Scottish Album of the Year Award will go digital this year.
With COVID-19 laying siege to the events calendar, the team at the SAY Award 2020 have decided to preempt this, by going digital.
The ninth year that the award has been handed out, nominations are now open, and it costs absolutely nothing to enter.
Albums that could reach the final list this year range from Anna Meredith to Lewis Capaldi, Idlewild to Gerry Cinnamon, and let's have a shout out for Clash favourite Siobhan Wilson.
Last year's winner was Auntie Flo, while previous SAY Award champs include Young Fathers, Kathryn Joseph and Sacred Paws.
Robert Kilpatrick, General Manager of the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) says:
Scotland’s music industry is in crisis. For many of my industry colleagues, celebrating may be the last thing they’ll feel like doing.
How can we celebrate when venues have closed, are closing and will continue to close unless something more is done? When our young people are losing access to music? How do our young people become future talent, active fans and economic supporters of our industry? How do we celebrate when artists have lost all their live income? When our international opportunities and connections are under threat? When promoters, studios, producers, engineers, crew, music retail and multiple other sub-sectors of the industry are continually and sorely feeling the impact.
There are no easy answers, and as the situation continues, Scotland’s music industry remains at significant risk, with a strong reliance on people coming together to create or experience music, as well as a high level of self-employment.
Never more than now is it important we celebrate Scottish music. By celebrating, we promote it’s visibility, highlight it’s value, develop audiences and stimulate opportunity at a time it’s never been needed more. The SAY Award campaign has been re-imagined for 2020 and has been designed to help mitigate some of the key challenges our industry faces.
Thanks to our partners continued support, we can continue to champion outstanding Scottish music. We hope you join us, and best of luck to all eligible albums.
So: submit your album HERE before midnight on Friday 31st July 2020.
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