Artist News Awards

Scottish Album Of The Year Award shortlist announced

By Andy Malt | Published on Friday 29 May 2015

The nominations for this year’s Scottish Album Of The Year Award were revealed last night.

And before you say, “Oh, another one of those Mercury-style award things” in a slightly mocking tone, it’s worth noting that last year’s winners, Young Fathers, also went on to win the actual Mercury Prize. So, basically, what I’m saying is, one of these acts is going to win the Mercury this year. Could it be Young Fathers two years in a row? The nominations say yes.

Stewart Henderson, chair of organisers the SMIA, said in a statement: “Reducing The SAY Award longlist to a shortlist of ten is never an easy task but by all accounts this year’s process has been particularly painful. We can only wish the remaining titles the very best of luck and congratulate them on emerging from such an extraordinary crop of albums”.

One slot on the list of nominees was voted in by the public, with that position going to Paolo Nutini for his album ‘Casutic Love’. Thankfully the public don’t vote for the overall winner. When will people learn that the public should never be asked for their opinion?

Anyway, each nominated act wins £1000 and a one of a kind quilt from Glasgow School of Art graduate Vanessa Hindshaw. Does the Mercury give out money and quilts to all nominees? No it does not. And the overall winner, announced at ABC in Glasgow on 17 Jun, will receive £20,000 on top of that.

The shortlist is…

Belle and Sebastian – Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance
Errors – Lease Of Life
Happy Meals – Apèro
Honeyblood – Honeyblood
Kathryn Joseph – Bones You Have Thrown Me And Blood I’ve Spilled
Paolo Nutini – Caustic Love
Paws – Youth Culture Forever
Slam – Reverse Proceed
The Amazing Snakeheads – Amphetamine Ballads
Young Fathers – Dead

There’s more info about the whole thing here.