Pipe Major Lori Clark presents piper Brad Heath with the 2022 Scotty Trotter Memorial Award for Musical Achievement at the NWTPB's 2023 Robert Burns Dinner & Dance on Jan. 28, 2023 at the Elks Hall in Yellowknife.   

 "Scotty" Trotter Memorial Award for Musical Achievement 

With a limited pool of local pipers and drummers to draw from, training new members is necessary for the survival of the NWT Pipe Band.  Many members are trained by the band and, each year since 1994, the band has presented the Scotty Trotter Memorial Award for Musical Achievement to recognize the hard work and effort band members devote to becoming better musicians.

The Scotty Trotter Award is presented to the band member who has made the most improvement as a musician during the previous year.  The recipient is chosen by the other band members in a secret vote and announced at the annual Burns Night supper

2022 — Brad Heath

2021 — Jennifer Zhu & Ryan Gordon

2020 — Tammy Selman

2019 — Lori Clark & Dawna Stuckless

2018 — Sue McKinney

2017 — Sue McKinney

2016 — Karin Clark

2015 — Lori Clark

2014 — Ian Rennie

2013 — Ian Rennie & Timothy Henderson

2012 — Lori Clark

2011 — Angela Goodwin

2010 — Boerny Phillips

2009 — Tristan Ogilvie

2008 — Christopher Moore

2007 — Michelle Muise

2006 — Christopher Moore

2005 — Mike Spindor

2004 — Angus Wilson

2003 — Sean Best

2002 — April Taylor

2001 — Bob Cook

2000 — Allan Falconer

1999 — Blair Morphet

1998 — Blair Morphet

1997 — Christopher Fournier

1996 — Chris Spence

1995 — George Poirier

1994 — Denise Poirier & Joseph Poirier

In his own words — Graham (Scotty) Trotter remembers the NWT Pipe Band

When I arrived in Yellowknife in February of 1976, I had no thoughts of playing in a pipe band.  In the spring of 1976 I saw a picture of Andy Young in the Yellowknifer (newspaper) marching down the street in full highland dress.  I phoned him and said, "Andy, I played drums with a pipe band in Edmonton.  Why don't we get together and see if we can start a pipe band?"  The rest, as they say, is history.

The Northwest Territorial Pipe Band has always been close to my heart, and I have played in other very good competition bands.  The Northwest Territorial Band has always been a part of me.  When I retired in 1994, I wanted to leave something for the band members — both new and long-standing members.

I put up a trophy and called it the Scotty Trotter Musical Achievement Award, to be presented each Robbie Burns night to the person, voted by the band members, who had improved musically the most that year.  Only the Pipe Major would know who the band had voted for, thus a great surprise for one person in the band in front of 200-plus people at Robbie Burns night.

I am sure (the trophy) has encouraged band members to work hard over the years and I hope it will be going for many years to come.