THE winner of The Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) award was announced on Thursday night at a prestigious ceremony in Stirling.
Edinburgh-based Young Fathers picked up the award and a £20k cash prize for their album Heavy Heavy.
Legendary Scottish artist Paolo Nutini’s debut record These Streets was awarded the Modern Scottish Classic Award, with the Paisley singer-songwriter's manager and sister accepting the award on Nutini’s behalf as he is currently out of the country.
Young Fathers are the first act to win The SAY Award for the third time, previously winning in 2014 with Tape Two and 2018 with Cocoa Sugar.
Songwriting duo No Windows, based in Edinburgh, was named The Sound of Young Scotland, winning a £10k funding package to create their debut album.
The package includes cash grants, use of The Old Tolbooth’s recording studio in Stirling, business advice sessions and up to 500 vinyl pressings from Seabass Vinyl, Scotland’s first vinyl pressing plant.
The award’s organisers say they have distributed more than £350k in prize money since its inception in 2012.
Robert Kilpatrick, interim CEO and creative director of the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA), hailed Young Fathers’ third album as their “strongest and most mesmerising body of work to date”.
Kilpatrick said: “In 2018, Young Fathers made history by becoming the first artist to win the Scottish Album of the Year Award twice.
“As the band continued on a metoric rise; defying definitions with their sound and bringing a level of energy and power that’s uniquely theirs, tonight sees them claim Scotland’s national music prize for the third time with their strongest and most mesmerising body of work to date.
“Their win signifies the importance of recognising and investing in outstanding Scottish talent, and through the support of The SAY Award (and many other well-deserved accolades), Young Fathers continue to capture the magic and bring it into the lives of music fans worldwide.
“Tonight’s win further cements their world-class status, and through doing so, Scotland’s global reputation as a country overflowing with outstanding and idiosyncratic creative talent.
“They’re a band we can be proud of, a band we can be inspired by and a band who, quite simply, keep astounding, delighting and enthralling us.”
The awards ceremony took place at The Albert Halls in Stirling and was hosted by Nicola Meighan and Vic Galloway.
The nine runners-up each received £1000 in addition to concrete totems, made by local Stirling artist Brutal Concrete Workshop.
The winners took home concrete and terazzo bowls also made by Brutal Concrete Worskshop, created using low-carbon concrete and designed to last.
The SAY Award Shortlist for 2023 in alphabetical order was:
- Andrew Wasylyk – Hearing the Water before Seeing the Falls
- Becky Sikasa – Twelve Wooden Boxes
- Bemz – Nova's Dad
- Brighde Chaimbeul – Carry Them With Us
- Brooke Combe – Black Is the New Gold
- Cloth – Secret Measure
- Hamish Hawk – Angel Numbers
- Joesef – Permanent Damage
- Paolo Nutini – Last Night In The Bittersweet
- Young Fathers – Heavy Heavy
