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Artist News Awards
Mogwai win Scottish Album Of The Year Award
By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 25 October 2021
Mogwai have been announced as the winner of this year’s Scottish Album Of The Year Award, for their tenth album ‘As The Love Continues’.
Accepting the award at a ceremony at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall on Saturday, the band’s Stuart Braithwaite said: “I really was not expecting this, I have not thought of anything to say other than thank you and I wish I’d got steaming!”
“This has been a really mental year for the band and this is just another thing we never thought would happen”, he went on. “I want to thank everyone who has bought and played the album, I’d like to dedicate this to Mick [Griffiths] our booking agent who passed away last week. I’d like to thank everyone, the [Scottish Music Industry Association] and you all for being here. This is nuts!”
Released in February, ‘As The Love Continues’ debuted at number one in the UK album chart – the band’s first to do so. It’s also the first time they’ve won the SAY Award, after being shortlisted four times. As well as a trophy, they take away £20,000 in prize money.
As well as the main prize, this year’s ceremony featured the formal presentation of the inaugural Modern Scottish Classic award. Chosen by this year’s longlisted artists, the prize recognises an album by a Scottish artist that continues to inspire new music in the country. This year it was awarded to ‘The Midnight Organ Fight’ by Frightened Rabbit.
As the band took to the stage to collect the prize, drummer Grant Hutchison used the moment to remember his brother and the band’s frontman, the late Scott Hutchison.
“I don’t why you’re clapping for us we didn’t write any of it”, he told the audience. “All of us can come at it from the same place that all of you can – this was and is Scott’s album. These are his words and they should be shared by all of us. It’s amazing to have an album that’s thirteen years old and still inspires artists today, because it still inspires me every day”.
“We recently put a book of Scott’s lyrics out and I listened to every single song and read every single lyric and was still like – fucking hell”, he continues. “He got all the talented genes. This shouldn’t be a sad and sombre remembrance award, it’s not what he would have wanted, he would want us to get drunk! He would want us to sing and dance and get sweaty”.
Another new prize presented on Saturday was the Sound Of Young Scotland Award, which went to LVRA. She received £5000 to put towards the making of her debut album, as well as 500 vinyl pressings of the finished release.
Commenting on this year’s ceremony, the Scottish Music Industry Association’s Robert Kilpatrick said: “It couldn’t be more fitting – or more deserved – for Mogwai to win The SAY Award 2021 for ‘As The Love Continues’. Winning the award with their tenth studio album, and on SAY’s tenth year, is a special moment for a band who have contributed so much to Scotland’s cultural identity, and for SAY, which has celebrated, promoted and rewarded outstanding Scottish records since 2012”.
He continued: “Tonight we also got to celebrate the winners of our two new awards, with LVRA claiming the Sound of Young Scotland Award, and Frightened Rabbit’s ‘The Midnight Organ Fight’ receiving the inaugural Modern Scottish Classic for a body of work that will be cherished for many years to come”.
“In a room full of artists, music industry professionals and music fans, after such a tough and turbulent eighteen months, tonight we have truly felt the power, importance and impact of Scottish music at a time it’s never been more needed”, he concluded. “Scottish music has never felt stronger, more exciting and more diverse. We have a lot to be proud of”.
The nine other shortlisted nominees for the main SAY Award all receive £1000. They are: AiiTee, Arab Strap, Biffy Clyro, Joesef, Lizzie Reid, Rachel Newton, Stanley Odd, The Ninth Wave and The Snuts.
