The 24th annual pipes|drums New Year’s Honours

Solo Competition Piper of the Year

Callum Beaumont

His second Gelndiddich Championship in as many years, the Captain John, the Springbank, the Sun Belt . . . it was a great year on the boards for Beaumont. Voted the pipes|drums Solo Competition Piper of the Year in 2023, our panel chose him again as the decisive winner in 2024. The word “machine” is increasingly used to describe his ability to win contests. Right now, it’s Callum Beaumont’s world; we’re just living in it.

Panellists’ comments:

• A landmark year for a genial gent. Quite simply a brilliant musician.
• A crackin’ list of pipers who got it done this year. Love seeing Gillian Blaney and Nick Hudson considered for their amazing results, but have to give the nod to Callum Beaumont for big wins at the highest level.
• T-Pain sang it best: “All I do is win!”
• Callum here, Callum there, Callum Beaumont everywhere! The guy is a machine.
• Callum has had a great year. Always produces solid and consistent playing and a lovely lad.
• So consistent, two years in a row winning the Glenfiddich Piping Championship.
• In a year with many great players having success at the Majors, Callum Beaumont’s second win of the Glenfiddich gets the nod.
• Not a difficult one here… he could’ve easily been picked as the winner of the Captain John MacLellan Memorial recital competition, he just keeps presenting at the highest level.

Also nominated (in alphabetical order with a few comments from the panel)

Gillian Blaney, Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia – She was Amateur Piper of the Day at the Glengarry Highland Games, the Nicol-Brown Amateur Invitational Champion, and the overall winner of the George Sherriff Memorial. As Blaney makes the move to the Open/Professional class, it’s with the realistic promise of making a historic mark.

• Super consistent and is leaving amateur convincingly. Not many females play in professional and it’s nice to see another girl joining the ranks of pro. Super humble and all-around stellar person and player!
• Gillian has won nearly everything she’s entered in Grade 1 including the Nicol Brown and the Sherriff.

Alasdair Henderson, Dunoon, Scotland –A superb year for Henderson, winning the Senior Piobaireachd at the Argyllshire Gathering, the Donald MacLeod Memorial and the overall championship at London.

Nick Hudson, Houston – Winning the Clasp and A-Grade MSR at Inverness, the USPF, and third and fourth prizes at the Glenfiddich set up a terrific year for Hudson.

• This was a tough one, but I’m going with Nick Hudson for breaking into the upper echelon by winning the Clasp on his second try. The icing on the cake was his two prizes at the Glenfiddich — and don’t forget his second in the Oban gold medal and his first prize in the A MSR at the Northern Meeting. That’s a tough set of results to beat in a single season.
• Only the second American to win a Clasp at the Northern Meeting, and doing it while winning the A MSR as well as competing with St Thomas Alumni at the worlds is no mean feat.
• A very rare U.S. Clasp winner. Most notable for the very small gap between winning his Gold Medal and taking a Clasp.

Finlay Johnston, Glasgow – A strong showing at the Glenfiddich and a Bratach Gorm to round off an excellent 2024 for the always-consistent Johnston.