Amanda Dwyer was named the winner of the 2026 Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award.
She accepted the honour on stage at the King’s Theatre during the festival’s closing Comedy Gala.
Named in tribute to the comedy icon, the award celebrates a performer who best embodies the humour, honesty, and heart that characterise both Glasgow and Sir Billy Connolly himself.
Amanda was presented with the trophy after a video message from Sir Billy Connolly was played to the audience.
Sir Billy Connolly 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!”
Amanda has built a reputation for her deadpan delivery and fearless approach to comedy.
She often explores darker themes with honesty and humour.
She is also the founder of Material, Girl, a monthly comedy show and podcast featuring all-female and non-binary line-ups at The Stand Comedy Club.
The show aims to create a supportive platform for emerging talent.
Krista MacDonald, festival director, 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.
“Amanda’s deadpan delivery and wicked sense of humour have been making waves in the Scottish comedy scene for the past 5 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.”
The Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award was launched in 2023.
It is the festival’s only official award and is given in partnership with the legendary Glasgow comic.
Previous winners include Janey Godley (2023), Susie McCabe (2024), and Rosco McClelland (2025).
Sir Billy also commented previously on the festival’s importance to the city.
He said: “Glasgow deserves to have an international comedy festival—it’s the funniest town in the world, bar none.
“The standard is colossal and I’m always amazed when I see TV or live comedy from Glasgow.
“I’m very proud to be part of the international festival and I’m very proud that my drawing has been part of the trophy.”
This year’s shortlist featured five female comedians and, for the first time, a non-comedian.
Those shortlisted alongside Amanda were Chris Conway (comedy promoter and club owner), Kate Hammer, Kim Blythe, Susan Riddell, and Zara Gladman.
The winner is chosen by a panel of judges from Scotland’s cultural scene, including broadcaster Edith Bowman, actor Gary Lamont, presenter Michelle McManus, writer Greg Hemphill, and last year’s winner Rosco McClelland.
The panel recommends a winner, but Sir Billy Connolly makes the final decision.
The Comedy Gala also included a surprise reunion of the musical comedy duo Almost Angelic, as well as performances by Karen Dunbar, Stuart Mitchell, Connor Burns, Fred MacAulay, Ifrah Qureshi, and Jack Brookmyre.
It marked the conclusion of almost three weeks of comedy shows across the city.
The award celebrates individuals who demonstrate resilience, openness, unapologetic, gallus, and, most importantly, the ability to make people laugh—qualities that define both Sir Billy Connolly and the city of Glasgow.
