The SAY Award: 2022 Shortlist revealed

This year's Scottish Album of the Year award ceremony is just two weeks away, with the £20,000 prize due to be handed out at Stirling's Albert Halls on 20 October. Following last month's longlist, and a three-day public vote, the ten-strong shortlist has been revealed this afternoon.

Hen Hoose, the all-female and non-binary songwriting collective, make the shortlist for their album Equaliser. It's loaded with contributions and collaborations from the likes of Carla J. Easton, AMUNDA, MALKA, Karine Polwart, Emma Pollock, Elisabeth Elektra, Susan Bear and the late Beldina Odenyo. Also on the shortlist are Hamish Hawk – the Edinburgh songwriter whose Heavy Elevator album was our music writers' favourite Scottish album of 2021 – and Constant Follower, the Stirling-based neo-folk outfit.

There are also spots on the shortlist for Glasgow-based hip-hop artist and producer Kobi Onyame and the Isle of Skye's trad-electro fusion outfit Niteworks. Walt Disco make the shortlist with their debut album Unlearning, described by us earlier this year as “gritty, melodramatic and a little bit batshit”, while Edinburgh producer Proc Fiskal is in the running for his "wonky and chaotic" second album, Siren Spine Sysex. The shortlist is completed by Aberdeen R'n'B singer-songwriter AiiTee, Mercury Prize-nominated jazz pianist Fergus McCreadie and 2015 SAY Award winner Kathryn Joseph. Read the full shortlist at the foot of the page. 

Cocteau Twins win Modern Scottish Classic Award

The SAY Award's Modern Scottish Classic prize is designed to celebrate albums that pre-date the SAY Award itself but that continue to influence Scottish music in the present day. This year's winner, as voted for by the bands on the 2022 longlist, is Heaven or Las Vegas, the 1990 album by Cocteau Twins.

Responding to the news, Cocteau Twins lead vocalist Elizabeth Fraser said: “What a delightful surprise!!! Thank you for expressing such heartfelt affection for Heaven or Las Vegas and for presenting us with an award that we are thrilled and honoured to receive.”

Cocteau Twins bassist Simon Raymonde said: “When I was invited to join the band in January 1984, I just knew from the first session that we wrote music together that this was going to be a special time in my life and Elizabeth and Robin could not have made me feel more ‘at home’ and I was never made to feel like the odd (English) man out. What I couldn’t have known was the impact our music was going to have, and Heaven Or Las Vegas the subject of this wonderful accolade from SAY."

Sound of Young Scotland finalists announced

The Sound of Young Scotland prize, on the other hand, aims to give a leg-up to Scottish artists at the very start of their careers. The winner will receive a funding package worth up to £5,000 to support the creation of their debut album, including recording time at Tolbooth Stirling.

This year's shortlist features alt-pop producer Berta Kennedy, post-punks Dead Pony, pop songwriter KLEO, rapper Psweatpants and indie rock four-piece Uninvited. The winner will be chosen from a judging panel made up of past SAY Award nominees including TAAHLIAH, Stina Tweeddale, Jubemi Iyiku (aka Bemz) and more.

The 2022 Scottish Album of the Year Shortlist

AiiTee – Better Days
Constant Follower – Neither Is, Nor Ever Was
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
Niteworks – AGhrian
Proc Fiskal – Siren Spine Sysex
Walt Disco – Unlearning