The 18th annual pipes|drums New Year’s Honours

2018 Solo Competition Piper of the Year

Finlay Johnston

Panellists’ comments:

• “Glenfiddich Champion, says it all.”
• “Glenfiddich Champion. No more explanation needed.”
• “Finlay has been steadily winning or making the list in the major competitions at Oban, Inverness and London over the past several years, and terrific to see him win the Glenfiddich this year – a changing of the senior guard, and first of the ‘Millennial’ generation.”
• “First time Glenfiddich champion. Impressive result.”

Also nominated (alphabetical order):

Glenn Brown – a great year from Brown, who is making a significant mark as one of the world’s best solo pipers, including winning the Captain John MacLellan Memorial Medal and the Bratach Gorm.

Stuart Easton – Easton’s remarkable win of the Highland Society of London Gold Medal at Oban on his first try was made even more extraordinary by being from New Zealand. Easton was a great success story of 2018.

Alex Gandy – entering what would appear to be a “purple patch” of success, the younger Gandy captured his first Silver Star MSR at the Northern Meeting, the biggest light music award there is.

Bruce Gandy – another exceptional season from the elder Gandy, Nova Scotia’s finest gained another nomination as our Solo Competition Piper of the Year.

Jack Lee – he shows no sign of stopping, and Jack Lee is proving that world-class excellence can be maintained through nearly five decades.