Comic named second most important cultural figure in Scotland

Richard Gadd has been named the second most influential arts and cultural figure in Scotland.

The comedian, who won the lastminute.com Edinburgh Comedy Award at the Fringe this year took the runners-up slot in the Hot 100 chart compiled annually by what’s on magazine and website The List.

It makes him more culturally significant than the Edinburgh International Festival, which came in at No 8

The magazine said: ‘After a number of critically acclaimed innovative Fringe shows, Fife's Richard Gadd created his most personal hour to date and left this year's fest clutching the biggest award in comedy.’

And in an interview with The List, Gadd said: ‘The year certainly went beyond my expectations, I can't deny that. 

‘I didn't want another miserable year so I wanted to combine the personal goals of trying to find inner peace with the professional goal of getting people to listen to what I have to say.’

Top of the pile was  Anna Meredith, who had previously won Scottish Album Of The Year for her debut Varmints.

Other comedians also made the list. Gary: Tank Commander creator Greg McHugh came in at No 21, Edinburgh best newcomer Scott Gibson, No  26 and Fern Brady came in at No 44. 

Yet Still Game could only muster 75th position, despite returning to primetime BBC One nationwide, and comedy god Billy Connolly only scraped in at No 99.

And despite the International Festival’s top 10 showing, the Edinburgh Fringe wasn’t deemed significant enough to make the top 100 at all.  So it might be the world’s largest arts festival by a long chalk… but it’s no Oor Wullie Bucket Trail (No 85).

Published: 2 Nov 2016