Scottish Comedian of the year


History	Comedians	Press	Videos	Tour	Festivals	Entry	Final
. The Scottish comedy scene is great and each year the Scottish Comedian of the Year competition -SCOTY- celebrates it in style. SCOTY is biggest night on the Scottish Comedy calendar, so much so that last year’s final was nominated for Best Traditional Event in the Scottish Event Awards. The patter, banter, craic – Scots have the best sense of humour in the world. Ask a typical Glaswegian, Dundonian or Doonhammer to name you a famous Scottish opera singer, orchestra leader or ballet dancer and they will struggle. Ask them to name a famous Scottish comedian and instantly names such as Billy Connolly, Ricki Fulton, Chic Murray and Frankie Boyle will trip off of their tongue. BBC Children in Need & Galaxy FM Breakfast Show presenter & multi award wining comedian Des Clarke introduces the final ten contenders in the nationwide search for the finest comedy talent in Scotland. Not only will they have to make the audience laugh, but to win the title, the coveted Banana Boots trophy and the massive cash prize they will have to impress our celebrity judging panel with their originality, good looks and ability to deal with hecklers. " genuinely prestigious affair... with a genuine sense of occasion." Chortle " the best-attended competition final in comedy" Chortle "no-one can deny the sense of excitement and occasion that this annual event now generates" Scotsman "the Scottish Comedian of the Year final looms ever more influentially in the stand-up calendar" The List "there’s no denying it will be a night to remember" The Skinny ("SCOTY) does attract some major talent to the contest" The Skinny "a great showcase" The Skinny The 2008 competition was won by Scott Agnew, seen below with Jane McCarry & Sanjeev Kohli. .
				" genuinely prestigious affair... with a genuine sense of occasion." Chortle " the best-attended competition final in comedy" Chortle "no-one can deny the sense of excitement and occasion that this annual event now generates" Scotsman "the Scottish Comedian of the Year final looms ever more influentially in the stand-up calendar" The List "there’s no denying it will be a night to remember" The Skinny ("SCOTY) does attract some major talent to the contest" The Skinny "a great showcase" The Skinny
. The Scottish Comedian of the Year Grand Final 2007, which was attended by The Minister for Culture Linda Fabiani MSP, hosted by Des Clarke and won by Sean Grant, was nominated in the category of Best Traditional Event at this year's Scottish Event Awards. The Scottish Event Awards celebrate all types of event and the elements which help make them memorable and exciting from our traditional music to theatre, visual art to comedy, festivals to experiential consumer events and fundraising to private corporate events.
2007's host Des Clarke with Daily Record's Bev Lyons last years's winner Sean Grant & Minister for Culture Linda Fabiani MSP				Alan Anderson of Ha Ha Comedy, producers of the annual SCOTY competition said " I have been blown away by the way Scottish comedy fans, the media and the event industry have taken the SCOTY competition to their heart since its inception 2 years ago. In that short time the competition has grown into the highlight of Scotland's comedy calender." The category of Best Traditional Event is open to any event which celebrates the roots and traditions of Scottish Culture. Alan continued "Ask a typical Glaswegian, Dundonian or Doonhammer to name you a famous Scottish opera singer, orchestra leader or ballet dancer and they will struggle. Ask them to name a famous Scottish comedian and instantly names such as Billy Connolly, Ricki Fulton, Chic Murray and Frankie Boyle will trip off of their tongue. When it comes to making people laugh the Scots are world leaders, something which Ha Ha Comedy and SCOTY proudly celebrates and promotes." The Awards took place at a glittering ceremony in Glasgow's Science Centre on Thursday 4th September 2008. We lost to a Gaelic opera type thing.

Written by: Scott Agnew Published: Mon 01 Dec 2008	How was if for you? Scott Agnew on winning Scottish Comedian of the Year
Scott Agnew explains why even with £1000 in his back pocket, he's desperate for a pint. Part of How was it for you? - Scottish Comedians discuss key events of 2008.
Until September I'd only ever won one thing in my life - a Blue Peter annual from the nuns when I was at primary school for having drawn a nice wee picture of Jesus. How times have changed - now folk were handing me MDF Bananas and taking my picture for spouting homosexual filth to 800 folk in the Old Fruitmarket in Glasgow. From that perspective it was nice that Glasgow accepted me and my filth and laughed and cheered as loud as they did - it marks a wee step forward, in my head anyway, for Glasgow as a cosmopolitan city and another worthwhile reason for me having entered Scottish Comedian of the Year (SCOTY) at all.
. Pretty much all comedy competitions are for "new talent" and I still don't understand this obsession - no one wants a plumber that's only been on the go for six weeks, why should our comedians be any different? That’s why SCOTY is so refreshing - anyone can enter if they choose to. And as those new talent competitions had passed me by, to get on in the comedy world it was going to be a real slog, and still will be - especially as there are few platforms for Scottish acts to progress in England. So something that gives you a wee hand up is not to be sniffed at in this industry - or any sphere of life - it's why old guys take Viagra. SCOTY gave me a chance I might not otherwise have got to perform in front of some industry and hey presto, I'm suddenly gigging a lot more in England and crucially London. Oh and the 1000 quid was nice and I'm sure the month gigging in Australia even more so. Still, there was more than a little gamble in me and some of the other experienced acts entering. Myself, Teddy (2nd placed) and Keir McAllister (3rd) could have looked like a right trio of wangers if one of the young upstarts had triumphed or indeed several of them all scooped the top placings. Don't get me wrong; the young 'uns done well - and I'm very fond of a few of them - but I was genuinely hoping that us Old Guard (Old Guard at 28 years old - shocking) would pull it off like we did. For two reasons: firstly, I've obviously worked with and known those guys longer than the rest and secondly, comedians are bitter gits who all believe they should be further on than they are in their career. I'm willing to bet Russell Brand's pondering why he isn't Jonathan Ross at this minute and vice-versa. To have seen some wee shit - sorry guys but this is how the Old Guard would have thought - with nothing but ten minutes material pull off what is likely a one-off barnstorming performance and take a prize would be galling. We would have sharpened our tongues and taken to grumbling on long car journeys home from Aberdeen. One of the keys to comedy and having a career with any longevity is consistency and that consistency is something that comes with experience - something us three amigos had in spades. And the opportunity that a competition win affords anyone is one that should not be blown. An experienced act can make the most of it - someone with less experience may not. And that's where the "it should have been me" mentality comes in. In hindsight I'd rather never have won the bloody thing. One of the opportunities, the ones I've been waxing lyrical about, afforded me is a photo shoot and a feature piece in Attitude - the UK's biggest gay mag. Trouble is they want me topless - I've been sworn off the booze and having to haul my considerable ass in the gym ever since - shove your SCOTY trophy up your arse, I'll do gigs in Helensburgh forever more and never complain - I want a pint!