Lewis Capaldi makes the longlist for the 2020 Scottish Album of the Year Awards along with these Edinburgh acts

INTERNATIONAL chart topper Lewis Capaldi, Honeyblood and Edinburgh's Vistas are just three of the 20 artists whose albums have made the longlist of the 2020 Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Awards.

Lewis Capaldi

Revealed by Vic Galloway and Nicola Meighan on the SAY YouTube channel, the nominated acts and their albums will now go forward to a public vote to decide which make the shortlist and a chance to win the coveted title and accompanying £20,000 prize.

General Manager of the Scottish Music Industry Association, Robert Kilpatrick says, “2020 is the ninth year of The SAY Award, marking what is undoubtedly our most important campaign to date. As we all continue to navigate the personal and professional challenges we face, celebrating may feel unnatural for many of us.

"For our music community especially, which heavily relies on physical spaces and people coming together, 2020 has presented a vast array of challenges that last year were unimaginable. But as we celebrate our culture, we help further articulate its value, and we draw more eyes and ears to some of the best new music Scotland has to offer."

Nova

The full longlist boasts the latest albums by Anna Meredith, Blanck Mass, Bossy Love, Callum Easter, Cloth, Comfort, Declan Welsh & The Decadent West, Elephant Sessions, Erland Cooper, Fat-Suit, Free Love, Honeyblood, Karine Polwart, Lewis Capaldi, Mezcla, The Ninth Wave, Nova, Sacred Paws, SHHE and Vistas.

Kilpatrick adds, "This year’s longlist showcases 20 outstanding albums, and is arguably the most diverse range of albums of any SAY Award Longlist to date. Never have we been prouder to announce the longlist, and never more than now has it felt truly special and important to do so."

Reacting to the inclusion of his album Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent, Capaldi, 23, said, “It's an absolute honour to be nominated for such an incredible award. It would be quite nice to win to not bring any further prolonged shame on my household after being named as the only ‘non essential’ worker in the house.”

Representing the Capital, local trio Vistas - Prentice Robertson, Dylan Rush and Jamie Law - said, "It’s an absolute honour to be included in this year’s SAY Award Longlist and to be recognised for our debut album makes it even more special.

Vistas

"The songs on Everything Changes In The End tell stories of youth and friendship growing up in Scotland so the fact it's garnered support from figures in the Scottish music scene is wonderful. We are incredibly proud that many of the themes, lyrics, sounds and influences that helped shape our album are routed in Scotland.”

Another local act to feature on the longlist is up and coming hip-hop star Nova, who said, “RE-UP was an opportunity for me to experiment with different sounds, different flows, different producers and subject matters.It was about expressing myself and the things that were on my mind at the time of writing. A big thank you goes out to all the producers who contributed and everyone who has streamed RE-UP - and now The SAY Award for the recognition.”

Alan Morrison, Head of Music at Creative Scotland added, “In this year like no other, music has given us the strength to get through whatever life has thrown at us. Scotland’s musicians have shown us, time and time again, that their creativity can thrive in the most difficult circumstances.

"These 20 albums were recorded when Covid-19 wasn’t even a blip on the horizon but there’s a glorious thread of that same creativity running through them all. This thread pulls together different genres, binds debut artists and seasoned stars, and makes The SAY Award such a wonderful expression of Scotland’s world-class musical talent.”

The SAY Awards

Since its inauguration in 2012, the annual SAY Award has become Scotland’s most prestigious music prize respected by artists, music industry and music fans alike. Previous winners have included Edinburgh's Young Fathers and earlier longlist titles have featured everything from hip-hop to rock, folk to classical and many other genres of music.

In line with Government Covid guidelines, this year's awards will take place online allowing more music fans than ever before to be a part of the traditionally exclusive award ceremony.

To take part in the 72 hour public vote to whittle the longlist down to a final shortlist of 10, visit www.sayaward.com from 5-7 October.

The SAY Award ceremony will be live streamed on Thursday 29 October.

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