Aberdeen Sports Awards 2024 winners REVEALED – as winter sports sensation scoops top prize

More than 300 people attended the ceremony at P&J Live on Thursday night.

By Sophie Goodwin

March 8 2024, 9:20 am

The 2024 Aberdeen Sports Awards winners. Image: Jason Hedges/DC Thomson.

Freestyle skiing star Kirsty Muir was delighted to be recognised by her home city after being named Sports Achiever of the Year at Aberdeen Sports Awards.

More than 300 people attended the 2024 edition of the annual Evening Express-organised ceremony at P&J Live on Thursday night, which was supported by headline sponsors Bounty Competitions.

And double X Games and World Cup medallist Muir, 19, won the big prize.

The former Bucksburn Academy pupil, a three-time winner of the Young Sports Achiever of the Year award in the past, is currently recovering from surgery on a season-ending knee injury, but was at the Granite City event to collect her gong.

Wearing a sling, having also used her recent down-time to get a persistent shoulder issue fixed, Muir – who took part in a panel and Q&A with international para-triathlete/cyclist Colin Wallace and Fit Like Joggers’ David Scott at the ceremony – said: “It is super nice to be recognised in Aberdeen.

“There are so many sporting achievements going and to be recognised was great. All the athletes in my category and all the other categories are incredible.

“To be nominated and to win this award is such a big honour.

Ryan Cryle, the joint sports editor at the Press and Journal and Evening Express, hosts a Q&A with Kirsty Muir, Colin Wallace and David Scott at Aberdeen Sports Awards. Image: Darrell Benns/DC Thomson.

“It is 100% a full circle moment. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Aberdeen, Garthdee (dry ski slope) and all the support of everyone here at Aberdeen. I’m just grateful for everyone who has helped me along the way.”

Muir has not been deterred despite her injury, as she added: “I haven’t had this long a break from the sport since I was around 13.

“I am really going to use this as motivation to come back stronger with a really good mindset and push for the Winter Olympics in 2026.

“It is a while I’m not going to be skiing, but it is moments like this that really make it all worth it.”

Other big winners on the night included Aberdeenshire Rugby Club, who were named Club of the Year for their efforts to grow the sport among kids in some of Aberdeen’s most-deprived areas, as well as the recent performance of their adult teams.

Aberdeen Amateur Athletic Club wheelchair racer Joanna Robertson picked up the Inspiration prize, while the surprise Judges’ Choice award recognised the club’s Jane Davidson for her history-making 100m and 100m hurdles golden double at last year’s Scottish Athletics Championships.

As has been the case at previous Aberdeen Sports Awards, not one, but three Lifetime Achievement prizes were handed out – after the judges ruled all of the recipients were worthy of the prestigious honour.

More than 300 people were in attendance as the P&J Live hosted the 2024 Aberdeen Sports Awards. Image: DC Thomson/Jason Hedges.

Retired Cove Rangers Football Club stalwart Duncan Little and Aberdeen table tennis doyen Max Singer were recognised, along with former international badminton and tennis player and long-time national and local sports advocate and administrator Tony Dawson, the current chairman of Sport Aberdeen.

Dawson said: “It feels great. I didn’t think I would ever get anything like this, but it has been many, many years since I have tried to put into sport what I got out of it.

“I have had an interesting sporting career and I’m delighted that in some way it has been rewarded.

“When I gave up being able to play high-quality sport, I decided then in my 30s that I want to put a lot more back into it than I’d taken out – and over the next 40 years I hope I have done that.

“I hope we’ve made the difference and making a difference to youngsters and people with disabilities lives is what Sport Aberdeen and I are all about.

“Trying to generate more sporting activity with people and school children in particular and grassroots is really what we try and achieve. It’s about getting the people started in sport and there should be progression up.

“As we have seen tonight, there have been lots of people in Aberdeen who have progressed.”