Comedian Amanda Dwyer has expressed her profound delight after being named the recipient of the 2026 Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award at the Glasgow Comedy Festival (GCF) Gala. The 36-year-old collected the prestigious accolade on Sunday at the King’s Theatre, following a personalised video message from the legendary Sir Billy Connolly himself.
Dwyer now stands as the fourth individual to receive the award, which celebrates those who best embody the "Spirit of Glasgow". She joins a distinguished list of previous winners, including Rosco McClelland (2025), Susie McCabe (2024), and Janey Godley (2023).
In his video address, Sir Billy quipped: "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." He then directly addressed Dwyer, referencing one of her jokes: "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."
Visibly emotional, Dwyer received the glass trophy, engraved with Sir Billy’s self-portrait, from host Susie McCabe. Speaking to the Press Association after the ceremony, she described the win as "amazing". "I’m absolutely over the moon, and I’m in shock, complete shock, I can’t believe it," she said. Receiving a personal message from Sir Billy was, for her, "the most surreal moment in my life".
She added: "I can’t believe he’s saying my name. He’s up on the screen in the King’s Theatre congratulating me on winning an award that’s in his name. It was just crazy. I nearly fainted I think. Just to think that he’s even seen me try and be funny, is unbelievable."
Dwyer triumphed over a shortlist that notably featured five female comedians – the highest number ever nominated for the award – alongside the first non-comic contender. She highlighted this as a testament to "how strong the female comics that we have on the scene are".
Known for her distinctive ability to unearth humour in challenging subjects, Dwyer’s breakthrough autobiographical shows have explored the "raw, and often traumatic, realities of being a woman".
She explained: "I think my comedy can be quite sad sometimes, like the topics I discuss are very personal things. My last show was about miscarriage. I think if you were to just go and listen to a seminar or something on miscarriage, it would be quite upsetting and quite jarring. But I think with comedy, when you’re able to laugh and relax and enjoy the conversation, then it makes it more accessible to people, and encourages people to be more open about these things."
Beyond her performances, Dwyer is also the founder of Material, Girl – a monthly comedy show and now a successful podcast. Featuring all-female and non-binary line-ups at The Stand comedy club, the initiative aims to platform other female comics and cultivate a more inclusive environment for women in comedy.
Krista MacDonald, director of the GCF, praised Dwyer, stating: "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."
MacDonald further noted: "Amanda’s deadpan delivery and wicked sense of humour have been making waves in the Scottish comedy scene for the past five years, and her commitment to making comedy more welcoming for new female voices is just another way in which Amanda embodies the Spirit of Glasgow."
She concluded by extending congratulations to Dwyer and the shortlist, affirming that Dwyer now joins a "prestigious list of winners who represent our city in the very best, and funniest, way they can."
