It is a pleesure tae say the number o nominees for the Scots Leid Awards submitit ower the sindrie categories haes bin jist grand! An it wis wunnerfu tae lairn aboot the fowk, a wheen o names we aaready kent whiles ithers wir new tae us, ettlin tae mak shuir oor braw Scots leid steys in guid hert. It haes nivver been mair importint tae highlicht an acknowledge the wirk o fowk keeping oor braw leid tae the fore baith in thir daily lives an in its cultur, music an wirds. Sae mony nominations tae mak ye prood, an submitit as weel fae aa pairts o Scotland. Ilka yin truly a Scots leid champion!
The shortleet haes aathing fae projects yaisin Scots tae gie a lift tae a sense o belongin amang aulder fowk, richt throu tae social media content creators sharin thir luve o the Scots leid wi millions online.
This, the eicht year o the Awards, celebratin the importance o the Scots Leid, ane o Scotland’s mither tongues, tae Scottish cultural life, will tak place at Dundee’s Discovery Point on Setturday 19th September at 1pm.
The 2026 nominees are:
Scots Writer o the Year, sponsored by National Library of Scotland
Scots Community Project o the Year
- St. Andrew’s Heritage Museum – Hamewith: Celebrating the Scots Language
- Lingo Flamingo – Scots Leid an Culture Coorse fir Scottish Care Hames
- Doric Bootcamp, Portsoy
- Stronsay Heritage Centre / Young Islanders Network – Orcadian Audio Project
- Blether, Dundee
Scots Bairns’ Book o the Year, sponsored by Scottish Government
- The Moggie Thit Meowed Too Much by Emma Grae (Luath Press)
- Awa Doon e Toon by Julia Lynch (Doric Books)
- The Tale o Jennie Dubbie-Deuk by Susan Rennie
Scots in Business
- Twinkl Scotland
- Tippermuir Books
- Doric Books
- Scottish Storytelling Centre
- Movement Physiotherapy
- Define Bonnie, Dunfermline
Scots Teacher o the Year, sponsored by Qualifications Scotland
- Antonia Cant, Peterhead Academy
- Stewart Clelland, Banff Academy
- Jane Veitch, Monymusk Primary School, Inverurie
- Amy Nicoll, EduBuzzKids
- David Scott, Maisondieu Primary School, Angus
- Nicola Daniel, Broughton High School
Scots Schuil o the Year
- Banff Academy
- Peterhead Academy
- Perth High School
- Airdrie Academy
- Our Lady of Peace Primary School, Linwood
Scots Stage Production o the Year
- Hame. Teeth. Club. (Iona Bremner)
- Common Tongue (Fraser Scott)
- Through the Shortbread Tin (National Theatre of Scotland)
- Long Water Soft Shadows (Jim Mackintosh)
Scots Book o the Year
- Ayont the Thistle: A Gallimaufry of Poetry and Prose to mark the centenary of Hugh MacDiarmid’s A Drunk Man Looks at the Thistle (Tippermuir Books)
- Flitcher by Craig Aitchison (Stewed Rhubarb, Tapsalteerie)
- With My Own Hand: The Secret Life of Marie Maitland, Scotland’s Sixteenth-Century Sappho by Ashley Douglas (Headline Press)
- Square Baw by Hamish MacDonald (Scotland Street Press)
- Wirds o Banff: A Doric Glossary o the Wild (Doric Books)
- A Meid athin da Twalmont by Yvonne Tait
Scots Performer o the Year, sponsored by TRACS
- Lucy Beth
- Taylor Dyson
- Olivia Caw
- Shannon Lynch
Scots Language in the Media, sponsored by Corrie Campbell Communications
- Ally Heather (@historic_ally)
- Claire White, Shetland Media Services
- The Carrying Stream Podcast
- Millie Graham (@whatshername1.0)
- Steph Wemyss (@bluetoongal)
The braw ‘Scots Champion’, sponsored by Rubric Foundation, the ‘Janet Paisley Services to Scots Award’, sponsored by Creative Scotland, an ‘The Scots Writer of the Year Award’, sponsored by Education Scotland, are decidit by a panel o judges an will be presentit on the day.
Simon Thoumire fae Award organisers Hands Up For Trad said:
“Whit a shortleet we hae this year! Its jist grand tae see the range o talent, creativity an commitmint tae the Scots leid shinin throu, wi nominees comin fae communities richt ower the country.
Scots is a livin, vibrant leid that belangs in ilka pairt o life, an this year’s nominees show jist that. They are findin new weys tae share it, enjoy it an bring it tae new audiences, whiles makin shuir it steys a prood an importint pairt o Scotland’s cultur.”
“Noo, it is ower tae the public tae hae thair say an mak thair chuisins. We howp fowk get ahint thair favourites an gie thim thair vote afore we bring aabody thegither in Dundee for a richt guid celebration.”
The hosts for this gledsome spree are Scots ambassadors Lynne Campbell an Taylor Dyson wi turns fae well kent award winnin sangster Iona Fyfe, Shetland scriever Yvonne Tait, traditional sangster Scott Gardiner, an makar Hugh Macmillan.
Celebrations will continue wi a ticketit efterpairty at Blether in Dundee, bringin thegither music poetry an stories aa celebratin the Scots leid tae feenish up in a grand style!
The Scots Language Awards are run by cultural advocacy organisation Hands Up For Trad who are responsible for amongst other events, The BBC Young Traditional Musician of the year competition, the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards and World Gaelic Week.
The event’s partners and sponsors include the Scottish Government, National Library of Scotland, Qualifications Scotland, Scottish Book Trust and TRACS.
The Scots Language Awards 2026 will tak place at Discovery Point, Dundee on 19th September, 1pm. Voting closes on 13th September. Get yer tickets here.