Star Studded Forth Awards Ceremony celebrates Local Heroes, Sports plus Music Stars
Stars including Amy MacDonald, Lewis Capaldi, Ed Byrne and Go West all took to the stage in the capital on Thursday night in celebration of Forth Heroes.
Article Source: Material
Last Updated: 17 November 2018 11:11
AMY MACDONALD, ED BYRNE, GO WEST, LEWIS CAPALDI, MARK BEAUMONT AND MORE ALL JOIN CELEBRATION OF FORTH HEROES.
Stars including Amy MacDonald, Lewis Capaldi, Ed Byrne and Go West all took to the stage in the capital as one of the best events in Edinburgh’s entertainment calendar delighted hundreds of fans. This year was one of its biggest and best yet as record-breaking adventurer and cyclist Mark Beaumont also joined the festivities alongside Angie Brown, Rozalla, and Max George.
The Forth Awards are once again sponsored by Edinburgh St James which, with an investment value of £1bn, is one of the largest and most significant development projects underway in the UK. Working with Radio Forth as the main sponsor, Edinburgh St James will bring revitalisation to the East End of Edinburgh with 850,000 sq. ft of shops, 150 new homes and 30 restaurants. Echoing the aims of the Forth Awards, Edinburgh St James also recognises those living in our community through its numerous sustainability and socially responsible initiatives.
Kicking off the show, BAMR (Boogie, Arlene, Marty and Robbie) took to the Usher Hall stage as X Factor contestant Caitlyn Vanbeck performing vocals, with the five-piece receiving rapturous applause from the delighted Forth Awards audience. Setting themselves a challenge on the breakfast show to create a chart-topping hit, the team did exactly that, with ‘Break Your Heart’ pipped to the top spot by none other than Calvin Harris and Sam Smith. With a party atmosphere from the very beginning, it was clear the Usher Hall audience were in for a day of unrivalled entertainment.
The inaugural award of the night with The Forth Contribution to Sport Award going to none other than record-breaking adventurer Mark Beaumont. The Perthshire cyclist holds the world record for cycling around the world in less than 79 days, completing the gruelling 18,000 mile trek by cycling 240 miles every day and sleeping for less than five hours a night. Receiving his Forth Award, Mark said, “I’ll tell you one thing for free – I’m not doing that again! Scotland now have the male and female world record. Thank you!”
Next up, Callum Gallacher presented The Forth Rising Star Award to one of the biggest stars the Scottish music scene has produced in recent years. Lewis Capaldi has had a phenomenal few years since his debut single ‘Bruises’ was released in 2017; amassing over 155 million plays on streaming services, supporting Sam Smith, Niall Horan and Rag’N’Bone Man on tour, playing on the Main Stage at TRNSMT Festival to thousands of hometown fans, winning ‘Best Breakthrough’ at the SSE Scottish Music Awards in 2017 and more recently selling out two nights at Glasgow’s Barrowlands in under 24 hours. Collecting his award before a stellar performance of new song ‘Someone You Loved’ and his massive debut ‘Bruises’.
For the first local heroes award, Micky Gavin presented The Forth Charity Volunteer of the Year Award to the very deserving Heather Duff. Since battling cancer, Heather has devoted herself to fundraising for Maggie’s Cancer Centre, running an annual hockey tournament aptly named ‘Stick It To Cancer’ – which this year, smashed its fundraising target of £4000, raising an epic £120,000.
Ian Rankin accepted his Forth Icon Award via video message; the Fife-born author has firmly established himself as a leading crime writer, with his famous Inspector Rebus novels loved around the world.
Next up, The Forth Fringe Recognition Award went to Irish comedian Ed Byrne who has become a household name in the 30 years he’s spent in the business of making people laugh. From TV appearances on Have I Got News For You and Mock The Week to his hilarious observational stand up, Ed Byrne has been entertaining audiences for years and today’s Forth Awards audience got a special set from the man himself. On his award win, Ed said, “Scotland is hugely important to me… I did my first gig in Glasgow, second professional gig in Edinburgh and met my wife here.”
The prized Forth Best Teacher Award went to Karen Woodhouse from Townhill Primary School, who organises out of school activities for her kids including litter walks and nursing home visits, plus even helped set up a lending library in school when Townhill’s own library closed. The awards kept coming as The Sun Inn, Dalkeith took home The Forth Best Bar Award which should come as no surprise to their customers who arbed to the family friendly vibe and lazy Sunday lunches!
Next to the stage, Angie Brown and Rozalla got the Forth Awards audience on their feet as they brought 90s dance vibes to the Usher Hall, performing massive tracks like ‘Everybody’s Free’ and ‘Are You Ready to Fly’.
SAM RADIO, the first radio station of its kind in Scotland, were the next local winners of the afternoon, scooping The Forth Community Venture Award to recognise the phenomenal achievements of founder Paul Ross and his family. A community internet radio station which caters for adults diagnosed with Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome, SAM RADIO has grown from five to thirty presenters all producing and hosting live weekly radio shows – a worthy winner indeed.
Having recently released his first solo single ‘Barcelona’ this summer, Max George, formerly of The Wanted, then treated the audience to a short set, bringing the summer vibes back to Edinburgh on this November afternoon with songs including ‘Barcelona’ and ‘Glad You Came’. Max said “It’s so great to be back in Scotland, all you winners should be so proud of yourselves.”
The Radio Forth Awards always takes pride in shining a light on those giving back to others, and this year’s winner of The Forth Cash for Kids Award was one of the most passionate and memorable yet. After being diagnosed with cancer at 17, Joanna Lamb endured nine months of gruelling treatment and sadly had to have her leg amputated. Despite this, Joanna has raised a staggering £25,000 for the ‘It’s Good 2 Give’ charity, made speeches about her charity work and illness at events such as the Michelle Obama Dinner, plus become a trustee for the charity. Having recently been advised that her cancer has spread and is now terminal, Joanna is a truly inspiring young woman who continues to raise as much money and awareness as she can for the illness. In a sombre yet inspiring moment in the awards, Joanna received a standing ovation from the crowd, saying “I have amazing friends and family, the support from them is the reason I keep going.”
The penultimate performance of the night came from Forth Awards favourite Amy Macdonald who performed a thrilling set after picking up The Forth International Music Icon Award, a thoroughly deserved award which recognises Amy’s incredible feats over the last 11 years in the music industry. Having sold 12 million albums, the singer-songwriter is set to release her fifth album ‘Woman of the World: The Best of 2007 – 2018’, and treated the audience to performances of her songs ‘This Is The Life’ and ‘Woman of the World’.
Following Amy’s rousing performance, Boogie presented the penultimate award of the night, as The Forth Local Hero Award went to a stunned Iain McKendry. Iain was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at 15 months and his parents were told he may never walk. 23 years later, Iain is now a spin instructor at Danderhall Community Centre after his pure determination saw him progress from using a wheelchair, to walking aids, to now walking independently. A commendable winner and extremely inspiring young man, Iain said “I got certified because people kept saying I would never walk or talk…well look at me now.”
Wrapping up another jam-packed afternoon of high calibre entertainment, inspiring winners and non-stop banter from Forth presenters, it was time for the final award of the night. Arlene was thrilled to present The Forth Contribution to Music Award to 80s pop duo Go West. The BRIT award winners are six albums and 20 million sales down the line but show no signs of slowing down as they thrilled the crowd with performances including 'We Close Our Eyes' before finishing with 'King of Wishful Thinking' saying, "We wrote a song for the film 'Pretty Woman' - it's our last song, we want to hear you right at the back!"
The Forth Awards 2018 was once again a celebration of the best music and entertainment around, plus inspiring stories from Forth’s local heroes – whether simple acts of kindness by local teachers, or staggering amounts of money raised for life-altering charities, everyone had an afternoon to remember and for all our local heroes, it was certainly one for the memory books.
Richie Jeffrey, Head of Events said: “The Forth Awards are always a truly incredible and inspiring afternoon and our 15th annual celebration was no different. From the unrivalled Usher Hall atmosphere, to our non-stop entertainment and moving stories from very worthy winners, it is with real proud that Radio Forth is able to support and reward people in our community in this way. People like Joanna Lamb and Iain McKendry are the pillars of our community and to see them met with such joy and celebration of their achievements today is a highlight every year. Thank you once again to our incredible performers, local heroes and of course the crowd who make it such an unforgettable event!”
FORTH AWARDS 2018 - WINNERS LIST
THE FORTH INTERNATIONAL MUSIC ICON AWARD WITH VICTOR PARIS
Presented by Ewan and Cat
Winner – Amy Macdonald
THE FORTH CONTRIBUTION TO MUSIC AWARD WITH THE LIQUID ROOMS
Presented by Arlene
Winner – Go West
THE FORTH ICON AWARD WITH THE EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE
Winner – Ian Rankin
THE FORTH FRINGE RECOGNITION AWARD WITH OMNI
Presented by Craig Hill
Winner – Ed Byrne
THE FORTH RISING STAR AWARD WITH PRESTIGE VENUES AND EVENTS
Presented by Callum Gallacher
Winner – Lewis Capaldi
THE FORTH CONTRIBUTION TO SPORT AWARD
Winner – Mark Beaumont
THE FORTH BEST BAR AWARD WITH CALEDONIAN HEATING
Presented by Matt Allit and Cathy Kirk
Winner – The Sun Inn, Dalkeith
THE FORTH CHARITY VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR AWARD WITH GILSON GRAY – LAW, PROPERTY AND FINANCE
Presented by Micky Gavin
Winner – Heather Duff
THE FORTH BEST TEACHER AWARD WITH FUSE
Presented by Gina McKie
Winner – Karen Woodhouse
THE FORTH LOCAL HERO AWARD WITH THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS
Presented by Boogie
Winner – Iain McKendry
THE FORTH CASH FOR KIDS AWARDS WITH WESTWOOD’S HEALTH CLUB
Presented by Arlene
Winner – Joanna Lamb
THE FORTH COMMUNITY VENTURE AWARDS WITH GYLE SHOPPING CENTRE
Presented by Alan Edwards
Winner – SAM RADIO
Sponsored Links
Latest Edinburgh News
Dance Base to celebrate 25th year in Grassmarket home
2026 represents a landmark year for Dance Base, Scotland’s National Centre for Dance, as the organisation celebrates 25 years in its purpose-built home in the heart of Edinburgh’s Grassmarket.
READ MORE
Edinburgh Zoo welcomes second rare sloth bear
The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s (RZSS) Edinburgh Zoo has welcomed a second male sloth bear, named Rajath.
READ MORE
Innis & Gunn unveils 1875 Arctic Ale in tribute to legendary North Pole expedition
A ‘KNOCK-OUT’ new beer has been unveiled inside an ice sculpture in Edinburgh to celebrate 150 years since the legendary North Pole expedition it was originally brewed for.
READ MORE
National Galleries of Scotland get their skates on to recreate iconic Skating Minister
To celebrate World Ice Skating Day on 14 December, the National Galleries of Scotland got their skates on to recreate one of the most iconic paintings, Sir Henry Raeburn’s Skating Minister.
READ MORE
Everyman presents Nationwide preview screenings of Sentimental Value
See the highly anticipated new comedy drama before anyone else, with preview screenings at Everyman cinemas nationwide.
READ MORE
Enlightenment an Immersive Experience set to transform McEwan Hall in Edinburgh
Swiss art collective PROJEKTIL brings its vivid light and sound show to Edinburgh from 31 January, following acclaimed runs in Glasgow, Liverpool and Leeds
READ MORE
Edinburgh International Book Festival and Celtic Connections unveil major new partnership
Edinburgh International Book Festival and Celtic Connections unveil major new partnership bringing together Scotland's most celebrated writers and musicians!
READ MORE
Hogmanay celebrations at Lost Shore set to kick 2026 off with a bang
Lost Shore Surf Resort, Europe’s largest inland surf destination, is gearing up for a spectacular start to 2026 with a packed programme of festive events.
READ MORE
Chief Executive of The Scotch Whisky Experience awarded highest international honours in the whisky world
The Scotch Whisky Experience is proud to announce that Chief Executive Susan Morrison has been inducted into the Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame,
READ MORE
DF Concerts & Events celebrates a year of sustainable and inclusive events
DF Concerts & Events is celebrating the success of their sustainability initiatives delivered across their major summer events in 2025.
READ MORE
Isaac McHale and Stuart Ralston Burns Night in Edinburgh
On Sunday 25th January, for one night only, Isaac McHale returns to his native Scotland for a Burns Night dinner with Stuart Ralston at his Michelin-starred Lyla.
READ MORE
Funded Debut Fringe for Scottish comedians returns for 2nd year
Scottish comedy producer Brass Tacks Comedy is once again offering one Scottish or Scotland-based comedian a funded Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut for 2026, supported by Red Bull UK.
READ MORE
Celebrate the New Year with a sparkling experience at The Ivy Edinburgh
With toasts to celebrate the new year breaking around the world, the experience is not to be missed!
READ MORE
Slice of kindness fuels staff at hub of Scottish charities
Staff at Norton Park in Leith, home to more than 20 charities, can now tuck into freshly made pizza with generous discounts, thanks to a local partnership with community-minded business, Pizza Geeks.
READ MORE
Big Fat Bingo of The Year shows announced
Christmas is coming in fast, and hot on its heels is the surreal, off-kilter period between Xmas and NYE... Bongo's Bingo have got just the tonic to help see out the final days of 2025!
READ MORE
Discover December Events at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh
From Christmas events to Artist in Residence, discover Virgin Hotels Edinburgh's events taking place in this festive season!
READ MORE
Scottish jazz talent in tune as award winners unveiled
The Scottish Jazz Awards 2025 celebrated the cream of the crop in the jazz scene on Sunday night, honouring outstanding artists and contributors at a memorable ceremony in Glasgow.
READ MORE
Anna Campbell Jones launches small batch Scottish botanical rum distilled in Glasgow
Interior designer, BBC Scotland's Home of the Year judge and entrepreneur Anna Campbell-Jones has released her first spirit.
READ MORE
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo appoints new Marketing Director
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has appointed Johna Penman as its Marketing Director, leading the organisation’s Brand, Box Office, Marketing and Communications functions.
READ MORE
Fingal Sails into Christmas Retaining Two AA Rosettes for Culinary Excellence
Christmas has come early for Scotland’s only five-star luxury floating hotel, Fingal, after retaining two prestigious Rosettes for culinary excellence
READ MORE
George Clooney returns to Edinburgh to speak at the 2026 British Business Awards and Social Bite Fundraising Dinner
The annual British Business Awards will take place on 30th April 2026 and will feature a special guest appearance and conversation with award-winning actor and humanitarian, George Clooney.
READ MORE
Helen Sharman and Hamza Yassin to appear at Edinburgh Science Festival 2026
The first British astronaut Helen Sharman and wildlife cameraman, presenter and author Hamza Yassin will headline Edinburgh Science Festival 2026 line-up.
READ MORE
10p pizzas from Civerinos as Deliveroo marks 10th Scottish anniversary
Raise a dram to a decade of Deliveroo: Civerinos and Deliveroo launch 10p pizzas to celebrate 10 years of feeding the people of Scotland.
READ MORE
Capital Theatres aims to share festive magic and wonder with a line up for everyone
Capital Theatres celebrates the festive season with entertainment for all ages, including enchanting magical family shows, world-class dance and a specially crafted Christmas Care Home Tour.
READ MORE
Lidl launching free gift wrapping stations across the UK
Lidl has unveiled its first-ever ‘Lidl Wrapped’ - a celebration of some of the nation's favourite buys, brought to life as limited-edition Christmas wrapping paper
READ MORE
Edinburgh brewery presents ultimate Christmas tipple for craft beer lovers
Christmas has come early for Scotland's beer fans following the release of a limited-edition craft ale from a leading Edinburgh microbrewery.
READ MORE
Meet Festive Film Favourites at Fort Kinnaird in December
Christmas is already in full swing at Fort Kinnaird, and the festivities are set to get even more magical as a line-up of much-loved characters visit the centre for the first time this December.
READ MORE
Edinburgh bar to raise Cash For Kids after Christmas nutcracker theft
Copper Blossom on George Street Edinburgh has launched a new festive cocktail in aid of a children’s charity following the theft of its eight-foot Christmas nutcracker statue.
READ MORE
Embrace the spirit of Christmas on International Volunteer Day
Christmas is a time for giving, and what better opportunity to discover new ways to give back to your community than on Friday 5th December, International Volunteer Day.
READ MORE
WIN! An Edinburgh Christmas Experience for 4
Heard the news? OMNi is inviting everyone to get into the festive spirit with an exclusive Christmas Prize Draw.
READ MORESponsored Links
Sponsored Links