IT capped an astonishing 12 months for the SNP leader and followed a dramatic turnaround in his political career. Less than six months after his party claimed a historic victory in the Scottish Parliament elections, First Minister Alex Salmond was last night named Scottish Politician of the Year. Mr Salmond was joined by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who was named Best Scot at Westminster, as the big winners at a gala awards ceremony in Edinburgh, organised by The Herald. John Brown, brother of the Prime Minister, received the award on his behalf, saying: “I have never stepped in for the Prime Minister before. I am delighted to receive this award on his behalf.” Other notable winners included the billionaire philanthropist Sir Tom Hunter, who claimed the International Scot Award, and the Independent MSP Margo MacDonald, who won the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Mr Salmond, who follows his predecessors Donald Dewar and Jack McConnell in being named Scottish Politician of the Year, was awarded the title for leading his party into government for the first time in its 73-year history.

That achievement was also recognised yesterday with one of Westminster’s most prestigious awards, when The Spectator named him as Parliamentarian of the Year. In the Scottish awards, he defeated his SNP colleagues Nicola Sturgeon and John Swinney to accept the award at the prestigious Prestonfield House.

It is also a remarkable turnaround for Mr Salmond, who in 2000 received an award for outstanding political achievement shortly after he quit the SNP leadership, when it was thought his political career was on the wane.

But after becoming SNP leader for a second time in 2004, he announced his intention to return to the Scottish Parliament, an ambition he realised on May 3 when he defeated the sitting Liberal Democrat MSP to win in Gordon – a victory which resulted in him becoming First Minister.

John Swinney, Finance Secretary, who won the Donald Dewar Debater of the Year award the day after presenting the first Budget of an SNP government to Holyrood, joked that his party leader Alex Salmond did not like to be upstaged, saying he had been told: “If you win Scottish Politician of the Year you’re sacked. I am glad I have had a lucky escape tonight.”

It is the third time that Gordon Brown has been named Best Scot at Westminster and his success comes in the year he succeeded his next door neighbour in Downing Street to become Prime Minister. He defeated Alistair Darling, his successor as Chancellor of the Exchequer, and Angus Robertson, who took over from Mr Salmond as the SNP leader in the House of Commons.

Like Mr Salmond, Mr Brown has had an eventful few months since taking over the top job in June following Tony Blair’s resignation. The terrorist attack on Glasgow Airport, which came just three days after he became PM, was an early test of his competence, as was the outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in Suffolk, but his boost in the opinion polls was whittled away after the Tories used their annual conference to unveil eye-catching policies on stamp duty and inheritance tax and the Prime Minister decided against an autumn poll.

Derek Brownlee, who picked up The One to Watch award, joked that some of the Tory-supporting newspapers in England were doing their best to hamper party success north of the border, while Christine Grahame, winner of the Free Spirit award offered some advice to young colleagues coming into politics: “Stick to your principles. At the end of the day it does you no harm.”

The Editor of The Herald, Charles McGhee, said Mr Salmond’s success reflected his party’s incredible year. He said: “I should like to offer my congratulations to First Minister Alex Salmond and to all our winners this evening.

“It is a reflection of how much the fortunes of the SNP have changed that three senior figures from the same party should have been shortlisted for the top award but the final decision of the judges was unanimous and the First Minister emerged as the clear winner. I would also like to thank our sponsors – Diageo, Eaga, Microsoft, Keppie Design and Ukio Bankas – for helping to make this prestigious event such a memorable highlight of the Scottish political calendar.”

Meanwhile, at The Spectator political awards, the magazine’s editor, Matthew d’Ancona, said Westminster’s Parliamentarian of the Year award was handed to Mr Salmond in recognition of giving the Prime Minister “a kick in the teeth in his own backyard” and “a moment in history and in the annals of the Union”.

Michael Connarty, Labour MP in Linlithgow and East Falkirk, was named Inquisitor of the Year at Westminster and Politician of the Year was George Osborne, the Shadow Chancellor.

Winners of The Herald Scottish Politician of the Year awards are chosen by a judging panel of prestigious Scottish political journalists, and awarded in eight separate categories:

• Best Scot at Westminster
• Donald Dewar Debater of the Year sponsored by eaga
• One to Watch sponsored by Microsoft
• Public Campaign or Campaigner of the Year sponsored by Ükio Bankas
• Free Spirit of the Year
• International Scot Award sponsored by Keppie Design
• Lifetime Achievement Award sponsored by Diageo
• Scottish Politician of the Year presented by The Herald