Scottish Album of the Year longlist announced and…

Scottish Album of the Year longlist announced and public vote open

The longlist for the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award has been revealed, and the public are being asked to vote for their favourite amongst the selection.

The public vote closes at midnight on Wednesday, after which the winner will automatically be given a place on the shortlist for the award.

While there are 20 albums on the longlist, only 10 will make it to the shortlist - and an overall winner will be picked from those.

Scottish music veterans Biffy Clyro, Mogwai and Arab Strab are all in the running, alongside up-and-coming acts from across the country - such as R&B and afrobeats artist AiiTee, DJ and producer TAAHLIAH and Garthamlock local Joesef.

The artist whose album wins the public vote will also be awarded a "minimum prize of £1000".

The shortlist will be announced in full on October 9, and the award ceremony itself will be held on October 23 at Edinburgh's Usher Hall.

Alongside the award, the winner on October 23 will receive a £20,000 prize.

The judging panel includes Spotify editor Shannon Carragher, broadcaster Phoebe Inglis-Holmes, and poet Jackie Kay.

For the first time in the history of the SAY Award, fans are able to purchase tickets to the final ceremony in Edinburgh.

Produced by the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA), the SAY Award was created to reward and champion the best music Scotland has to offer, as well as enhance the profile of the country's music industry.

See below for a full list of the SAY Award 2021 nominees.