The 23rd annual pipes|drums New Year’s Honours

2023 Drummer of the Year

Kerr McQuillan

Holy smokes. Nineteem-year-old Kerr McQuillan, in his first year as leading-drummer of Peoples Ford Boghall & Bathagte Caledonia, helps the band to win the World’s, and, in his first year playing the adult category of the World Solo Snare Drumming Championships, wins that, too. It’s not likely we’ll see that happen again. What’s more, McQuillan is a grounded and humble competitor, seemingly a natural leader able to coax the best from his players. He’s a convincing recipient of our award by our panel of experts.

Panellists’ comments:

• World’s squared. Incredible.
• Humble, pure talent, the real deal.
• A difficult choice . . . but how can you not choose a 19-year-old who captures both the World Pipe Band Championship and the adult World Solo Snare Drumming in the same year on his first try? Amazing.
• Kerr is early in his drumming journey and is doing amazing things! He definitely has the right attitude for a Lead drummer and has great confidence in both himself and his players.
• Another hard choice, but Kerr McQuillan’s first year as a Grade 1 L-D is hard to beat: Boghall wins the World’s including strong drumming results, Kerr wins the World solos at first crack in adult, and his own profile as an excellent leader is on display in the video series the band released throughout the season.
• Hmmm, helping Boghall to win a major and the World’s in the first year as lead tip, winning a qualifier, and then winning the World Solo Drumming Championship on his first try at 19 years of age? A storybook year for Kerr.
• Like Callum Beaumont in solo piping, it could surely not have been a better year for Kerr. The Vloghall showcased what a good leader and deserving young man he is.
• He is a decent piper as well!
• I think when you help lead your band to it’s first ever WPBC and follow it up with your first World’s Solo . . . well, that’s how you separate yourself. Pipe Band Drumming has an amazing cast on deck right now. Probably the best Since the 90’s.
• A world solo title in his first attempt and leading his corps in Boghall’s first-ever Worlds victory, in his fist year as lead, is unprecedented.
• Winning the World Pipe Band Championships itself is an amazing achievement. But when you add in winning the World Adult Solo Drumming Championships on his first attempt at 19 years old, none come close to the success this prodigy has had this year.

Also nominated (in alphabetical order)

Reid Maxwell – Winning another Grade 1 World Pipe Band Drumming title with Simon Fraser University, contributions to the art through teaching and publishing. Another excellent year for J. Reid Maxwell, one of the greatest pipe band drummers in history.

Stephen Creighton – Solid work once again as Grade 1 St. Laurence O’Toole’s leading-drummer, he took his corps to runner-up in the RSPBA’s Champion of Champions table.

Gareth McLees – Winning the World Pipe Band Drumming prize at Glasgow Green in his first year as leading-drummer of Field Marshal Montgomery, Gareth McLees rose to the enormous challenge after the retirement of Keith Orr. Like Boghall, FMM is well set up for decades of drumming success.

Steven McWhirter – His string of 10 consecutive World Solo Snare Drumming championship wins ended, but Inveraray & District’s Steven McWhirter had yet another brilliant season that must be given due credit.