I'M absolutely thrilled to announce that the very first Scottish LGBTI Awards are set to take place in Glasgow at the beautiful Grand Central Hotel.

On Thursday September 10 yours truly will be performing live on the night to celebrate what organisers have called an ‘historic year’ for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) rights in Scotland.

The Equality Network, Scotland’s national LGBTI equality and human rights charity, has launched the event to recognise and celebrate the campaigners, politicians, journalists, public bodies, businesses, community groups and individuals that have made a contribution towards securing greater equality in the past year and what a year it's been.

I was privileged enough to lend my voice and support during the campaign for Equal Marriage which ended in triumph when Scotland proudly became the 17th country in the world to pass same sex marriage legislation in February last year.

I've been extremely lucky over the past 11 years with the support I've received from the public and a huge part of that support has been from the LGBTI community.

After I was dropped from Sony BMG and parted ways with 19 Management back in 2005 I really seriously struggled to find any work at all as most doors had been firmly shut in my face as a result of my second single, The Meaning of Love, having only reached number 14 in the UK Charts.

It was seen as a huge failure even though the first single and album went straight to the No1 spot.

I managed to get a few corporate gigs in London and I even got an opportunity to perform with the Radio 2 Big Band, but all in all things were looking rather bleak for my singing career at that stage until I received a call to perform at a Blackpool Pride event and that's when everything changed.

Suddenly I was being booked for lovely pride events up and down the country as well as performing in LGBTI venues all over the UK.

It was an incredible feeling to be on stage looking out to a massive crowd of people all singing my songs

word for word, along with me, and the warmth and love I felt was like nothing else I've ever experienced.

Much of the singing success I've enjoyed over the past few years has been because of this support and I can honestly say, hand on heart, that if it wasn't for my dear friend and comedian Bruce Devlin along with Jimmy Quinn and Stephen Martin from the New Town Bar in Edinburgh my one woman shows would simply never have happened.

It was only because the boys had booked me to perform every year during Edinburgh Pride or when raising funds for Waverley Care, a charity providing care and support to people living with HIV or Hepatitis C throughout Scotland, that I established a wonderful friendship with the bar over the years and its customers.

So when the opportunity came to take the plunge and try out this scary new idea of my own Edinburgh Fringe show, the support and reaction I received from everyone absolutely ensured the show was going to be a hit from the start.

I will never be able to thank the LGBTI community for sticking by me all of these years and I'm just utterly delighted to have been asked to perform at these historical awards.

The hilarious Karen Dunbar will be in charge of proceeding which includes awards for Outstanding Campaigner, Venue of the Year and The Diversity Award.

Recognition will also be given to youth groups, sports groups, venues, media outlets, community groups, charities, volunteers and dedicated LGBTI campaigners from across the country, from Shetland to Ayr.

As well as myself belting out a few numbers there will also be fantastic entertainment from Horse McDonald and Robert and May Miller throughout the night so I'm sure you'll agree it's set to be a truly awe inspiring and wonderful evening.

The event is being sponsored by UNISON Scotland and Humanist Society Scotland.

It will include a celebratory champagne reception, a three course dinner, entertainment, and a fundraising auction.

All money raised will go towards the Equality Network’s campaigns for LGBTI equality.

Tickets for the event are now available here