John Byrne, creator of the Slab Boys and Tutti Frutti, is to present the 2013 Critics' Awards for Theatre in Scotland (Cats) on Sunday, where the first artistic director of the National Theatre of Scotland, Vicky Featherstone, will receive a special award.

Joyce McMillan, who is co-convener of Cats, said: "We are thrilled that John Byrne will join us at this year's Cats ceremony.

"John has had a long and fruitful relationship with The Traverse, with many of his plays premiering there."

Byrne said: "I am delighted to be part of the Cats 2013.

"It is tantamount to passing on the baton to a future generation of young theatre practitioners and sending them back into the fray with renewed energy and vigour – all of them winners in my book."

The Cats' Whiskers is an occasional award celebrating an outstanding achievement in Scottish theatre. The first artistic director of the National Theatre of Scotland, Vicky Featherstone, who is now the artistic director of the Royal Court in London, will be the second recipient of this award.

Ms McMillan added: "Vicky has made an outstanding contribution to Scottish Theatre. Under her guidance the National Theatre of Scotland has grown into an internationally acclaimed institution."