We won! Jaggy Thistle in landmark win at 46th Scottish Press Awards

A first for a Substack publication in mainstream UK media awards

Well, that was a good night. On Thursday evening at the Doubletree Hilton in Glasgow, The Jaggy Thistle won a landmark victory at the 46th annual Scottish Press Awards.

I was named Arts & Entertainment Journalist of the Year for my work on The Jaggy Thistle, against shortlisted writers from a range of mainstream media outlets including The Sun, The Scotsman and The Herald.

To the best of my knowledge this is the first time a Substack publication has won in a mainstream UK media awards ceremony.

This did not go unnoticed. Richard Neville, chair of the judges, said in his opening remarks last night:

A feature of this year’s awards has been the growth in freelance entries and our first ever Substack columnists submitting their work and even getting onto the shortlist. This is, of course, a reflection of the trajectory of the industry with the currency of individual journalists rising with the ability to publish directly to audiences.

Strong voices, be they publishing directly or in our highly regarded news brands, are needed more than ever. As is the talent of our reporters and photographers who play the role of witnesses and interpreters in a world clouded by unregulated digital publishing, fake news claims and overreaching public bodies.

Whether they win or not tonight, everyone in this room should salute those whose work is highlighted and the many of colleagues who have helped them to bring their stories to life.

Announcing the winner of the Arts & Entertainment category, the host of the awards ceremony, veteran TV anchor Jackie Bird, said:

Breaking the mould in this hotly-contested category, our winner uses the freedom of his digital platform not only to inform and entertain but to challenge his own and others’ perspectives on accepted norms in the world of arts and popular culture. Our winner is Kenny Farquharson of the Jaggy Thistle.

The diet starts tomorrow. Richard Neville, left, chair of the judges, and Kenny Farquharson. Credit: Scottish Press Awards

Is this a changing of the guard? It certainly feels like the start of something. Some of the best journalism in Scotland at the moment is published in new online media outlets, such as The Bell, The Edinburgh Inquirer, and The Ferret. New challengers are entering the fray all the time. I fully expect to see these publishers featuring strongly in future years at the press awards.

But what of The Jaggy Thistle? At the risk of a Gwyneth Paltrow moment I’d like to thank you, my subscribers, from the bottom of my heart for your support in making this Substack such a success in the short time since its launch in June 2023.

You are a pleasure to write for. Right from the start I said The Jaggy Thistle was going to be a conversation and a community, and that’s exactly how it feels.

A special thank you to my paid subscribers who support independent Scottish journalism and make The Jaggy Thistle a viable concern. You rock.

Last night was all the more pleasing because some good friends and colleagues were also winners: Dani Garavelli (twice), Chitra Ramaswamy, Kieran Andrews, Greig Cameron, Karin Goodwin, Kevin McKenna, Michael Grant and the ever-inspiring Melanie Reid, who won the lifetime achievement award for her “Spinal Column” in The Times about life after a horse-riding accident that left her with a broken neck and back.

If you’d like to read my winning entries, here’s my piece about Scottish panto, my review of Andrew O’Hagan’s state-of-the-nation novel Caledonian Road, and my unpicking of Scottish nationalist reaction to the movie Poor Things.

I was also very pleased last night to be runner-up in the Columnist of the Year category for my weekly columns on Scottish politics in The Times.

This is a busy month for me. I’m just back from two weeks in Greece and next week I am off to Montreal. The fruits of these labours will soon appear in The Jaggy Thistle.

Thanks again for your support. I think we are building something worthwhile here.

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“A chield’s amang you takin notes, And faith he’ll prent it.” Robert Burns

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