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

2025 Drummer of the Year

Kerr McQuillan, Glasgow

Winning his second World Solo Drumming Championship, leading the Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathgate drum section to the RSPBA Grade 1 Champion of Champions award, and gaining his second RSPBA’s Solo Drumming Champion of Champions title were enough to convince our panel that Kerr McQuillan deserved the Drummer of the Year award.

Panellists’ comments:

• “It’s Kerr until someone usurps him.”
• “Winning the World Drumming Solo Championship definitely factors in, plus the fact that he is very instrumental in teaching and sharing his knowledge not only with his band system, but also with people throughout the pipe band drumming world.”
• “I like Kerr this year for the simple fact that as young as he is, he continues his ascension up the ranks of the greats, putting in great band and solo performances. Our world is very noisy now days, and he keeps moving right along.”
• “Another World Solos win against the very best.”
• “Results.”
• “Keeps delivering as a soloist and as a corps leader. A strong field of candidates this year, but gets slight edge over others.”
• “McQuillan’s World Solo title and his corps’ consistency over the 2025 season make him my pick by a nose.”

Also nominated (in alphabetical order):

Scott Armit, Boston – As one of the best American-born pipe band drummers in history, Armit made a huge contribution with his pipes|drums opinion piece on the need for maximum numbers throughout the grades.

Jordan Bailie, Glasgow – the World Solo Tenor Drumming Champion for the second straight year and his work with Inveraray & District make Bailie a nominee again in the Drummer of the Year category. As one panellist said, “Jordan has taken tenor drumming to the equal within pipe bands. He is exceptional to watch in solo competition and lives and breathes tenor drumming.”

William Glenholmes, Cullybackey, Northern Ireland – Field Marshal Montgomery’s new leading-drummer in 2025 took the role under less-than-ideal circumstances. But he was able to improve the corps, helping the band to elevate its overall results, particularly at the Worlds where the corps was second overall.

Steven McWhirter, Glasgow – He led the Inveraray & District drum section to a World Pipe Band Drumming title, a European Championship, and narrowly missed his thirteenth World Solo win. His musical contribution to his band’s historic “Dream Valley” medley cannot be understated, using simplicity (as well as incredible intricacy) to great effect. Late in the year, McWhirter published his first collection of snare scores to round out a hugely successful year.