One of Northern Ireland’s best loved TV celebrities Pamela Ballantine has been awarded with the Lifetime Achievement accolade at the 16th annual Ulster Tatler Awards 2023, which took place at Belfast City Hall, Belfast.
Pamela, who only last month announced that she had successfully undergone treatment for breast cancer, joins a growing list of local luminaries who have picked up this prestigious award, including Dame Mary Peters OBE, Sir James Galway, Brian Friel, Phil Coulter, Gloria Hunniford, Michael Longley, Gerry Armstrong, Barry McGuigan, Terri Hooley, Marie Jones, Ciaran Hinds, Pat Jennings, John Linehan, and pianist Barry Douglas MBE.
Other big winners at the awards ceremony, which was hosted by Cool FM presenter Rebecca McKinney, included Belfast Giants Head Coach and former Captain Adam Keefe, who was named Sportsperson of the Year after the Giants won an amazing Elite League, Challenge Cup and Play-Offs treble last season.
The Celebrity of the Year award was won by Belfast actor James Martin who earlier this year became the first actor with Down Syndrome to win an Oscar following his performance in the Academy Award-winning short film An Irish Goodbye.
The Ulster Tatler Special Merit Award 2023 was presented to Ulster and Ireland rugby legend Rory Best. Born in Poyntzpass, County Armagh, Rory played for Ulster a record 218 times and has 124 Ireland caps as well as 60 points to his name. In an immense career, he captained Ireland from 2016 until 2019 and Ulster from 2007 to 2019. He was also in the British and Irish Lions squads in 2013 and 2017.