The ceremony recognised the individuals, businesses and charities who are working towards an inclusive Scotland.
Kezia Dugdale, Member of Scottish Parliament for the Lothian Region, has won the Politician of the Year Award at Scotland’s largest diversity awards ceremony, the Icon Awards.
Dugdale, 35, was born in Aberdeen and first elected as a Member of the Scottish Parliament in 2011. She was then re-elected in 2016. A Scottish Labour MSP, she currently co-chairs the cross party groups on Children and Young People, LGBTI+ and Sexual Health.
DIVA magazine and OutNews Global publisher Linda Riley also took home the Business Person of the Year Award.
Scotland’s third annual Icon Awards were held in Glasgow on Friday evening after over 60,000 nominations were submitted by members of the public from all over the UK looking to recognise individuals, businesses and charities who are working towards an inclusive Scotland.
Run by the charity Big Impact Scotland, the event is Scotland’s largest diversity awards ceremony and was hosted by TV presenters Gok Wan and John Amabile.
Dugdale, who made her very first public appearance with her partner, SNP MSP Jenny Gulruith, spoke at the event about why diversity and inclusion are both so important to her.
Scott Barclay, one half of the very first same-sex couple to be married in Scotland and Chair of the Icon Awards said:
“Over the last three years we have seen unprecedented support for the Icon Awards not just from Scotland but from all over the world and we are proud to be the largest event of its kind in Scotland that celebrates those who have championed diversity and inclusion in our education system, workplaces and communities.
“I am proud that Scotland doesn’t just tolerate diversity but we celebrate it and tonight’s ceremony shows the world how proud we are.”
Winners also included Jordan Daly of the TIE Campaign who won Role Model of the Year for his activism for inclusive education in Scottish schools. The TIE Campaign also won the coveted Charity of the Year Award.
