Longlist revealed for the 2022 Scottish Album of the Year Awards

20 outstanding albums make the cut for Scotland’s most prestigious music prize

On 20 October at Stirling’s Albert Halls, artists, industry professionals, press and music fans will gather for the SAY Award ceremony, a night celebrating the very best of Scottish music. Now in its 11^th year, the national music prize exists to champion the cultural impact of Scottish albums and support the artists who create them, with the winner receiving £20,000. Nine runners up will also walk away with a prize of £1,000 each.

In alphabetical order, The SAY Award longlist for 2022 is as follows:

· AiiTee – ‘Better Days’

· Andrew Wasylyk – ‘Balgay Hill: Morning In Magnolia’

· Annie Booth – ‘Lazybody’

· Bemz – ‘M4’

· C Duncan – ‘Alluvium’

· Callum Easter – ‘System’

· Constant Follower – ‘Neither Is, Nor Ever Was’

· Declan Welsh and the Decadent West – ‘It’s Been A Year’

· Duncan Lyall – ‘Milestone’

· Fergus McCreadie – ‘Forest Floor’

· Hamish Hawk – ‘Heavy Elevator’

· Hen Hoose – ‘Equaliser’

· Kathryn Joseph – ‘For You Who Are The Wronged’

· Kobi Onyame – ‘Don’t Drink The Poison’

· The Ninth Wave – ‘Heavy Like a Headache’

· Niteworks – ‘A’Ghrian’

· Proc Fiskal – ‘Siren Spine Sysex’

· Rebecca Vasmant – ‘With Love, From Glasgow’

· Seonaid Aitken Ensemble – ‘Chasing Sakura’

· Walt Disco – ‘Unlearning’

Any album released between 1 June 2021 – 31 May 2022 was eligible for a public vote, which has now whittled the names down to a longlist of 20.

Host city Stirling will also be celebrating with a free exhibition at The Tolbooth, where fans can see enlarged album artworks and use QR codes to learn more about the longlist.

“It is a real honour and privilege to be in the SAY longlist this year with my album, With Love From Glasgow,” said Rebecca Vasmant. “I have watched in awe, for many years, the artists who have come through the SAY each year, and always dreamed of one day, making my own album and it being considered, and now that it’s here, it feels absolutely crazy.”

“I’m thrilled and in no small amount humbled to see Heavy Elevator included on the longlist for The SAY Award,” adds Hamish Hawke. “To say I’ve been inspired by the award’s previous winners and nominees is an understatement. It’s an honour, and I’m immensely grateful.”

“It’s always nice to have folk appreciate yer work, so we’re all very grateful.” says Declan Welsh and the Decadent West. “We’re proud of It’s Been A Year. It was a step forward, and contains some of our favourite songs we’ve ever released. It works well as a whole piece of art, takes ye on a bit of a journey and has some v nice melodies and harmonies. I’m glad other people like it too”

Two further awards will be given out at the ceremony. The Modern Scottish Classic Award recognises an iconic album from Scotland’s past, whilst the Sound of Young Scotland Award funds up-and-coming Scottish talent under the age of 25.

Last year’s main prize winners were post-rock band Mogwai with their album As The Love Continues. Speaking then on the band’s win, member Stuart Braithwaite described it as a “huge honour”.

“To be recognised by a panel of peers in this way meant the world to us as a band, particularly given the quality of the other musicians on both the Longlist and Shortlist,” he said. “Scotland continues to produce a plethora of great musicians making outstanding work year on year so for us to win this award is humbling in the extreme.”

Mogwai - Ritchie Sacramento (Official Video)