The 25th annual pipes|drums New Year’s Honours

2025 Piper of the Year (all aspects)

Stuart Liddell

It wasn’t simply an excellent year for Inveraray & District pipe-major and renowned solo piper Stuart Liddell, it was truly one for the history books:

He won the World Pipe Band Championship as pipe-major of Inveraray & District; won the European Pipe Band Championship; won the RSPBA Grade 1 Champion of Champions; won the Senior Piobaireachd at Oban; won the Glenfiddich; won the London overall; won the Clasp at Inverness; won the Northern Meeting Hornpipe & Jig; and, late in the year, recorded and released a studio solo piping album.

This is Liddell’s fifth pipes|drums Piper of the Year award.

A few comments from panellists:

• Continues to keep on delivering outstanding performances at all the major contests. It feels like he’s at home on these big stages.
• A stand out winner delivering excellence across every aspect of piping.
• Wins the Glenfiddich, his fourth Clasp and the Hornpipe & Jig at the Northern Meeting, the Senior Piobaireachd, the overall at London – I mean, come on! All the while, the band he is running operates at the same level of consistent excellence. Moreover, Stuart dedicates huge amounts of time to teaching and sharing his expertise to all corners of the globe. He’s a machine.

Also nominated (in alphabetical order):

Alan Bevan, Abbotsford, British Columbia – He got off the plane, got out his pipes and proceeded to win the Masters at Piping Live!, and a week later guided Simon Fraser University to another top-four finish at the Worlds.

Jack Lee, Surrey, British Columbia – Everyone knows he’s by far the greatest piper from North America in history, but not all appreciate his inexhaustible contributions to the art through nonstop teaching and adding to the BagpipeMusic.com library’s more than 10,000 recordings and manuscripts. Always congenial and positive, Lee is one of the world’s finest ambassadors for piping and pipe bands.

Colin MacLellan, Edinburgh – Rightfully inducted this year to the Scots Trad Music Hall of Fame, Colin MacLellan’s lifetime of contributing to the art is massive. Whether it’s the Solo Piping Judges Association, the Competing Pipers Association, the Glengarry School of Piping & Drumming, the Eagle Pipers Society, the College of Piping and National Piping Centre, the Piping Live! Festival, the Joint Committee for Piping, Grade 1 band leadership, or preserving Capt. John MacLellan’s profound legacy, Colin MacLellan has touched almost every aspect of piping.

Eilidh MacDonald, Glasgow – Glasgow is now the beneficiary of the Regina, Saskatchewan, native, but so is world piping. While finding time outside her PhD research in biomedicine, MacDonald this year drew attention to the role of women in piping and drumming. Her work on International Women’s Day was profound, as was her coordination of a surprise element at Shotts & Dykehead Caledonia’s SOLAS Pre-Worlds Concert, where she brought together the female pipers in Grade 1 bands to deliver a sensational spot in the program.

Calum Watson, Bathgate, Scotland – As the new pipe-major of Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate Caledonia, Watson delivered under enormous scrutiny. With the younger leadership of Watson and Lead-Drummer Kerr McQuillan, buoyed by the organization’s state-of-the-art teaching program, pipe band enthusiasts can look forward to many years of excellence from Boghall.

Matt Wilson, Dollar, Scotland – What’s it like to succeed the greatest pipe-major in history? What’s it like to do that and win a major championship, finish second at the Worlds and miss the RSPBA Champion of Champions title by a single point? Just ask Matt Wilson, who did all that with Field Marshal Montgomery and more while heading the piping program at Dollar Academy.

David Wilton, Dundee, Scotland – The Police Scotland Fife pipe-major steered his band on up the prize lists, while heading up the High School of Dundee’s piping program. “Fife Police” are as ready as ever to take the next step to ensconce themselves for good as one of the globe’s super-bands.