through a lot of party political rhetoric?

One To Watch

The 2016 election saw a huge injection of new blood to the Scottish Parliament with 40 per cent of the MSPs having never been elected before but there are others elected again who have continued to grow into the role. Who has made a mark in the debating chamber or gained a reputation in committee? Who is the one to watch?

Political Hero of the Year

Sometimes a cause or a campaign inspires a politician or a group of MSPs to cross party lines or to just work tirelessly to do the right thing. This award will go to an MSP who has gained respect from across the Chamber for their work in championing a particular cause or for achieving a tangible result.

Flushable Motion of the Year

Parliamentary motions are used by MSPs as a way to initiate debate or suggest a particular course of action but increasingly have become more and more obtuse vehicles to offer support or endorse a particular product. They go from congratulating a local football team to questioning a reduction in the size of a chocolate bar. This award will recognise the most absurd motions to be lodged.

Speech of the Year

A good speech can silence the Chamber, bring a tear to a glass eye and surprise in its ability to capture a moment in time. This award will go to the MSP who has managed to impress with their ability to articulate their views on an issue with passion, intellect and emotion.

Lifetime Achievement Award*

Awarded to someone who had dedicated their life to Scottish politics and has managed to cut across party political boundaries to demonstrate a commitment to public service, state craft and the democratic process. Someone woven into Scotland’s political fabric.

*This award will not be open to nominations