Bella’s Indyref Awards 2014
To celebrate 2014 Bella is hosting our own Indyref Awards. Your nominations are welcome. We’ll take suggestions up until New Year then shortlist and vote soon after. To nominate just leave a suggestion as a comment and we’ll update each category. If there is a delay it’s because we are wrapped in tinsel or drousy from too much sherry trifle.
Non-Glitzy awards ceremony at the Yesbar in January. The hash-tag is #indyrefawards
Best Young Activist of the Year
Nominations: Saffron Dickson, Liam McLaughlin, Stephen Paton, Miriam Brett, Mhairi Black, Allan Casey, Amie Robertson, 14 year old nephew Calum Macleod, Jenny Lindsay, Lady Alba aka Zara Gladman, Aileen McKay
Book of the Year
Nominations: Blossom, by Lesley Riddoch, A Bird is Not a Stone (Ed Henry Bell), Road to Referendum by Iain Macwhirter, Arguing for Independence by Stephen Maxwell, the Wee Blue Book by Stuart Campbell.
Funniest Blog
Nominations: Wee Ginger Dug, Lallands Peat Worrier, Loki the rapper, BBC Scotlandshire, Dateline Scotland
Least Sexist Male Politician
Nominations: Humza Yousaf, Patrick Harvie
Biggest Campaign Disaster
Nominations: Project Fear being found out to be calling themselves Project Fear, Vote No Borders cinema ad which had to be pulled after Great Ormond Street called them out for lying, George Robertson’s claim that the ‘forces of darkness’ would benefit if Scotland became independent.
Most Outrageously Hopeful Idea
Nominations: @NaeFear‘s speaking of Scotland’s hospital ship – the Robert Burns, Spirit of Independence tour for its romanticism, ‘That we really might win, and if we did the UK would stick to the Edinburgh Agreement’ (Laura Eaton Lewis)
Best Artwork
Nominations: Greg Moodie, Daniel Seex (pictured right), Stewart Bremner, Martin S Laird – time to see his poster again – The Unicorn ‘Its coming yet’, 100 Weeks of Scotland – Alan McCredie, Africans for an Independent Scotland (James Kennedy), Chris Cairns, Ciaran Murphy, Yestival, ‘Scotland Yet’ (film), Andrew Mac ‘the saltire butterflies joining the other indy butterflies’.
Best Social-Media Campaign Meme
Nominations: National Collective #YesBecause – WfI’s ‘ Generation Yes for #PatronisingBTLady meme, #DearestScotland by WeAreSnook.com
Song of the Campaign
Nominations: Son I Voted Yes by Stanley Odd, Iron Sky by Paulo Nutini, “Theme for the Early Days Of a Better Nation” written by Matt Seattle and performed by Edinburgh Independence Choir, ‘This Road Won’t Build Itself’ by the wonderful Seafieldroad (by the way I’m totally biased) http://seafieldroad.bandcamp.com/track/this-road-wont-build-itself-2,
Be a Nation by Macanta
Best International Act of Solidarity
Nominations: Pilar Fernandez, Artur Mas, Billy Bragg
Car Crash Interview of the Year
Nominations: Johann Lamont
Andrew Neil shot down by Jeanne Freeman
Pointiest Pointyheid in Scottish life
Nominations: David Torrance, John Curtice, economist Ronald MacDonald for giving us no option but austerity, Gerry Hassan, Scot goes Pop – the antidote to John Curtice. Pointedly so.
Most Dundersome Dunderheid in Scottish life
Nominations: George Foulkes (aka the Red Baron), Willie Rennie
Lamont Clanger of the Year
Nominations: Eck reeling off a mammoth list of important gains of independence: dismissed as “Wee Things”
Most Utterly Deceptive Newspaper Headline
Nominations:
Daily Express, 22nd of April, warns of ‘Pensions shock for millions’ on its English cover. Its Scottish cover states ‘Pensions safer within UK’ on the same day.
http://order-order.com/2014/04/22/compare-and-contrast-express-english-and-scottish-editions/
Scottish independence ‘would be cataclysmic for the world’, ex-Nato head warns
Scotland will be more at risk of a terrorist attack if it votes for independence, Cameron warns
Why Independence Could Put Scotland In Danger Of Russian Invasion
Scottish independence: 36% of firms may move south
First Minister’s Lips: Beyond the Help of Cosmetics
Scottish homeowners face mortgage meltdown if Yes campaign wins
Scottish independence: Will it really tear the heart from IT firms?
Indy Scotland to Export Hydrocarbons and Give the Whole World Asthma
Scottish independence would be worse than the 2008 banking crash, warns Alistair Darling
Scotch on the rocks: Treasury warns independence could put £4.3bn of ‘Scotch Whisky’ exports at risk from copycat products
“Que?” Sturgeon’s accent could end EU subsidies for farmers.
Hardworking English-born families fear future in indy Scotland’s sheep pens
Cancer research ‘shut down’ if Scotland votes for Independence
Scottish Independence: 700,000 to Leave if Union is Broken
Anti-English racists terrorising the No campaign in Scotland
War veteran: Yes vote would be a betrayal of fallen WW2 comrades
Thin Lips Cost Ships: Death of Clydeside Under Sturgeon
Scottish Independence: Business Leader Evokes Fears Of New ‘Jacobite Wars’
Scottish Independence: Mad Vlad Putin Together Invasion Plans
No breeding, you see: Would a curtsey before Her Majesty have been so terribly hard?
Scottish independence ‘would harm world’s poorest’
Fight to save the Union: Scotland ‘A Yes vote is scarier than facing the SS’, say WW2 pilot
Best Insurgency
Nominations: Imperial Masters:
Lynsey Jarret (who scaled Castle Rock, Edinburgh carrying her own oxygen supply), Prof Dunleavy going to war with Westminster Treasury over set-up costs for iScot, RIC’s Mass Canvas, the Yestival, Joanne Richardson covered in Yes badges chatting up all the Orange Marchers on Leith Walk, asking them if they’ve had a nice day and proving that Yes-ers weren’t a bunch that needed punched. She even got some saying they hoped Yes would win.
Newspaper Columnist of the Year
Nominations: Iain Macwhirter, Ian Bell, Kevin McKenna, Jennifer McKiernan, Evening Express, fresh perspective from a young female voice, Lesley Riddoch, Joyce McMillan, Joan McAlpine, Jamie Maxwell, MIke Small
Best Unionist Scare Story
Nominations: Threat from Alien Invasion, Gordon Brown claims organ transplants and blood transfusions at risk, Scotsman etc,
Free Presbyterian Church – Scottish Independence would be a provocation of God…
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-18496505
For inspiration see The Wit and Wisdom of No here.
Most Disruptive Technology
Nominations: Twitter, Photoshop, YouTube, Gordon Brown “entering” the debate with the same speech six times, Wings Over Scotland, 1) Conversation. Talking to folk at bus stops, in the street, in pubs, talking to people’s own interests and concerns was the best way to gently disrupt preconceptions.
2) Stickers. They were everywhere. They’d get scratched, pasted over, and the next day they’d be back up again.
Live Event Disaster:
Nominations: Hands across Hadrians Wall, Unionist party turns into loyalist riot on the 19th of September, Anas Sarwar MP getting booed and heckled at Palestine protest in Glasgow 19/7/14.
Iain Gray asks ‘how would we set up an oil fund?’
Unionist party turns into loyalist riot on the 19th of September
Funniest Blog:
http://weegingerdug.wordpress.com/
Agreed
It’s got to be Paul, aka the wee ginger dug. Not only funny but, informative, well crafted and at times emotionally charged.
Would it be too obvious and passé to suggest Foulkes as the Dunderheid?
No. Uncontested.
Best Young Activist – Liam McLaughlin, Saffron Dickson
Book of the Year – Blossom
Funniest Blog – Wee Ginger Dug
Car Crash interview – JoLa(take your pick)
Pointyheid – George Foulkes
Dunderheid – Jim Murphy on his crates
Lamont Clanger – not genetically programmed
Campaign Disaster – Project Fear being found out to be calling themselves Project Fear
Best Insurgency – Imperial Masters
Unionist Scare story – Threat from Alien Invasion
Live Event Disaster – Hands across Hadrians wall 🙂
John Gillespie
I’m with you across the full spread. However Unionist scare story could have been the need to bomb our airports.
Excellent choices.
Seconded on all counts.
Wee Ginger Dug with Paul Kavanagh – outstanding! 🙂
Best book of the year has to be The Wee Blue Book
The wee Blue Book by far.
Absolutely! The Wee Blue Book is amazing and helped to really inform people. It has my vote!
Wee Blue Book by a landslide.
Actually, it’s Quinie, although Quinine seems reasonably appropriate given the time of year.
Best Unionist Scare Story – Free Presbyterian Church – Scottish Independence would be a provocation of God… yes, they did…
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-18496505
Best Young Activist of the Year
Nominations: Saffron Dickson
Best Artwork
Nominations: Greg Moodie
Funniest Blog
Nominations: Wee Ginger Dug
Least Sexist Male Politician
Nominations: Humza Yousaf
Best Social-Media Campaign Meme
Nominations: National Collective #ImYesBecause
Car Crash Interview of the Year
Nominations: All by Johann Lamont
Pointiest Pointyheid in Scottish life
Nominations: David Torrance
Most Dundersome Dunderheid in Scottish life
Nominations: Foulkes
Lamont Clanger of the Year
Nominations: “not genetically capable”
Biggest Campaign Disaster
Nominations: BT woman
Best Insurgency
Nominations: Imperial Masters:
There are no imperial masters – we chose to be what we are. I wish Bella would stop encouraging this kind of cringemaking Brave Heart tosh.
We voted to be what we are – don’t kid yourself otherwise..
It’s a reference to an event. Read the entry before talking shit.
And after reading it I can talk shit?
Why change the habits of a lifetime?
Best Young Activist of the Year
Saffron Dickson
Book of the Year
Blossom by Lesley Riddoch
Best Artwork
Greg Moodie
Funniest Blog
Stuart Campbell, Wings Over Scotland
Best Social-Media Campaign Meme
National Collective #YesBecause
Car Crash Interview of the Year
A) John Cridland, CBI, discusses transparency on Scotland Tonight.
B) Johann Lamont discussed more powers on Newsnight Scotland
Lamont Clanger of the Year
Attacking ‘London Rule’ after the referendum.
Biggest Campaign Disaster
Patronising BT Lady campaign video.
Most Utterly Deceptive Newspaper Headline
Daily Express, 22nd of April, warns of ‘Pensions shock for millions’ on its English cover. Its Scottish cover states ‘Pensions safer within UK’ on the same day.
http://order-order.com/2014/04/22/compare-and-contrast-express-english-and-scottish-editions/
Best Insurgency
Imperial Masters
Newspaper Columnist of the Year
Ian Bell
Best Unionist Scare Story
January 13th, 2013. Westminster official questions whether Edinburgh pandas will remain in an independent Scotland.
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/independent-scotland-could-be-banned-from-using-158373
Live Event Disaster:
Unionist party turns into loyalist riot on the 19th of September
Favourite blog is Yes Shetland written by Buster – Shetland’s Cat Rampant
Such rich pickings from BT on the Campaign disasters?
Best artwork – Stewart Bremner
Best social media meme – #500questions – in response to BT’s 500 q’s with 500 days to go
Campaign disaster – Vote No Borders cinema ad which had to be pulled after Great Ormond Street called them out for lying
Most utterly deceptive headline – any headline based on E Bradford’s £400 million NHS cash gap 2 days before the vote
Columnist of the year – Ian Bell
Live event disaster – Anas Sarwar being heckled at a Clydebank TUC meeting – starts around one hour in
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vieYUiwQlw – or George Galloway at the BBC’s 16/17 year olds debate
Alba – I tried to have a listen to the Sarwar heckling – it was a complete impossibility. The sound must have been recorded via two tin cans and a bit of string. To use Bella’s precision in vocabulary – it was shit.
Thanks anyway.
Thanks Bella!
Best Art work Martin S Laird – time to see his poster again – The Unicorn ‘Its coming yet’
Best journalist Ian McWhirter
Imperial Masters was so basic simple but Devastating–wins for me
What’s this awards pish? Gie us peace
It’s light hearted and it’s Xmas
Wee scribbles for best artwork. Please
Reblogged this on The Orkney Vole and commented:
What a lovely idea these awards are- the Vole is thrilled to commemorate the BBC as ‘unbiased news source of the Year’, Gordon Brown as as ‘false prophet’ and our own wee Alistair as most absent politician.
Best international support group.
Nominate ourselves 😀 😀 😀
Best Unionist Scare Story – “it’s a once in a lifetime thing…”
This is a great Idea Bella.
Funniest Blog – Wee Ginger Dug
Best Book – Wee Blue Book
Best Youngster – Saffron Dickson
Best Artwork – Chris Cairns
Best Social Media Meme – BTlady
Best Insurgency – Imperial Masters
Wings over Scotland needs a catagory of it own I think.
Best Young Activist of the Year: Miriam Brett
Book of the Year; Wee Blue Book
Funniest Blog: Wee Ginger Dug
Least Sexist Male Politician: Patrick Harvie
Biggest Campaign Disaster: Patronising BTLady
Most Outrageously Hopeful Idea: BBC neutrality?
Best Artwork: Greg Moodie/Stewart Bremner
Best Social-Media Campaign: WfI’s #PatronisingBTLady
Car Crash Interview of the Year: Johann Lamont v. Andrew Neil
Most Dundersome Dunderheid in Scottish life
Nominations: George Foulkes (aka the Red Baron)
Lamont Clanger of the Year: has to be “not genetically programmed”
Most Utterly Deceptive Newspaper Headline: The Vow
Best Insurgency: The young lady who scaled Castle Rock, Edinburgh carrying her own oxygen supply – truly heroic and astonishing act
Newspaper Columnist of the Year Kevin McKenna – for his slow but sure conversion
Best Unionist Scare Story; Free Presbyterian Church – Scottish Independence would be a provocation of God/transplant, blood transfusion, etc. crap
Live Event Disaster: Labour’s “love train” 11/11/14
How about ‘The biggest C’s fighting Scottish democracy 2014’
Nominations: Cochrane, Chrichton, Carmichael (SoS for Portsmouth) and Cameron(the day tripper)
OK Bella Caledonia! I’ll let you off with a little ageism slip, but what about the Best Old Activist of the Year????
I have one in Aberdeenshire who would have got the Victoria Cross for his, ‘Above and Beyond’ efforts in the Campaign!
Surely has to be this guy Colin…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwsjJwPPvos
PS Unfortunately my candidate will not match Saffron’s good looks!
Lamont clanger – There was an interview answer which seemed to consiser of a lot of ah/er/um stuttering and a whole bundle of New Labour soundbite phrases – of the “pooling and sharing resources” type – chucked together and shaken. It made no sense at the time and I have no idea from where it came or when!
My nominations for “Most Utterly Deceptive Newspaper Headline/Best Unionist Scare Story”:
Scottish independence ‘would be cataclysmic for the world’, ex-Nato head warns
Scotland will be more at risk of a terrorist attack if it votes for independence, Cameron warns
Why Independence Could Put Scotland In Danger Of Russian Invasion
Scottish independence: 36% of firms may move south
First Minister’s Lips: Beyond the Help of Cosmetics
Scottish homeowners face mortgage meltdown if Yes campaign wins
Scottish independence: Will it really tear the heart from IT firms?
Indy Scotland to Export Hydrocarbons and Give the Whole World Asthma
Scottish independence would be worse than the 2008 banking crash, warns Alistair Darling
Scotch on the rocks: Treasury warns independence could put £4.3bn of ‘Scotch Whisky’ exports at risk from copycat products
“Que?” Sturgeon’s accent could end EU subsidies for farmers.
Hardworking English-born families fear future in indy Scotland’s sheep pens
Cancer research ‘shut down’ if Scotland votes for Independence
Scottish Independence: 700,000 to Leave if Union is Broken
Anti-English racists terrorising the No campaign in Scotland
War veteran: Yes vote would be a betrayal of fallen WW2 comrades
Thin Lips Cost Ships: Death of Clydeside Under Sturgeon
Scottish Independence: Business Leader Evokes Fears Of New ‘Jacobite Wars’
Scottish Independence: Mad Vlad Putin Together Invasion Plans
No breeding, you see: Would a curtsey before Her Majesty have been so terribly hard?
Scottish independence ‘would harm world’s poorest’
Fight to save the Union: Scotland ‘A Yes vote is scarier than facing the SS’, say WW2 pilot
And my personal nomination:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2754216/Childless-SNP-chiefs-no-feel-UK-family-Leaders-Scottish-National-Party-want-break-Union-not-understand-families-claimed.html
Book:Wee Blue
blog: Wee Ginger
Meme:Nat Collective yes because
insurgency: imperial masters
Disruptive tech: Twitter
Add
Comedian: Kevin bridges live at referendum
Song: stanly odd son I voted yes
Website that most effectively convinced me to *not* vote yes: Bella Caledonia.
Sorry to hear that. What did we do?
Typical unionist ‘I’m alright Jack’ nob most effectively convinced me *to* vote yes: Glasgow David
I’m curious about this comment David. Do tell!
Song ….. has to be Lady Alba’s take on ‘Bad Romance’
For song I would like to nominate Lady Alba . Once you heard it, it stuck..
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5SvdecwnYJ4
Best Young Activist of the Year
Nominations: Lady Alba aka Zara Gladman (not sure if she is ages with Saffron et al but she’s younger than me and Bad Romance is addictive)
Least Sexist Male Politician
Nominations: Mike Small (modest Bella meister) who pulled out of a male-heavy panel to let Kate Higgins speak instead; tireless champion of new wummins voices on Bella and editor who uses inspiring imagery of women to strong effect
Most Outrageously Hopeful Idea
Nominations: Referendum TV
Best Artwork
Nominations: Stewart B and Greg M — also the winner of Bella poster competition with orange background and female piper.
Best Social-Media Campaign Meme
Nominations: maybe a bit obvious but shurely #indyref itself
Pointiest Pointyheid in Scottish life
Nominations: I think John Curtice would be miffed to be left oot.
Best Insurgency
Nominations: Imperial Masters – needed timing, nerve, gear, recording equipment, megaphone, PA, rickshaw type bike – and nerve.
Newspaper Columnist of the Year
Nominations: Joyce McMillan — its tough staying Yes in a No paper.
Best Unionist Scare Story
Nominations: The whole orchestrated, scaremongering week between 51% Yes poll and Sept 18th.
Most Disruptive Technology
Nominations: Gordon Brown “entering” the debate with the same speech six times.
Thanks Lesley – but as hosts of the awards I think Bella is ruled out!
Which category does @angrysalmond go in – kept me smiling when I felt like crying…
Fearty of the Campaign:
Jim Skeletor’ Murphy for his eggsit in Kirkcaldy when oeffed by an irate ex Fife Labour CA Officer who Murphy had ‘offed’.
Cameron for hiding behind Jim ‘Skeletor’ Murphy’s irn-bru crate campaign.
………..
The Johann Lamont – “Not genetically programed to make decisions” Award;
Gordon Brown (ex politician, seriously I am ex, Oh fuck Jim Murphy’s coming, get me out of here and fast, now I am ex ..) for his more powers and near federation but not those more tax powers speech.
Lord Foulkesake of Vlad the Impaled ….. The SNP are doing all these good things for Scotland … deliberately …. burble
Lord Robertson of Gibberton ….. ‘An independent Scotland will not be allowed into NATO’ … just after the NATO General Secretary had said NATO would welcome an independent Scotland. Ditto on Spain blocking Scottish entry into the EU … that was rebutted by the Spanish Prime Minister and of course not sharing the pound even though the boss of the Bank of England had indicated such a move was potential fiscal suicide for the £1.
Danny ‘Beaker’ Alexander ….. your state pension will be at risk in an independent Scotland then listening as the pre-budget statement in November threatens peoples’ state pensions.
Most patient person in Scotland award: the kind elderly lady who is still waiting for Morphy to answer her question during one of Morphy’s more hysterical performances on a crate.
Like to nominate as Young Activists Amie Robertson, Jamie Mann and pals who organised the Edinburgh meadows multi-nation event on the eve of the referendum that showed the world’s media this was about something bigger than single identity politics
http://documentingyes.com/Yes-at-The-Meadows
Lady Alba and Empire Biscuits were the highlights for me.
other categories…
Best pollster – James Kelly aka Scot goes pop.
Worst bias (regional) Jackie “let’s call it Devomax” Bird.
Worst bias (UK) – Nick Robinson – “never answered the question”
Best cartoonist – Chris Cairns / Greg Moodie.
I stand with Gramsci who spoke of “multiple elements of conscious leadership at the popular level” critical for effective politics.
I would like to suggest a prize for the ‘ground campaigners’: the AYE-Cong who worked the streets . They know who they are! If you need a name then RIC should get an award.
Is there a category which could accommodate Scottish CND’s Big Sandy? Perhaps ‘most popular background for an indy selfie’? Or ‘Most outrageous pun’?
Category Suggestion:
Best Talentless manipulator that used the Yes Campaign to draw attention to their output.
A number of contenders here.
Category Suggestion; Sesselfurtzer……..a single contender here.
Agree with all of Rosaleen’s choices. We must be twins. Merry Christmas everybody.
best grassroots/social media activists; rhonda cooper, denzil smith. james morrison
beg pardon – James Morrisey
Best Young Activist Aileen McKay.
Best Song – Iron Sky by Paolo Nutini – inspirational and rousing, an independence song for our time.
Most inspiring phrase.
“On 18 September, 2014, between the hours of 7am and 10pm, absolute sovereign power will lie in the hands of the Scottish people. They have to decide whether to keep it, or give it away to where their minority status makes them permanently powerless and vulnerable.” – Jim Sillars
Funniest blog is The Dug.
Most moving moment, the lassie who climbed castle rock with her oxygen. Speechless, and a bit teary. Hard to think of any more superlatives after that.
Best insurgency: The Hills have Ayes, Imperial Masters
Best crowd-funded idea: 10000 saltires, Wings ads on the subway, Spirit of independence
Funniest Twitter: @angrysalmond
Best generic Yes group: NHYes
Most dedicated Yesser: Mark Coburn, Ivan McKee
Most effective local Yes group: Yes Clydesdale, Yes Skye Raasay & Lochalsh, Yes East Lothian
Most civilised unionist: Murdo Fraser, Alex Massie
Sean McNulty’s list above would suggest that there is enough material to publish a ‘Big Book of Project Fear scare stories for 2014’ which may become an annual if the mainstream media ( the National excepted) continues to follow current form……
Loving this, although some of its painful! What about Ruth Davidson in her TV debate, saying the Russians were coming? Comedy gold.
Best Artwork This was very important and I would nominate STEWART BREMNER his work was so important in drawing people to our windows and sites.
Sorry didn’t mean to shout but his art is great.
“I no longer contribute to Bella Caledonia” – guess
How about ‘Best Put-down of the Debate’?
I would nominate Alex Massie’s devastating post=script to a typical piece of JoLa gobbledegook on one of Andra Neil’s programmes; cannot quote it exactly but something about “the intellectual bankruptcy of Scottish Labour”. Even Andra was stunned into silence, it was a killer quip.
As he’s an old Murdoch Tory, I think Brillo was stunned into agreement.
Best book – Blossom – reached many through story telling ( for converting many don’t knows/No to Yes)
Funniest blog -Wee Ginger Dug
Best Insurgency – Imperial Masters ( wish I’d thought of it never laughed so much- genius!) Also nominating Imperial Masters for best post referendum analysis film on you tube ( Indep LIVE?) unexpected, inspiring and humbling these boys deserve a medal !
Most inspirational – young woman climbing rock with oxygen unforgettable and deserves a category of her own – outstanding contribution to the campaign!
Best art work – short film and music of ‘Scotland Yet ‘ .. showed it to my mum post ref she said ” where did you see this? why was this not on the telly?” convinced if shown on national tv would have been powerful broadcast – no words – lets people think for themselves .
Don’t know what category ( like above effective but underused resource) ‘Map of Productivity’ another innovative /visual way to start people thinking about possibilities and importantly hope for future)
Outrageously Hopeful Idea – Jim Sillars hospital ship – not outrageous but beautiful, symbolising a nations new direction, why not
WEE SKRIBBLES -ARTWORK
How about a category for Best Orator making the case for an Independent Scotland? Yes was pushed along at grassroots to a great extent by the efforts of some of our great ‘natural’ orators, e.g.
Tommy Sheridan; Robin McAlpine; Jeanne Freeman; Carolyn Leckie etc etc
These and other inspirational orators tended to outshine the drier set-piece ‘career politicos’ speeches in my view. I am sure folks here can think of many other great speakers.
Independence when it comes will be remembered primarily by its great orators amongst other things. So we should have a category for this. Every revolution, peaceful or otherwise, depends on great orators to inspire the people and give them belief an confidence in a better future.
It’s a great pity I can’t nominate George Galloway for best orator – unusually, he got it wrong and was on the
dark side for once. But one of our finest orators and our loss for Yes.
I’d like to nominate my 14 year old nephew Calum Macleod as best young activist, not only did he give up the majority of his school holidays to the campaign and was in the Clydebank YES shop he did whatever was needed to do, from leafleting, to sales in the shop he would do what had to be done, never complaining of being tired etc, he just got on with it.
He was also learning what to say to the public and ended up with a huge amount of information that he could reel off depending on what the individual needed to know. He even did a speach at his school at assembly as a pro independence believer.
Another reason I feel why Calum should be put forward for this award is, not only the pride I have in him, it’s also because calum is on the autistic scale and has his own independence battle to fight every day, Calums politics started here and now is attempting to join the Scottish Youth Parliament where he hopes his voice will be heard and he can help table the fears, worries and problems of the Scottish Youth in his area. I know Calum would be so proud to receive something as an acknowledgement of his time and effort helping West Dunbartonshire becoming a YES area. I hope you consider him as a nomination for young activist of the year.
sorry just noticed i posted a comment on this thread by mistake. Was meant for one of the ‘Why I voted No’ contributions.
Could we add a ‘Spirit of Scotland Award’ – I’d nominate Marc Gardiner for wishing the driver of the bin lorry a speedy recovery and assuring him that it wasn’t his fault
Best fake Twitter account: @AngrySalmond or late contender @DunkyBothersall
Which reminds me: most persistent and dedicated Twitter troll: @DuncanHothersall or @EyeEdinburgh
It’s a while back now but there must be a spot for Anas Sarwar’s comedy “secret dossier” on his debate with Nicola.
Most effective pugilist under 5’4″: Nicola Sturgeon. Anas, George G, Johann Lamont and countless others on the ropes.
I would have been good to have a best publication award – the National and iScot Magazine could’ve been contenders…
it would….
Best song (and video)- Hope over Fear, Gerry Cinnamon
Yep, that has to be included as a nomination for best campaign song! https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=912451938782855&set=vb.100000541720034&type=2&theater
Top Media award?
Today – Snowstorms hit Scotland and the North of England – but cameras and reporters spend ages showing London Tube congestion and long reports on a bus party which rested in a church hall.
There must be an award for this!
Last time it was a ‘weather bomb’ which hit Scotland but the BBC said ”so let’s go to Blackpool where a tree was blown over.” Mmmmm!
How about a Phoenix Award – arisen from the ashes:
The 45 campaign
The National
Craig Murray 😉
I’d like to nominate Mr Duguid for best blog – To September and Beyond.
Bella Nominations
Young Activist of the year- Miriam Breft
Book of the year – loved blossom but it’s got to be the Wee Blue Book, it helped so many to vote yes
Funniest Blog – Wee Ginger Dug, even through his own grief he made me laugh (and cry)
least sexist male politician – Patrick Harvie
Bigggest campaign disaster(for BT) – Patronising Bt lady advert
Most outrageously hopeful idea – Has to be expecting unbiased coverage of the Indy Ref by MSM
Best artwork – the saltire butterflies joining the other indy butterflies
Best Social-Media Campaign Meme – #wfipatronising bt lady
Song of the campaign – lady Alba, Bad Romance
Best insurgency – Imperial masters, Matt Lygate
Such difficult choices.
Best Young Activist of the Year: Saffron Dickson
Book of the Year: Blossom, by Lesley Riddoch and Wee Blue Book by Stuart Campbell.
Funniest Blog: Wee Ginger Dug
Least Sexist Male Politician: Patrick Harvie
Biggest Campaign Disaster: Sorry but it has to be Blair Jankins Yes campaign.
Most Outrageously Hopeful Idea: @NaeFear‘s speaking of Scotland’s hospital ship – the Robert Burns.
Best Artwork: Stewart Bremner
Best Social-Media Campaign Meme: National Collective #YesBecause
Song of the Campaign: Lady Alba – Bad Romance
Best International Act of Solidarity: Pilar Fernandez
Car Crash Interview of the Year: Andrew Neil shot down by Jeanne Freeman
Pointiest Pointyheid in Scottish life: David Torrance
Most Dundersome Dunderheid in Scottish life: Willie Rennie
Lamont Clanger of the Year: The Gordon Brewer interview
Most Utterly Deceptive Newspaper Headline: Impossible to choose – there were so many
Best Insurgency: Imperial Masters
Newspaper Columnist of the Year: Joan MacAlpine
Best Unionist Scare Story: Free Presbyterian Church – Scottish Independence would be a provocation of God…
Most Disruptive Technology: Wings over Scotland
Live Event Disaster: Unionist party turns into loyalist riot on the 19th of September
AND
The young lady who scaled Castle Rock, Edinburgh carrying her own oxygen supply – truly heroic and astonishing act
She should get an award all of her own. What an inspiration.
An award for how it really was to J. Lamont?
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ed-miliband-was-banned-from-speaking-at-final-referendum-rally-in-scotland-because-of-north-london-intellectual-image-9947113.html
”Ed Miliband was barred from appearing at the final rally before the Scottish independence referendum as pro-union campaigners believed he would be “a liability”.
The party was instead represented by former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown, former chancellor Alistair Darling and Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont, who has since resigned and been replaced by Jim Murphy.
According to the report by The Telegraph, Lamont was so surprised at Miliband’s attendance that she apparently asked him: “Why are you here? You are not winning any votes.”
The newspaper also said that other Labour sources had said that the Oxford University and London School of Economics graduate’s “north London intellectual image” would be off-putting for voters.”
Footnote; Lots of ”formers” above!. Could Ed and oor Jim be next?
Award for Mr Quisling?…………….
”Traditionally, Scots pride themselves on hard-headedness. In recent years, that has often taken the form of a hard hunk of bone stretching from ear to ear, inflamed by political hysteria”.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/11314336/England-must-be-resolute-and-save-the-Scots-from-self-destruction.html
Well that’s the verdict from the London cognoscenti ! We’re all thick and mad. But Bruce wants to save us from ourselves! Thanks Bruce. You’re just like your self seeking namesake centuries ago. We are safe in your hands. Innit?
There’s only one use for a hard head and I’d like to offer it to Bruce Anderson. Fortissimo!
Sic a parcel o’ rogues in a nation…………….
New category: Best Web Comic About The Referendum by a 14 year old American (my daughter….then again, I’m biased) Start here: http://thehistorytwins.wordpress.com/2014/08/31/welcome-to-the-referendum-2/
Young activists – the 5 Yes kids at the BBC Bias protest who, with the help of Wings, got Kathy Wiles the heave ho and halted the one sided vilification of yes supporters as cyber-bullies – after they were smeared so spectacularly the commentary became more balanced with ‘both sides’ qualifiers. Each of those 5 young children were also involved in campaigning in their local areas
Oh also – Car Crash – Lamont’s interview with Gordon Brewer on Newsnight Scotland announcing Labour’s Devo Nano proposals
Insurgency – Hills have Ayes & hillside Yessing
Surely BBC Scotlandshire has to be in the shortlist for funniest blog…
Good shout – it’s in
P.S. social media meme/image – there was a fabulous green/purple swirly psychaedelic one of patronising BT lady – “This tea tastes funny”.
Best Artist has to be Chris Cairns
Live Event Disaster has to be Murphys crate tour when only his paid lackeys and Yes folk turned up…if anyone.
I second Chris Cairns for best artist.
Best Young Activist: MHAIRI BLACK
Best Young Activist of the Year: MHAIRI BLACK
Best young activist mhairi black
For services to the Scots Independence movement, Oliver Letwin and Thatcher
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/dec/30/downing-street-files-oliver-letwin-poll-tax
“If you are not willing to move to a pure residence charge in England and Wales immediately, you should not introduce a mixture of taxes but should rather use the Scots as a trail-blazer for the real thing,” Letwin told Thatcher in a memo written in November 1985. Letwin, whose parents knew Thatcher, had got his job on the recommendation of the cabinet minister Sir Keith Joseph.
“If the Scottish experiment worked, it could make a pure residence charge look sensible rather than extreme, and thereby pave the way for its introduction in England and Wales,” said Letwin, confirming the long-made but never confirmed charge that Thatcher treated people in Scotland as “guinea pigs” for England and Wales
Best Young Activist
Mhairi Black for outstanding effort and ABILITY.
She worked for years in advance of the referendum, canvassing often five nights a week, then for the last few months of the campaign as a permanent member of the Margo Mobile campaigning across the country and sitting on the committee determining the content of our message and adverts.
Best Story of her comes from Easterhouse where we stopped the Margo mobile in a piece of spare ground next to a busy roundabout where there was a van selling rolls, a couple of activists had a word with the lady selling the food but she would not commit to YES. Mhairi spoke to her for less than five minutes. As we pulled out back onto the main road the van was displaying YES posters and the lady was wearing a YES Teeshirt.
She is only twenty but she is a real talent….and a worker!
Nominations that haven’t already been said:
Best Young Activist of the Year: Jenny Lindsay, poet, events organiser, and rather fabulous talky heid (formerly of National Collective)
Most Outrageously Hopeful Idea: That we really might win, and if we did the UK would stick to the Edinburgh Agreement.
Best Social-Media Campaign Meme: #DearestScotland by WeAreSnook.com
Best Insurgency: Joanne Richardson covered in Yes badges chatting up all the Orange Marchers on Leith Walk, asking them if they’ve had a nice day and proving that Yes-ers weren’t a bunch that needed punched. She even got some saying they hoped Yes would win.
Song of the campaign: ‘This Road Won’t Build Itself’ by the wonderful Seafieldroad (by the way I’m totally biased) http://seafieldroad.bandcamp.com/track/this-road-wont-build-itself-2
Newspaper Columnist of the Year: Joyce McMillan – wonderful writing, heartfelt, searingly intelligent and brave.
Best Unionist Scare Story: Border Gates at Hadrian’s Wall
Most Disruptive Technology: 1) Conversation. Talking to folk at bus stops, in the street, in pubs, talking to people’s own interests and concerns was the best way to gently disrupt preconceptions.
2) Stickers. They were everywhere. They’d get scratched, pasted over, and the next day they’d be back up again.
As co-founder of English Scots for YES, I’d like to nominate our Edinburgh Co-oridinator Steve West, for “Most Committed English Activist”.
You probably saw photos of Steve standing in the pouring rain in the Meadows during the campaign. Whilst the less-committed of us cowered under the tent with other YES activists, Steve gave no quarter to the rain and carried on regardless for around 6 hours.
Young Activist. Aileen McKay. Nominate.
Best Young Activist of the Year – Lady Alba.
Book of the Year – ‘Blossom’ by Lesley Riddoch.
Funniest Blog – BBC Scotlandshire
Least Sexist Male Politician – Has to be a toss-up between George Galloway and Tommy Sheridan…
Only kidding!!!. I’d go for Patrick Harvie, partly for his barb vs Galloway.
Most Outrageously Hopeful Idea – That the BBC would be impartial.
Best Artwork – So many great contributors, but will go for Greg Moodie whose work had a startling originality and lacerating accuracy unprecedented in Scottish political cartoonery.
Pointiest Pointyheid in Scottish life – Scot goes Pop – the antidote to John Curtice. Pointedly so.
Best Insurgency – Can only be ‘Imperial Masters’. Absolutely inspired and hilarious – and probably got the message across about Labour’s view of its voters more tellingly than anything since John Maclean.
Newspaper Columnist of the Year – Iain McWhirter. His journey of disappointment to disgust with the Labour Party and from “devo-max” to pro-independence surely mirrored the most fascinating current in 2014.
Best Unionist Scare Story – So many to choose from but I’ll plump for the Wee Free’s assertion that God would be angered if we voted Yes.
Most Disruptive Technology – Wings over Scotland for creating what was effectively a n education on media bias. Many will never look at TV or newspaper the same way again.
Most inspiring phrase – “On 18 September, 2014, between the hours of 7am and 10pm, absolute sovereign power will lie in the hands of the Scottish people. They have to decide whether to keep it, or give it away to where their minority status makes them permanently powerless and vulnerable.” – Jim Sillars
Most inspiring orator – Heard so many terrific speakers, but I think Carolyn Leckie as the most prominent voice of Women for Independence had a profound effect on the campaign and (I hope) beyond.
Best individual ‘Yes’ Campaigner – Patrick Harvie. Without his facing down of ‘Yes for Scotland’ centralised, top-down command structure right at the start, the blossoming of the Yes grassroots might never have happened. This principled stance and his magnificent work throughout the campaign reached out to people beyond the narrower ‘nationalist’ vision and ensured ‘Yes’ was not just an SNP front.
Choose Life Award – Should go to the People of Scotland. On the 19th September we were supposed to crawl back under the blanket and humbly imbibe our methadone media to wean us of the heroin of real political engagement. But why would we want to do a thing like that? We chose not to choose that life: We chose something else…
Thanks Laura on Dearestscotland 😉
And second Aileen McKay – total hardworking campaigner and connector.
Matt Lygate for Imperial Masters. Not sure what category fits in but certainly caught the BBC’s roaming eyes!
Best song: “Theme for the Early Days Of a Better Nation” written by Matt Seattle and performed by Edinburgh Independence Choir
Thanks for this nomination Marsha, seeing it here today was totally unexpected!
The Independence Choir’s performance was one of the highlights of the campaign for me, but without detracting from it in any way I’d also draw attention to the recording made for the Bella Caledonia Songs for Scotland album
youtu.be/BJ9Vvy7THgc
and the earlier performance in Stirling which in turn led to that
https://t.co/KndeUe8rVh
I hope there will be opportunities to perform it again before May
Best podcast (should be a category?) – Lesley Riddoch and Chris Smith weekly mull over events.
Best columnist Lesley Riddoch
Best blog Burdzeye View
There’s no ‘Best Blog’ category, but there is Funniest Blog
Best analysis&commentary== Wings Over Scotland
Most missed==Margi MacDonald
Best humour==yewchoob
Guys – #PatronisingBTLady was Generation Yes, not WFI:
https://twitter.com/OurGenScot/status/504325565235888129
WFI ran the follow-up campaign about tea.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7a7GSK2NLJY
Forgot to say that it’s the song of the campaign. But Graham Brown Band has also made other songs about independence
Best Young Activist of the Year – Amie Robertson, especially her support for young women getting involved in campaigning: http://www.itv.com/news/update/2014-09-19/hope-that-a-yes-vote-could-spread-around-the-world/
Biggest Campaign Disaster – Scottish Labour’s Red Paper: its mangled figures and Devo Nano plans
Most Outrageously Hopeful Idea – Spirit of Independence tour for its romanticism
Best International Act of Solidarity – Artur Mas’ solid support
Pointiest Pointyheid in Scottish life – economist Ronald MacDonald for giving us no option but austerity http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/14/independent-scotland-economy-crash-sterling-ronald-macdonald
Lamont Clanger of the Year – when she criticised Nicola Sturgeon by calling her ambitious http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scottish-independence/11033682/First-Ministers-Questions-live.html
Most Utterly Deceptive Newspaper Headline – The Vow, Daily Record, last ditch attempt to reverse haemorrhaging Scot Lab vote http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/david-cameron-ed-miliband-nick-4265992
Best Insurgency – Prof Dunleavy going to war with Westminster Treasury over set-up costs for iScot http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/five-minutes-with-patrick-dunleavy/
Newspaper Columnist of the Year – Jennifer McKiernan, Evening Express, fresh perspective from a young female voice on her shift to Yes http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/news/local/our-bloggers-have-their-say-as-independence-debate-heats-up-1.535116
Best Unionist Scare Story – Gordon Brown claims organ transplants and blood transfusions at risk, Scotsman etc http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/cross-border-organ-transplant-network-at-risk-1-3482748
I’d like to nominate Allan Casey as Young Activist of the Year. Allan is 26 and turned up at a Yes Provan worknight one night in January 2014 just to say hello. His gran who he lived with had just passed away so he wasn’t in the right frame of mind to be out campaigning. The following week, he felt able and he has been a Godsend since then. He has campaigned night after night.
He learned to canvass and he was brilliant at it. He then quickly got himself to the stage where he could lead and support novice canvassers so we could have additional canvassing sessions, he leafleted and led leafleting sessions.
He chaired a big public meeting, something he thought he could never do but did brilliantly. He is a joiner so when we got a shop unit, he transformed it for us. He worked his backside off fitting units and shelving, painting inside and out, carving giant Yes signs and basically being our main fixer.
He was the first to drive our Ayes Cream Van, the ice cream van we hired as a mobile info shop for the Easterhouse area. He took journalists out campaigning and held his own with them. One referred to him as a ‘tough looking joiner’ which he loved!
He attended demos and events. He recruited others into the campaign. He even fixed up for me to train 12 of his friends in an empty pub one Sunday morning so that they too would get involved in the campaign.
The point is that early in January this young working class guy who’d just lost his gran, turned up to say he’d maybe like to get involved at some point. Within days he became a crucial and central part of the Yes Provan campaign. And in Provan we got 57 per cent yes, the highest yes percentage in Glasgow and second highest in the country. We could not have done it without a number of hugely significant folk and Allan was one of them.
Seems a little sexist not to have a ‘Least Sexist Female Politician’ category. Joking aside, it does happen, e.g. The sexist phrase ‘stale, pale & male’ featured pretty often during the campaign. Sexism, like racism, is a two-way street, but the other lane is often overlooked.
Except for the fact that the world is weighted in favour of white people and in favour of men so the impact of sexist women on men’s lives is rarely (note I’m not saying NEVER) significant. And the impact of a black person’s prejudice against a white person’s rarely impacts.
Sorry Annie your comment ”Except for the fact that the world is weighted in favour of white people ” . It is so in the Western world only. I’m amazed you think that’s the whole world. Africa, S. America and Asia for example might object to your partial view of the world.
”in favour of men ” – yes you’re right here and you’d be better concentrating on that.
On ”prejudice” -it’s ugly no matter who practices it, so better not to try to diminish that fact.
Have to support AnneMcLaughlin here–she is pointing out the difference between systemic discrimination and oppression (as experienced by women and others) and individual acts of prejudice. Thanks Anne, I gave a sigh of relief when you answered so that I didn’t have to! Was a bit tempted to put up #notallmen but resisted!
I would like to nominate Africans for an Independent Scotland for best artwork. They gave their designer James Kennedy a brief and he came up with something just beautiful. Or so said the hundreds who contacted them about it. You can see it here. http://africansforindy.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/africans-for-independent-scotland-is.html
Nomination for best song – be a nation by Macanta
So how do we make nominations ?
This list does not seem to have been added to since it went up?
The most disruptive technology is without doubt the Yes Saltire.
Best song of the campaign – I nominate Lady Alba’s Bad Romance.
It’s got to be BBC Scotlandshire
Funniest blog – BBC Scotlandshire
I agree with Maggiemellon doesn’t seem a coherent place to put your nominations. I know it’s just a bit of fun but it could have been done a wee bit more professionally!
PS Reference my comment 24th Dec. Best OLD Activist should go to Gordon Smith of Torphins in Aberdeenshire, his energy would put most YOUNG activists to shame!!
Nominations were via comments as explained. Nominations now closed.