SAY Award unveils bespoke glass prizes and Ceremony performances

The Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award has revealed a first look at the remarkable sculpted glass prizes this year’s Shortlist will receive.

Article Source: The Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award
Last Updated: 17 October 2024 8:21

17th October - With only one week to go until The Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award Ceremony where 2024’s winner will be announced, the country’s national music prize has revealed a first look at the remarkable sculpted glass prizes this year’s Shortlist will receive. Handcrafted by renowned Dunblane-based glass artist Elin Isaksson, the art prizes, as part of The SAY Award Design Commission, feature stunning recycled glass with colours drawn from Scotland’s natural landscape.

Welcoming Scotland’s music industry to Stirling’s Albert Halls on Thursday 24 October, the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) will crown the winner of the £20,000 prize whilst celebrating all 10 albums on this year’s SAY Award Shortlist, with the Ceremony hosted by broadcasters Nicola Meighan and Vic Galloway.

The SAY Award Shortlist for 2024, with all albums in the running to win the £20,000 first prize and coveted title of Scottish Album of the Year is:

Arab Strap I'm totally fine with it 'don't give a fuck anymore-
Barry Can't Swim When Will We Land?
Becky Sikasa The Writings and the Pictures and the Song
corto.alto Bad With Names
Dead Pony IGNORE THIS
Kathryn Williams & Withered Hand Willson Williams
Lucia & The Best Boys Burning Castles
Rachel Sermanni Dreamer Awake
rEDOLENT dinny greet
Theo Bleak Pain

CEREMONY PERFORMANCES TO INCLUDE CELEBRATION OF MODERN SCOTTISH CLASSIC WINNER…
Guests on the night will enjoy live performances from three-time former SAY Award nominee Bemz, DJ Rebecca Vasmant and 2023’s Sound of Young Scotland winners No Windows, plus a tribute to the winner of this year’s Modern Scottish Classic Award, ‘Grit’ by Martyn Bennett.

Greg Lawson, founder of the Grit Orchestra and Martyn’s close friend, has curated a special performance to celebrate the record, with Greg himself laying down his conductor’s baton to join Croft No. Five on violin, with acclaimed singer Fiona Hunter taking on Sheila Stewart and Lizzie Higgins vocal contributions to songs on the album.

Croft No. Five, widely considered one of the most influential folk fusion acts, were selected by Greg Lawson to pay tribute to ‘Grit’. Greg recognised that the band share Martyn’s uncompromising commitment to making music with serious intent, which they transmit through their dance floor filling fusion of folk, funk and electronica.

Greg Lawson is a violinist, composer, conductor and founder of the Grit Orchestra, the 80 piece orchestra which he formed to perform live versions of Martyn’s music. The orchestra united Scotland’s leading folk, jazz and classical musicians, and their premier performance opened Celtic Connections in 2015. The Grit Orchestra went on to perform at WOMAD, the Edinburgh International Festival and sold out Glasgow’s Hydro. The performance, specially curated for The SAY Award Ceremony in conjunction with The Martyn Bennett Trust, is set to be a moving tribute to ‘Grit’, 21 years after its release.

Since its inception, The SAY Award Design Commission has funded makers to create bespoke prizes for the musicians recognised at The SAY Award Ceremony. Previous prizes have included jesmonite arches, natural slate veneer lamps, and statuesque low-carbon concrete totems, from Stirlingshire makers Brutal Concrete Workshop.

The SAY Award and Stirling Council invited local makers to respond to the brief and asked to consider how they would embed sustainability into the award production with Dunblane-based contemporary glass maker Elin Isaksson appointed as this year’s maker.

Originally from Sweden, Elin moved to Scotland in 2001, where her passion for glass blowing led her to graduating from Edinburgh College of Art. Her unique sand-casted sculptures and contemporary hand-blown accessories have received national and international acclaim, and her glass can be found in many galleries. When not undertaking commissions, she teaches the ancient craft of glass blowing at her Dunblane studio.

Elin has created unique sand-casted glass sculptures for each of the nine Shortlist artists, as well as prizes for the recipients of Modern Scottish Classic Award and Sound of Young Scotland Award winners, plus one very special larger glass sculpture enhanced with real 23.5 carat gold for The SAY Award’s ultimate winner. All of the awards were cast from naturally occuring rocks found by Elin close to her Dunblane studio, and each reflects the light differently thanks to the hand pouring of the molten glass and its interaction with coloured shards recycled from previous projects.

Elin’s work is influenced by the minimalist designs taught in her early training at the Orrefors Glass School, and the colours of the Scottish landscape which feature prominently in her pieces. She describes her work as Scandinavian design, made in Scotland. One of only a handful of glassblowers left in Scotland, Elin’s work will be celebrated at an exhibition at Tolbooth Stirling in February 2025, as winner of The SAY Award Design Commission.

Elin Isaksson said, “The Design Commission challenged me to scrutinise my use of all of the resources involved in my glass making. It enabled me to experiment, to seek creative new ways to reduce waste, and has strengthened the sustainability of my practice. I’m delighted with the results. These awards are sand-cast from natural rocks I’ve found near my Dunblane studio. The colours come from adding the gem-like fragments of coloured glass from previous commissions to hand poured clear molten glass, making each award unique. The Winner’s award also includes 23.5 carat gold. I look forward to sharing prototypes of the awards and my wider work at my exhibition at the Tollbooth, Stirling in February next year.”

Elin Isaksson is the third Stirlingshire based maker appointed by the Design Commission to create bespoke awards for The SAY Award.

Stirling Council Leader, Cllr Margaret Brisley said, “The unique awards designed by Elin look amazing and are more than fitting to celebrate the best of Scottish music over the last year. The SAY Award Design Commission has been a brilliant initiative to help Stirling’s creative community to put their work into the national spotlight as we have seen over the last three years.

“With only one week to go until The SAY Award Ceremony takes place at Stirling’s Albert Halls, we cannot wait to once again welcome music lovers, artists and industry representatives alike to our city as we celebrate our 900th anniversary.”

Judges will meet in Stirling to choose the winner from this year’s Shortlist, with individuals from across the cultural sphere including actress Karen Dunbar, author Doug Johnstone, Director of the V&A Dundee Leonie Bell plus music journalists, industry figureheads and more.

An award aimed at stimulating the future of Scottish music and supporting new artists, this year’s Sound of Young Scotland winner will also be unveiled at the Ceremony, with a panel of former SAY Award nominees choosing from this year’s finalists: Alice Faye, Dillon Barrie, Goliath, Pippa Blundell and Spyres.

The SAY Award is a Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) production. The SAY Award 2024 is delivered in partnership with Creative Scotland, Stirling Council, Stirling Alive with Culture, Seabass Vinyl, Ticketmaster, Help Musicians, HMV, FOPP, PPL, the Scottish Government’s Youth Music Initiative, Youth Music, Music Declares Emergency, Harviestoun Brewery and Hotel Colessio (hotel partner for The SAY Award Ceremony).

The SAY Award’s charity partner is Scotland’s national children’s and young people’s mental health charity, Tiny Changes, set up in memory of Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchison to help young minds feel better.

Now in its thirteenth year, previous winners of The SAY Award include; Young Fathers ‘Heavy Heavy’ (2023), Fergus McCreadie ‘Forest Floor’ (2022), Mogwai ‘As The Love Continues' (2021), Nova ‘Re-Up’ (2020), Auntie Flo ‘Radio Highlife’ (2019), Young Fathers ‘Cocoa Sugar’ (2018), Sacred Paws ‘Strike A Match’ (2017), Anna Meredith ‘Varmints’ (2016), Kathryn Joseph ‘Bones You Have Thrown Me And Blood I’ve Spilled’ (2015), Young Fathers ‘Tape Two’ (2014), RM Hubbert ‘Thirteen Lost & Found’ (2013) and the inaugural winner Bill Wells and Aidan Moffat ‘Everything’s Getting Older’ (2012).

Final SAY Award Ceremony tickets on sale via: www.sayaward.com
£18 + booking fee

Photo credit: Clair Irwin

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