Stand-up Susie McCabe has been named as the winner of this year's Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award.

She was handed the trophy at the Glasgow International Comedy Festival's Comedy Gala this afternoon.

The festival notes: "The award honours criteria both the city of Glasgow and Sir Billy Connolly represent from resilience to openness and of course, a sense of humour."

Sir Billy Connolly sent a personalised message to McCabe via a video message from his home in Florida, saying: "Congratulations Susie - I'm sorry I can't be in Glasgow, it's for a million reasons."

Addressing the winner directly, he said: "I watched you on TV and I was blown sideways. It's been lovely watching your style, that Glasgow style of comedy - it's brilliant, I loved it. You're brilliant, so keep it up!"

McCabe accepted the award onstage in the closing minutes of the Comedy Gala, saying: "When you start this career as a dare you don't think for a minute you're going to hear your name come out of Billy Connolly's face!

"Lots of people talk about Edinburgh and its festivals in comedy - it's never been about Edinburgh for me, Edinburgh is a byproduct of this festival for me. This festival has 100% backed me and it's done that because you, the audiences, have come out and let me play this theatre three times."

Festival director Krista MacDonald, headliner Elaine C. Smith and 2023's winner Janey Godley presented McCabe with the glass trophy, which is engraved with a famous self-portrait of Sir Billy Connolly.

McCabe said: "Thank you to Glasgow for being the wind in my sails. When you stand on this stage you stand on the shoulders of Billy, Elaine, Dorothy Paul and Janey. This means the absolute world to me - this city means the absolute world to me."

Krista MacDonald comments: "Susie McCabe is one of Scotland's most exceptional comedy exports, having entertained audiences in her hometown and beyond for over 15 years. From her very first show with GICF in 2013 in a 60-seater in Dram to three mammoth shows in the King's Theatre this year, Susie epitomises everything good about Glasgow and its comedy scene; she has generosity of spirit in spades and is unapologetic in her comedy, but manages to still be warm, inclusive, hard-working, gallus and to her very core, funny.

"Sir Billy Connolly has helped both audiences and comics find joy and laughter even when times are bleak, representing the very best of comedy itself and the very best of this city- so we are so honoured to have the Big Yin himself involved in the Festival in this way.

"A truly worthy winner of our second ever Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award, the GICF team sends our biggest congratulations to Susie."

Shortlisted alongside McCabe for the award were Craig Hill, Raymond Mearns, Rosco McClelland, Susan Riddell and Zara Gladman. A panel of judges met to consider the six-strong shortlist before sending a recommendation to Sir Billy Connolly, who made the final decision on the ultimate winner. The judging panel was: Aarti Joshi (Go Radio), Catherine Salmond (Editor, The Herald), Cassi Gillespie (Clyde 1), Glasgow's Lord Provost Jacqueline McLaren, Janey Godley, Jonathan Watson, Laura Boyd (STV News), Laura Marks (Channel 4), Norry Wilson (Lost Glasgow), Sharon Rooney and Tony Curran.