The SAY Award announced the highly anticipated 2019 shortlist
The Shortlist for this year’s Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award has been officially revealed ahead of next month’s final award ceremony at the Assembly Rooms.
Article Source: Material
Last Updated: 9 October 2020 13:46
The Shortlist for this year’s Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award has been officially revealed ahead of next month’s final award ceremony at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh on Friday 6th September.
The ten outstanding albums making up this year’s Shortlist offer an incredibly strong and diverse snapshot of Scotland’s flourishing music scene, spanning a wide range of contemporary genres and styles.
The 2019 SAY Award Shortlist, in alphabetical order -
1. Aidan Moffat and RM Hubbert - Here Lies The Body
2. Andrew Wasylyk - The Paralian
3. Auntie Flo - Radio Highlife
4. C Duncan - Health
5. Carla J. Easton - Impossible Stuff
6. Fergus McCreadie Trio - Turas
7. Free Love - Luxury Hits
8. Karine Polwart with Steven Polwart & Inge Thomson - Laws of Motion
9. Kathryn Joseph - From When I Wake The Want Is
10. Mastersystem - Dance Music *public vote winner
Firmly recognised as Scotland’s most prestigious and revered music prize, The SAY Award celebrates the most outstanding Scottish albums each year, regardless of sales, genre or label affiliation. The newly announced Shortlist recognises artistic achievement and endeavour across a wide range of genres, from an incredible selection of artists who contribute to Scotland’s internationally admired music scene and vibrant cultural identity. The SAY Award celebrates, promotes and rewards the incredible strength and diversity of Scottish music, and a remarkable 293 album submissions were narrowed down by 100 valued and impartial nominators who were all asked to vote for their favourite new releases, subsequently creating the Longlist. The newly announced Shortlist is comprised of ten albums; nine chosen by The SAY Award Judging Panel and one chosen by music fans via this year’s online public vote.
The live announcement was made on BBC Radio Scotland by Nicola Meighan and Vic Galloway this evening. Nine albums on the Shortlist were chosen by a highly respected panel of judges made up of eleven key influential and experienced tastemakers from across the creative industries. In what was an incredible milestone for the Scottish music industry, this year’s esteemed panel featured a 50:50 gender split and included input from The List’s Editor Arusa Qureshi, YouTube Music’s David Mogendorff, PRS Foundation’s Maxie Gedge, YWCA Scotland director Patrycja Kupiec and television and film director Michael Hines.
The final Shortlised album was chosen by music fans, who voted for their favourite Longlisted album across a 72 hour voting window which closed at midnight on Wednesday 14th August. As an incredible opportunity for the nation’s music fans to have their say on the most eagerly anticipated music prize of the year, an incredible number of public votes were cast this year and the winning album was announced as Mastersystem - Dance Music.
Speaking about the Shortlist, Robert Kilpatrick General Manager of the Scottish Music Industry Association said: “A huge congratulations to the ten albums making up The SAY Award Shortlist for 2019. This year’s Shortlist presents an incredibly exciting and eclectic snapshot of the strength of Scotland’s recorded output, and we’re delighted to celebrate, promote and reward the incredible works of Scottish artists as we approach this year’s ceremony at The Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh.
“Best of luck to each of the Shortlisted albums. It’s with great pride that through The SAY Award we can shine a light on truly incredible pieces of artistic works that play a key part in our cultural identity as a nation.”
Alan Morrison, Head of Music, Creative Scotland said: “Congratulations to all the brilliant musicians behind these albums. Now that the focus has closed in on the shortlist, the buzz about who will be this year’s winner is growing louder. However, The SAY Award isn’t just about competition, it’s also about celebration of an outstanding year for Scottish music. Each of these shortlisted albums is a gateway to a huge range of other recordings that soundtrack our lives and make Scotland such an exciting place to be.”
Each Shortlisted album has won a guaranteed minimum prize of £1,000 prize thanks to award partner Creative Scotland, and will receive an exclusively designed commemorative art prize, created by The SAY Award Design Commission.
Moving to Scotland’s capital city for the first time in its history, the winner of The SAY Award 2019 will be announced at the glittering final award ceremony held in the opulent Assembly Rooms in the heart of Edinburgh. Taking place on Friday 6th September, The SAY Award judging panel will reconvene for the ceremony to decide which album will be awarded a lucrative and career-boosting £20,000 prize as well as the coveted title of The Scottish Album of the Year.
Developed by the Scottish Music Industry Association, 2019’s campaign is delivered in partnership with Creative Scotland, City of Edinburgh Council, YouTube Music, Harviestoun Brewery, Ticketmaster New Music, PPL, Sweetdram, The Queen’s Hall and charity partner Help Musicians Scotland.
Now in its eighth year, previous winners of The SAY Award include Young Fathers ‘Cocoa Sugar’ (2018), Sacred Paws ‘Strike A Match’ (2017), Anna Meredith ‘Varmints’ (2016), Kathryn Joseph ‘Bones You Have Thrown Me And Blood I’ve Spilled’ (2015), Young Fathers ‘Tape Two’ (2014), RM Hubbert ‘Thirteen Lost & Found’ (2013) and the inaugural winner Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat ‘Everything’s Getting Older’ (2012).
Follow The SAY Award’s 2019 journey on Twitter @SAYaward, Instagram @sayaward and Facebook @SAYaward
Sponsored Links
Latest Lanarkshire News
Wedding venue Crossbasket Castle unveils exquisite new menu curated by Michelin starred chef Michel Roux
Scotland's premier five-star luxury wedding destination, Crossbasket Castle, has unveiled a new decadent wedding menu crafted exclusively by world-renowned Michelin-starred chef Michel Roux.
READ MORE
Spooky season returns to town with the announcement of Paisley Halloween Festival 2025
Paisley Halloween Festival will return to town next month to celebrate the spooky season with a packed programme of frightful fun for all the family!
READ MORE
Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival returns for its 12th edition
Edinburgh Spanish Film Festival returns for its 12th edition on the big screen in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling and Inverness from 1st to 19th October 2025.
READ MORE
Cineworld 4DX Rewind returns for 2025
Cineworld is excited to announce the return of 4DX Rewind this September across Cineworld 4DX cinemas nationwide!
READ MORE
Final countdown to the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run 2025 is on
Scotland's greatest running event, the AJ Bell Great Scottish Run, will return to Glasgow next month, and there’s still time to secure your place.
READ MORE
Marstons and Tom Shepherd join forces once more to serve up the best ever pub pie
Marston's and Michelin-starred chef Tom Shepherd have teamed up once more to serve up The Best Ever Pub Pie to locals across the country.
READ MORE
Edinburgh Fringe smash hit Oran embarks on first UK tour
Òran, the award-winning sell-out hit of the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe embarks on its first ever UK tour this autumn as company Wonder Fools take their work to a host of venues across Scotland.
READ MORE
M&Ds teams up with Zombie Infection for a heart pounding, live action horror attraction
M&D's is set to transform into Scotland's Scream Park with the launch of Zombie Checkpoint, a live action immersive horror experience creating a heart racing adventure not for the faint hearted.
READ MORE
Topgolf Glasgow launches new field goal challenge game this autumn
Topgolf Glasgow is bringing a taste of the gridiron to Scotland this autumn with the launch of its brand-new Field Goal Challenge game.
READ MORE
Iconic films to take centre stage at Vue venues in Scotland
Iconic movies celebrating key milestones this year are returning to Vue for a limited run - including Steven Spielberg classic Jaws.
READ MORE
20 expert sessions at The Scottish Homebuilding & Renovating Show
The Scottish Homebuilding & Renovating Show will be packed with expert speakers when it returns to the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston on 4th – 5th October 2025.
READ MORE
A Taste of Loch Lomond Book launches with live cooking demo at the Loch Lomond Food & Drink Festival
Love Loch Lomond will officially launch its new publication, A Taste of Loch Lomond – Stories and Flavours from the Bonnie Banks, at the Loch Lomond Food & Drink Festival on Sunday 7th September.
READ MORE
Seriously fun ideas for your work Christmas Party
It might only be September, but the C-word is not too far away, so it's time to start thinking about planning the annual office Christmas shindig before everything gets booked up!
READ MORE
Business Gateway launches its first ever Scottish Start Up Month
Business Gateway, Scotland's national business support service, has launched Scottish Start-Up Month, a nationwide campaign to celebrate Scotland's entrepreneurial spirit.
READ MORE
Pop up play town brings big imaginations to little ones
A new role-play experience is popping up in community venues across Greater Glasgow this month bringing pint-sized professions and plenty of pretend fun to preschoolers and their families.
READ MORE
Enjoy an evening with Peter MacQueen and the Hebridean Baker at Hamilton Town House
South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture is delighted to present a special evening featuring two of Scotland's best-loved voices: Peter MacQueen and Coinneach MacLeod, the Hebridean Baker.
READ MORE
Fresh new line up for one of the biggest FREE food and drink festivals in Scotland
Vikings, a pie eating competition, new celebrated chef and dog & duck shows set to bring new energy to Loch Lomond Food and Drink Festival this September.
READ MORE
From pouring pints to the red carpet: The Scottish Bar and Pub Awards 2025 crowns its hospitality stars!
The winners of the 2025 Scottish Bar & Pub Awards were unveiled on the 26th of August at a glittering, Oscars-themed ceremony held at the Doubletree by Hilton, Glasgow.
READ MORE
Best Croissant Competition returns for 2025
The Edinburgh Butter Company has announced the return of its ‘Scotland’s Best Croissant’ competition on Monday 13th October.
READ MORE
GlasGLOW announces all new show for 2025, inspired by the legendary 80s campaign that made Glasgow smile
itison has confirmed that GlasGLOW will return to the Botanic Gardens from 24th October – 2nd November for its eighth year and with its biggest show yet... GlasGLOW's Miles Better!
READ MORE
Historic Environment Scotland launches Talking About Heritage
People across Scotland invited to take part in national conversation about heritage.
READ MORE
Tickets now on sale for The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo closes the drawbridge on its 75th anniversary Show, as tickets for next year go on sale.
READ MORE
Beat the Street physical activity game returns to Cambuslang and Rutherglen this autumn!
A popular physical activity game returns to Cambuslang and Rutherglen from Wednesday, 17th September to Wednesday, 29th October.
READ MORE
Primark celebrates 50 years in Scotland with a wee nod to loyal Scots in all stores today
Scottish shoppers will hardly believe it when they see it today as Primark finally relents on one of its biggest brand debates after 50 years.
READ MORE
M&Ds carve out a great family day out this October
M&D's Scotland's Theme Park has launched details of its Pumpkin Festival taking place in October!
READ MORE
Christmas at Crieff Hydro returns with magical line up of festive activities
Scotland's best loved family resort, Crieff Hydro, has unveiled details of a specially curated programme of events as it prepares to welcome guests over the festive period.
READ MORE
Scots Language Awards 2025 shortlist unveiled
The shortlist for the Scots Language Awards 2025 has been unveiled, with figures from Scottish literature, theatre, education and business all in the running for awards at the annual ceremony.
READ MORE
Cheers to 50 years of Primark in Scotland and Hamilton
This Thursday, 21st August, Primark is celebrating 50 years since it opened its doors for the first time in Scotland, and the home of that first store was in Hamilton!
READ MORE
Innis & Gunn wins double gold at the World Beer Awards 2025
Innis & Gunn has claimed double gold on the global stage, winning best in Scotland for the second year running at the World Beer Awards.
READ MORE
Santa Claus is coming to Dobbies
From exciting encounters with Santa himself to hands-on workshops and joyful family moments, Dobbies is the destination for festive fun this Christmas!
READ MORESponsored Links
Sponsored Links