Janey Godley has been announced as the winner of the inaugural Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award.

She was presented with the award just minutes after she closed the show at the official Closing Gala of the Glasgow Comedy Festival.

Sir Billy Connolly appeared on screen to announce the winner, saying: "Hello, I am Billy Connolly and I am here to congratulate the winners of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival. Glasgow deserves to have a comedy festival - an international comedy festival. It's the funniest town in the world bar none... and it deserves to be at the top of the league.

"The winner of the award - the Billy Connolly Award believe it or not - is Janey Godley. A worthy winner. A worthy comedian. She's been a pal of mine for about 5 or 6 years. We met in New Zealand when she was performing at a festival, and I took her to see my show - almost killing her on the way. I have a weird way of crossing the road. It took her a while to get used to it! She's a great girl, a great comedian and an extraordinary life story to dwell on. I'm very proud to be part of the International Festival and I'm very proud that my drawing has been part of the trophy. It's lovely."

The award, with the self-portrait of Connolly etched in glass, was then presented by festival director Krista MacDonald alongside Two Doors Down star and judge Elaine C Smith.

Accepting the award, Janey Godley said: "I can't believe I've won this... If I couldn't joke I wouldn't be me. I have won an award from a man that I've admired since I was a child."

Holding up the award, she said "This is going to be my tombstone."

The Spirit of Glasgow award was defined by the following five criteria:

1. Humour - a sense of humour and an ability to take the mick out of ourselves
2. Resilience - being as warm as we are tough
3. Openness - having good patter with everyone and anyone
4. Unapologetic - proud yet unpretentious and uncompromising
5. Depth - conflicting and nuanced, multi-layered and multi-dimensional

Sir Billy Connolly said about the award: "Glasgow defies description. Many great men and women have tried to describe its spirit and failed miserably. What do you say about a town that dances, sings, plays and jokes differently from everybody else? The winner of this Award will have to be a nutter like me..."

The panel - which had also shortlisted Scott Agnew, Paul Black, Craig Hill, Kieran Hodgson and Susie McCabe - comprised of The Lord Provost, Jacqueline McLaren; Herald editor Catherine Salmond; Broadcaster Janice Forsyth; STV's Laura Boyd; Radio presenter and podcaster Aarti Joshi; Lost Glasgow's Norry Wilson; Channel 4's Laura Marks; and comedian/actors Sanjeev Kohli, Greg Hemphill, Elaine C Smith and Karen Dunbar.