The Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award has officially launched for 2024 and is calling for submissions.

Taking place in Stirling's Albert Halls for the third consecutive year, the winning record will be granted a cash prize of £20,000 and the title of Scottish Album of the Year.

Eligible albums released between June 1, 2023, and May 31, 2024, can be submitted for free at www.sayaward.com until midnight on July 31.

The award ceremony is set for October 24 with early-bird tickets available at www.sayaward.com.

(Image: Scottish Album of the Year)

Nine runners-up will be presented with £1,000 and prizes from the SAY Award Design Commission.

Additionally, the Modern Scottish Classic Award will recognise an iconic album that continues to inspire Scottish musicians, and the Sound of Young Scotland Award will recognise an emerging artist and provide them with funding to support their debut album.

The commission is also taking expressions of interest from artists and makers based in the Stirling Council area to create prizes for this year’s award winners and nominees.

 

(Image: Scottish Album of the Year)

Robert Kilpatrick, chief executive officer of the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA), said: “Scottish music is the soundtrack and stories of our lives.

“The last few years have been difficult for the cultural sector, with soaring costs, strains on public funding and economic pressures across the board.

“Thanks to the support of our partners, today marks the start of a four-month celebration of Scotland’s word-class recorded output.

“We look forward to immersing ourselves in this year’s eligible albums, and to returning to Stirling’s Albert Halls on Thursday 24 October for 2024’s SAY Award Ceremony.”

This is the 13th year of the SAY award which has distributed more than £350,000 in prize money to artists, recognising outstanding albums across multiple genres.

Past winners include Young Fathers, Kathryn Joseph, and Mogwai.