The public has until midnight tomorrow to vote for their favourite Scottish album of the past year, with seven of the 20 acts on the award longlist from Edinburgh.
Music fans can support local acts and ensure some Edinburgh albums are in the running for the final prize and coveted title of Scottish Album of the Year by voting now.
The Edinburgh acts included are two-time winners of the award Young Fathers, Becky Sikasa, Brooke Combe, LVRA, Su-a Lee, Eyes of Others and Hamish Hawk.
Music fans can choose between 20 albums on The SAY Award Longlist, from trad to jazz, punk to indie, rap to electronic and more. The album with the most public votes will be guaranteed a place on the 10-strong Shortlist, taking home a minimum prize of £1,000 and be in the running to win Scotland’s Album of the Year title on October 26 and walk off with the £20,000 prize.
The nine other albums on the Shortlist will be chosen by this year’s judging panel, chaired by culture journalist Arusa Qureshi.
Robert Kilpatrick, interim CEO and creative director of the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) said: “The SAY Award public vote is the chance for music fans to have their SAY in the determination of the Shortlist. From the 20 outstanding Scottish albums that made this year’s Longlist, the public’s choice will automatically be guaranteed a place in the 10-strong Shortlist along with a minimum prize of £1,000.
“In any year prize money is important for artists, but as Scotland’s music industry faces yet another devastating blow with the recently announced Government cuts to culture funding, The SAY Award prize fund remains vitally important as wider support erodes at an alarming rate. The myriad of financial challenges currently facing the sector is impacting artists at all levels, so now’s the time to get behind your favourite Longlisted record and secure its place in the Shortlist.
“The SAY Award winner will receive a £20,000 prize, and the SMIA is proud of its ongoing key commitment to the value of music in Scotland; made possible through the support of our long-term partners Creative Scotland. Best of luck to each of this year’s nominees – we eagerly anticipate which records will make the Shortlist, and we look forward to the exclusive announcement of this year’s winner as we celebrate the cultural impact and contribution of incredible Scottish music at The SAY Award Ceremony later this month.”
1. Young Fathers
North Edinburgh band Young Fathers are nominated for their fourth album Heavy Heavy. The indie alternative hip hop band are looking to make it a hat-trick of wins of the award, having previously walked away with the album of the year award in 2018 for Cocoa Sugar and in 2014 for Tape Two. Photo: Stephen Roe
2. Brooke Combe
Exciting new Edinburgh-born vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Brooke Combe has been longlisted for the SAY award for her debut album Black Is the New Gold, which includes the catchy single 'Are You With Me?'. The young singer went viral with her rendition of unofficial Scotland anthem 'Yes Sir I Can Boogie' in 2020. Photo: Jack Finnigan
3. Eyes of Others
Eyes of Others is the studio alias of Edinburgh-based John Bryden, a self-christened 'post-pub couldn't get in the club' producer. He has been longlisted for album of the year for his eponymous second album. Photo: THE SAY AWARD PRESS OFFICE
4. LVRA
Having won the The Sound of Young Scotland Award at the Scottish Album of the Year ceremony in Edinburgh in 2021, alt-pop singer and producer Rachel Lu AKA LVRA is starting to make big waves in music. Born in Edinburgh to Chinese parents, the 24-year-old singer released her debut EP LVCID in 2020. She is nominated for this year's SAY award for her debut album Soft Like Steel. Photo: THE SAY AWARD PRESS OFFICE