The Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award 2019 is urging people involved in music to submit albums as it opens for entries.
Now in its eighth year, the SAY Award recognises albums across all genres, with previous longlisted albums including hip-hop, rock, jazz, folk, pop, classical and more.
Previous winners include Young Fathers, Sacred Paws, Anna Meredith and Kathryn Joseph.
Artists, labels and music fans are invited to submit eligible albums released between April 1 2018 and March 31 2019 to the SAY Award website.
Alan Morrison, head of music at Creative Scotland, said: “The quality of music recorded and released in Scotland, in every genre, is phenomenal.
“Albums are made in professional studios and concert halls, in bedrooms and basements, and the SAY Award rounds them all up and shouts about them from the rooftops.
“The more people who submit their favourite new albums, the better the exposure for the huge range and diversity of the music being made here.
“This is your chance to play a key role in championing Scottish music to the world.”
The winner will be announced at a ceremony at The Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh on September 6, with the winning artist collecting a £20,000 cash prize and nine runners up each awarded £1,000.
There is no listing fee to submit an eligible album for consideration, and digital releases which fulfil the criteria are also valid.
Developed by the Scottish Music Industry Association, 2019’s campaign is delivered in partnership with Creative Scotland, City of Edinburgh Council, Harviestoun Brewery, Ticketmaster New Music, PPL, The Queen’s Hall and charity partner Help Musicians Scotland.
Robert Kilpatrick, general manager at the Scottish Music Industry Association, said: “Celebrating the album as a format has always been integral to the ethos of the SAY Award. Whilst curated playlists may now dominate listening habits for many music fans, artists across all genres still strive to create bodies of work that effectively showcase and reflect their artistic identity.
“Albums are life-changing, and they’re as much about identity and connection for music fans as they are to the artists that create them. They’re important, they’re crafted and they deserve to be recognised as a huge artistic and creative achievement.
“As Scotland’s national music prize, it’s the job of the SAY Award to celebrate, promote and reward the most outstanding Scottish albums each year, regardless of sales, genre or record label affiliation.
“We’re delighted to launch 2019’s campaign, working with a fantastic set of partners.”
