Scotland’s album of the year contenders revealed after gender balance pledge

Karine Polwart, Kathryn Joseph and Chrvches will be among the contenders for this year’s Scottish Album of the Year title after organisers committed to ensure there was a 50:50 gender balance in the judging process this year.

Carla J Easton (pictured), Edwyn Collins and Chrvches are among the contenders. Picture: contributed

Free Love, Brìghde Chaimbeul, Carla J Easton and the Kinnaris Quintet are among the other acts who are female or are fronted by women.

However they still barely make up a third of the contenders for the £20,000 cash prize, which was first awarded seven years ago.

Joseph is one of only two female acts to have won the competition previously. She will be up against two previous winners, Aidan Moffat and RM Hubbert, who are jointly nominated for their indie-folk album Here Lies The Body.

Other nominees include rock supergroup Mastersystem, whose members included the late Frightened Rabbit singer Scott Hutchison and his brother Grant.

Indie, rock and pop favourites Edwyn Collins, The Twilight Sad, Fatherson, C Duncan and Free Love are among the other previous contenders for the award to make the longlist again.

Aidan O’Rourke, who is best known as the fiddler in folk trio Lau, is one of several trad music acts in contention, along with the Kinnaris Quintet and two Skye-based acts, piper Brìghde Chaimbeul and electronica outfit Niteworks.

Fergus McCreadie’s trio and Graham Costello’s band Strata will be flying the flag for the Scottish jazz scene, while classical guitarist Sean Shibe is also nominated.

The 20-strong longlist has been whittled down from nearly 300 albums submitted for this year’s prize, with the winner due to be revealed in September. The Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) has announced a 50:50 gender split in the 100-strong list of industry experts whose votes shaped the longlist.

There will also be an equal split of male and female judges in the panel which will select nine out of ten places in the final shortlist and the overall winner. The tenth place will go to the winner of a public vote.

SMIA general manager Robert Kilpatrick said: “Each year, the announcement of The SAY Award Longlist allows us to take a step back and feel proud of our cultural identity as a nation. It gives us a chance to both shout about and reflect on who we are, as well as celebrate the passion, creativity and vibrancy of Scottish music, in all its incredible diversity and glory.

“With the longlist having been selected from the votes of 100 impartial industry nominators, it is the product of an extraordinary nationwide consultation and showcases 20 incredible records to the world that are both important and valued artistic works.”

Joseph, who won the award in 2015 with her debut album, said: “I’m so proud to be on longlist and so proud to be part of this small beautiful country that makes so much great and beautiful noise.”

Chaimbeul said: “It was a real privilege to bring these old tunes to life with some incredible musicians and it is a joy for me to have them heard.”

Polwart said: “Every year the longlist introduces me to brilliant new music from right across the spectrum of genres and styles. I’m really chuffed to be included for a second consecutive year.”

The Scotsman music critic Fiona Shepherd, who has been a nominator since the award was launched in 2012, said: “The diversity of the longlist is reflected a reflection of the diversity of the nominators.

“You’re not thinking about gender balance or particular styles of music when you are a nominator. You are really just thinking about your favourite albums of the year.

“I’m really pleased at how this year’s longlist does a pretty good job of spanning the Scottish music scene, and the strong representation of folk, jazz and classical, as well as pop and rock.”

SCOTTISH ALBUM OF THE YEAR LONGLIST IN FULL

Aidan Moffat and RM Hubbert - Here Lies The Body

Aidan O’Rourke - 365: Vol. 1

Andrew Wasylyk - The Paralian

Auntie Flo - Radio Highlife

Brighde Chaimbeul - The Reeling

C Duncan - Health

Carla J. Easton - Impossible Stuff

Chvrches - Love Is Dead

Edwyn Collins - Badbea

Fatherson - Sum Of All Your Parts

Fergus McCreadie Trio - Turas

Free Love - Luxury Hits

Graham Costello’s Strata - Obelisk

Karine Polwart with Steven Polwart and Inge Thomson- Laws of Motion

Kathryn Joseph - From When I Wake The Want Is

Kinnaris Quintet - Free One

Mastersystem - Dance Music

Niteworks - Air Fair an La

Sean Shibe - softLOUD

The Twilight Sad - It Won/t Be Like This All The Time