Scottish Album of the Year longlist for 2022 revealed
20 albums are in the running for the prestigious prize
By Joe Goggins
The longlist for the 2022 edition of the Scottish Album of the Year Award has been announced.
Last Thursday (September 15), 20 albums made north of the border and released in the last 12 months were revealed as having made the initial cut; you can see the full list below. It sees both Scottish veterans and newcomers nominated across a diverse range of musical styles. 369 eligible submissions were received, and 100 impartial industry figures in Scotland then selected the final 20 records.
Amongst the nominees are acclaimed singer-songwriter Kathryn Joseph, for her third album, For You Who Are the Wronged; she previously scooped the prize for her debut LP, Bones You Have Thrown Me and Blood I’ve Spilled, in 2015. Upstart indie pop six-piece Walt Disco are also in the running, for Unlearning, while multi-disciplinary maverick Callum Easter sees System given the nod.
Nationwide female-forward collective Hen Hoose have scored a nomination, too, for their urgent debut Equaliser, whilst alt-rockers The Ninth Wave could mark their recent decision to call a hiatus with a career-capping triumph for Heavy Like a Headache.
“As Scotland’s national music prize, The SAY Award exists to celebrate the cultural impact and contribution of our nation’s recorded output,” said Robert Kilpatrick, Creative Director of the Scottish Music Industry Association. “2022’s Longlist presents a dynamic and diverse collection of albums which spans multiple genres and showcases both established and rising talent from across the country.”
“Despite the turbulence of recent times, the enduring impact and resonance of the album format remains, he continued. “As vehicles of both self-discovery and connection with others, their power to ground, inspire and unite us is perhaps more important than ever.”
On Monday, October 3, a 72-hour public vote will commence, which will see the longlist further whittled down to a shortlist of 10 nominees, all of whom pick up a guaranteed £1000. The winner of the SAY Award will then be announced at a ceremony at the Albert Halls in Stirling on October 20. Last year’s winners were Mogwai, for As the Love Continues.
Scottish Album of the Year 2022 nominees:
AiiTee – Better Days
Andrew Wasylyk – Balgay Hill: Morning in Magnolia
Annie Booth – Lazybody
Bemz – M4
C Duncan – Alluvium
Callum Easter – System
Constant Follower – Neither Is, Nor Ever Was
Declan Welsh and the Decadent West – It’s Been a Year
Duncan Lyall – Milestone
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
The Ninth Wave –Heavy Like a Headache
Niteworks – A’Ghrian
Proc Fiskal – Siren Spine Sysex
Rebecca Vasmant – With Love, from Glasgow
Seonaid Aitken Ensemble – Chasing Sakura
Walt Disco – Unlearning