Brodie Watson-Massey wins 2025 Northern Meeting Gold Medal; Silver Star goes to Beaumont; Wynd wins Silver Medal and B-MSR

Inverness, Scotland – September 11, 2025 – Brodie Watson-Massey of Edinburgh added his name to the history books by winning the Highland Society of London’s Gold Medal at the 2025 Northern Meeting, the world’s longest-running and most important non-invitational solo piping competition.

It was Watson-Massey’s first time playing in the event after winning the 2024 Silver Medal for Piobaireachd at the same competition. Besides Steven Leask, who won the Argyllshire Gathering Gold Medal, the Inverness prize list featured different pipers.

The 22-year-old Watson-Massey can compete in the Northern Meeting Clasp for the rest of his piping life. With the win, he earns an invitation to the 2025 Glenfiddich Piping Championships in Blair Atholl, Scotland, on October 25th.

Callum Wynd of Dunblane, Scotland, won the Silver Medal. Joe Biggs of Ajax, Ontario, who was third, was the only prize-winner also to feature in the Argyllshire Gathering Silver Medal list, where he was fourth.

In the final event of the day, Callum Beaumont won the Silver Star Former Winners’ March, Strathspey & Reel for the second time in his career. He became a father for the first time earlier in the week, so it’s been an eventful few days.

As the 2024 Glenfiddich Champion, Beaumont earns a second invitation to the Glenfiddich, so organizers will go to at least two second-prize-winners in qualifying events to compile the 10-piper list of invitees. Finlay Johnston of Glasgow has also won two qualifying events, the Bratach Gorm at London and the Oban Former Winners’ MSR.

Highland Society of London Gold Medal
1st Brodie Watson-Massey, “The Stewarts’ White Banner”
2nd Darach Urquhart, Glasgow, “The MacLeans’ March”
3rd Angus MacPhee, Inverness, Scotland, “Lament for the Departure of King James”
4th Steven Leask, Glasgow, Lady Margaret MacDonald’s Salute”
5th John McDonald, Aberdeen, Scotland, “The MacLeans’ March”
Judges: Robert Barnes, Ronnie McShannon, A. John Wilson

Also competing: Calum Brown, Peterculter, Scotland; Sandy Cameron, Roybridge, Scotland; Andrew Donlon, Washington, DC; Cameron Drummond, Edinburgh; Ben Duncan, Edinburgh; Brendon Eade, Waikato, New Zealand; Jamie Elder, Auchtermuchty, Scotland; Jamie Forrester; Alex Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia; Angus J. MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland; Cameron MacDougall, New Jersey; Cameron May, Lesmahagow, Scotland; Ben McClamrock, Washington, DC; Sean McKeown, Bowmanville, Ontario; Derek Midgley, Tinton Falls, New Jersey; Sarah Muir, Glasgow; John Mulhearn, Carluke, Scotland; Matt Pantaleoni, St. Louis, Missouri; William Rowe, New Zealand; and Calum Watson, Edinburgh.

Silver Medal
1st Callum Wynd
2nd Zephan Knickel, Lynwood, Washington
3rd Joe Biggs, Ajax, Ontario
4th Eireann Ianetta-Mackay, Burrelton, Scotland, “You’re Welcome, Ewan Lochiel”
5th Eddie Gaul, Dundee, Scotland
Judges: Euan Anderson, Patricia Henderson, Bill Wotherspoon

Also competing: Cameron Bonar, Surrey, British Columbia; Keith Bowes, Erskine, Scotland; Ruairidh Brown, Dunblane, Scotland; Kyle Cameron, Rosemarkie, Scotland; Greig Canning, Kirkcaldy, Scotland; John Dew, Glasgow; Jacob Dicker, Maxville, Ontario; Bobby Durning, Carrolton, Texas; Andrew Ferguson, Dollar, Scotland; Michael Fitzhenry, Paisley, Scotland; Steven Gray, Lockerbie, Scotland; Luke Kennedy, Strathaven, Scotland; Liam Kernaghan, Wellington, New Zealand; Anna Kummerlöw, Kladrum, Germany; Dan Lyden, Timonium, Maryland; Ashley McMichael, Antrim, Northern Ireland; James McPetrie, Aboyne, Scotland; Ross Miller, Glasgow; Jonathon Simpson, Bo’ness, Scotland; and Campbell Wilson, Czech Republic.

Silver Star Former Winners’ March, Strathspey & Reel
1st Callum Beaumont, Guardbridge, Scotland, “The Royal Scottish Pipers’ Soiety,” “The Ross-shire Volunteers,” “Susan MacLeod,” “Catlodge,” “Ca’ the Ewes,” “Fiona MacLeod”
2nd Chris Armstrong, Glasgow
3rd Stuart Liddell, Inveraray, Scotland
4th Willie McCallum, Bearsden, Scotland
5th Alex Gandy, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Judges: Michael Grey, Bruce Hitchings, Iain MacFadyen.

Also competing: Cameron Drummond; Ben Duncan; Brendon Eade; Andrew Hayes, Ottawa; Alasdair Henderson, Edinburgh; Nick Hudson, Houston; Finlay Johnston, Glasgow; Angus D. MacColl, Benderloch, Scotland; Ian K. MacDonald, Whitby, Ontario; Roddy MacLeod, Glasgow; Jack Lee, Surrey, British Columbia; Gordon McCready, Renfrew, Scotland; Iain Speirs, Edinburgh; and Greg Wilson, Christchurch.

B-Grade MSR
1st Callum Wynd
2nd Jonathon Simpson
3rd Piers Drover, Christchurch
4th Ruairidh Brown
5th James McPetrie
Judges: Barry Donaldson, Peter Hunt, Roddy Livingstone

Also competing: Joe Biggs; Keith Bowes; Alastair Brown, Kyle of Lochalsh, Scotland; Kyle Cameron; Callum Carn; Kristopher Coyle, Northern Ireland; Jacob Dicker; Bobby Durning; Jamie Elder; Andrew Ferguson; Eddie Gaul; Norman Gillies, Edinburgh; Andrew Hall, Glasgow; Eireann Iannetta-MacKay; Luke Kennedy; Zephan Knickel; Anna Kummerlöw; Dan Lyden; Cameron MacLeod, Glasgow; Angus MacPhee; Scott McCaskill, Kelty, Scotland; Ross Miller; Dan Nevans, Barnhill, Scotland; Liam Nicolson, Sydney; Matt Pantaleoni; and Ryan Praskovich, Pittsburgh.

A correction was made on Sept. 11, 2025. We inadvertently transposed the third and fourth prizes in the Gold Medal. The article has been amended accordingly.