Icons of Whisky Scotland 2021 award winners announced in virtual ceremony

The 2021 regional winners of Whisky Magazine's Icons of Whisky awards were announced online, as the event went virtual for the first time.

Published 9th Feb 2021
Updated 21 st Sep 2023

Run by the team at Whisky Magazine, the Icons of Whisky awards aim to celebrate the best and brightest people and places in the sector.

As well as celebrating the distilleries and the teams that work in them, the awards also focus on individuals and businesses that work to support and promote them and their products.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the awards results couldn’t be presented in person this year at a gala dinner.

Instead, the Whisky Magazine team have hosted virtual presentations to announce the regional winners, broadcast on Facebook and YouTube.

Anita Ujszaszi, awards director, said: "After an incredibly challenging year it has been wonderful to witness the perseverance of the whisky industry.

"We have seen new and creative development, and innovation in the face of unexpected restrictions. The resilience of those celebrated here is second to none."

Christopher Coates, editor of Whisky Magazine, added: "Each year I’m blown away by the level of commitment, expertise, and passion demonstrated by the talented individuals that can be found at every level of the whisky business.

"While standards are always high and the competition fierce, this year more than ever our judges have been left in awe of the industry’s efforts to educate, innovate, and creatively respond to the challenges of the past 12 months.

"In particular, the industry’s support of the on-trade and travel sectors has been commendable, while the swift production of sanitiser early on and ongoing charity fundraising efforts are truly inspiring testaments to the exceptional nature of the whisky trade.

"Simultaneously, we’ve also seen a number of impressive new releases and campaigns that can easily be counted among some of the best the world of whisky has ever seen."

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The winners in full

Distiller
Winner
Whyte & Mackay

Highly Commended
LVMH (The Glenmorangie Company)

Craft Producer
Winner
Arbikie Distillery

Highly Commended
Ardnamurchan Distillery

Sustainable Distillery
Winner
Nc'nean Distillery

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Highly Commended
Glengoyne Distillery

Brand Innovator
Winner
Ardnamurchan Distillery

Highly Commended
Nc'nean Distillery

Campaign Innovator
Winner
Ardbeg, The launch of Wee Beastie

Highly Commended
Tomatin Distillery, The Lockdown Whisky Festival

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Visitor Attraction
Winner
Holyrood Distillery

Highly Commended
The Scotch Whisky Experience

Distillery Manager
Winner
Stewart Walker, Fettercairn Distillery

Highly Commended
Ian Renwick, The Glenturret Distillery

Master Distiller / Master Blender
Winner
Bob Dalgarno, The Glenturret Distillery

Highly Commended
Rachel Barrie, Brown-Forman

Scotch Whisky Brand Ambassador
Winner
Scott Adamson, Tomatin Distillery

Highly Commended
Paul Dempsey, Speyside Distillery

Visitor Attraction Manager
Winner
Stuart Hendry, Glengoyne Distillery

Highly Commended
Mark Bruce, Jura Distillery

Single Outlet Retailer
Winner
Carnegie Whisky Cellars

Highly Commended
Inverurie Whisky Shop

Multiple Outlet Retailer
Winner
Good Spirits Company

Highly Commended
Robert Graham Ltd.

Online Retailer
Winner
Robert Graham Ltd.

Highly Commended
Abbey Whisky

Supermarket
Winner
Tesco

Highly Commended
Asda

Own Brand Supermarket
Winner
Lidl

Whisky Buyer
Winner
Sarah Sturgeon, Tesco

Highly Commended
Mike Sharples, Abbey Whisky

Bar Manager
Winner
Andy Gemmell, The Gate

Highly Commended
Mike Smith, The Bow Bar

Whisky Bar
Winner
Bon Accord, Glasgow

Highly Commended
The Bow Bar, Edinburgh

Whisky Hotel Bar
Winner
SCOTCH at The Balmoral Hotel

Highly Commended
Dornoch Castle Hotel

Whisky Bar Group
Winner
Whisky Bars of Scotland

Advertising Agency
Winner
Republic of Media

Design Agency
Winner
threebrand

Highly Commended
Paul Collins Creative

Communicator
Winner
Moa Nilsson, Swedish Whisky Girl

Highly Commended
Andrew Flatt, The Amateur Drammer

For more information about the Icons of Whisky awards, visit the website.

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Known for cake making, experimental jam recipes, Champagne, whisky and gin drinking (and the inability to cook Gnocchi), Rosalind is the Food and Drink Editor and whisky writer for The Scotsman, as well as hosting Scran, The Scotsman's food and drink podcast.
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