Scottish Influencer of the Year: Scotland's first openly gay male footballer in running for award

A strongman, geologist, tartan designer and bagpiper have been shortlisted for the Scottish Influencer of the Year honour

Scotland's first openly gay male footballer, a musician planning to play his bagpipes on every Munro, an award-winning strongman and a fashion designer whose tartan outfits have been worn by Justin Bieber and King Charles are in the running to be named Scotland’s ‘Influencer of the Year’.

A geologist who has reached millions with her videos of rocks around Scotland, a spoof football commentator, a travel blogger who teaches her social media followers to speak Gaelic, and a mother-of-two who is fighting cancer for a fourth time are also in contention for the honour.

Organisers of the Scottish Influencer Awards, which are being held for the second year in Glasgow next month, have unveiled 65 nominees across 13 categories, including culture, travel, lifestyle, food and drink. Presenter and broadcaster Dannie Menzies will be hosting the event on March 3 at the Radisson RED Hotel.

Footballer Zander Murray. Picture: Craig Foy / SNS Group

Keep up to date with Scotland’s arts and culture with our special newsletter

Zander Murray, who made history as the first male Scottish senior player to come out as gay and tackled the issue of homophobia in the game in a TV documentary, has been shortlisted weeks after the Gala Fairydean Rovers player announced he will be retiring at the end of this season.

He is nominated in the sports category along with Pete Reid, who posts spoof football commentaries as “Allaster McKallester”, alongside world champion strongman Tom Stoltman, and mountain bikers Laura Martin and Neil Russell.

Geologist Luisa Hendry, who has more than 260,000 followers on social media, is shortlisted in the “inspiration” category, along with Rachel Borthwick, who has been documenting her cancer battle on Instagram. Yoga teacher Jess McKenzie, Graeme Sutherland, who who been documenting his family’s experience since his mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, and photographer and dancer Dylan Lombard, who is believed to be one of only a handful of people in the world living with MDP Syndrome, are also nominated in the category.

Award-winning strongman Tom Stoltman.

Culture category contenders include Grant MacLeod, whose Munro piping challenge has seen him amass more than 120,000 social media followers, Gaelic content creator Lauren Smith, who runs the Our So Called Life, music producer and promoter Sanjeev Mann, and Girls Overheard podcast trio Ash Reid, Eilidh Wells and Lauren Kerr.

Highland fashion designer Siobhan Mackenzie, who designed the Team Scotland tartan for the Commonwealth Games, is shortlisted in the style category, along with fashion bloggers and influencers Caroline Cook, Lucy Allan, Danielle Quinn and Mikey Davidson.

Heath and wellbeing nominees include Finlay Wilson, who is renowned for his “Kilted Yoga” videos and books, lifestyle and adventure blogger Rona McMillan, speaker, consultant and psychologist Ross Anderson, mountaineering, climbing and skiing instructor Scott Webster, and vegan fitness and lifestyle blogger Stefanie Moir.

Scottish Influencer Awards founder Mary McGowne said: “This 2024 shortlist represents the very best of Scotland’s social media landscape – those who are influencing with integrity. Across every category, the talent pool is far-reaching in depth and appeal.

Geologist Luisa Hendry.

“Taken as a whole, it is an exceptionally strong cross section of the country’s most informed, respected and popular names in the social media stratosphere. This year’s awards ceremony promises to be a remarkable occasion when Scotland’s stars of social once again meet in person in a way that is refreshingly inclusive and wholly positive.”

Scottish Influencer Award nominees in full

Influencer of the Year - Food

@social_bitches_edinburgh – Isaac and Derek

Fashion designer Siobhan Mackenzie's work was recently on display at V&A Dundee's Tartan exhibition. Picture: Michael McGurk

@kaotickkrunch – Fouzia and Azka

@justjessfood – Jess Tedds

@thedarcytwins – Kevin and Kieran Darcy

@heyrenu - Renu Bhardwaj

Influencer of the Year – Drink

@beerconnoisseur_ – Chris Mulholland

Grant MacLeod, who plans to play the bagpipes on every Munro in Scotland, is in the running to be named Scottish Influencer of the Year.

@onthesauceagain – Inka Larissa

@scottishmixology – Jack Jamieson

@home_sweet_spirits – David Anderson

@swedishwhiskygirl – Moa Nilsson Reynolds

Influencer of the Year – Health & Wellbeing

@scottishyogaboy – Finlay Wilson

@ronamcmillan – Rona McMillan

@themotivationaldude – Ross Anderson

@scottwebstermountain – Scott Webster

@naturallystefanie – Stefanie Moir

Influencer of the Year - Family

@girl_mum_ – Amyleigh Cavanagh

@mumforce – Gail Buckie

@winging_mamahood – Jasmine McInnes @baby_cravings – Lauren Gourlay

@daddownload – Lee Chisholm

Influencer of the Year – Travel

@chrispaullawlor – Chris Lawlor

@tartanviking – Eric Murdoch

@highlands2hammocks – Gemma Spence and Campbell Kerr

@talesbyjosh - Joshua Adeyemi

@thechaoticscot – Kay Gillespie

Influencer of the Year – Lifestyle

@georgiaadelenoble – Georgia Adele Noble

@hayley.b.daines – Hayley Buchanan Daines

@howeydon – Howey Don

@theeverydayman - John Robertson

@thankfifi – Wendy Gilmour

Influencer of the Year – Interiors & Design

@casalawson – Alex Lawson

@oldschoolrenovation_ - Gemma Louise Cruickshank

@therollinson – Nathan Rollinson

@patriciarodi – Patricia Rodi

@ladymuckmack – Scarlett Mack

Influencer of the Year – Culture

@munrobagpiper – Grant MacLeod

@yer_awrite – Kat Connelly

@girlsoverheard - Lauren Kerr, Eilidh Wells and Ash Reid

@laurenrhiannon – Lauren Smith

@asksupermann – Sanjeev Mann

Influencer of the Year – Style

@carolinesstylehacks – Caroline Cook @_danielle_quinn – Danielle Quinn

@lucyflorals – Lucy Allan

@mikey.davison - Mikey Davison

@siobhan_mackenzie – Siobhan Mackenzie

Influencer of the Year – Beauty

@goodhaircarrie – Carrie Muir

@mmaddiehill – Maddie Hill

@nicolecampbellwatson – Nicole Campbell-Watson

@manforhimself – Robin James

@sophiecromptonmakeup – Sophie Crompton

Influencer of the Year – Visual

@caoilfhionnrose – Caoilfhionn Maguire

@hollysharpe_drawings – Holly Sharpe

@jackmcn – Jack McCann

@johnmurrayjr – John Murray

@tristancameronharper – Tristan Cameron Harper

Influencer of the Year - Sport

@mckallaster – Allaster McKallester aka Pete Reid

@missljbeauty – Laura Martin

@arc_cic – Neil Russell

@tomstoltmanofficial – Tom Stoltman

@zandermurrayofficial – Zander Murray

Influencer of the Year – Inspiration

@be_yourself_dylan – Dylan Lombard

@graemes91 – Graeme Sutherland

@_jessyoga – Jess MacKenzie

@scottishgeologist – Luisa Hendry

@rach_jax_and_marlowe – Rachel Borthwick