Vagrant Real Estate Wins Scottish Album Of The Year Award And £20,000 Prize With ‘Neither Collar Nor Crown’

BOARDS OF CANADA NAMED ‘MODERN SCOTTISH CLASSIC’ FOR 1998 DEBUT ALBUM 

NIKHITA WINS SOUND OF YOUNG SCOTLAND

Vagrant Real Estate’s ‘Neither Collar Nor Crown’ was announced as winner of The Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award, as the country’s music industry gathered in Dundee’s Caird Hall to celebrate an outstanding year of Scottish music. Vagrant Real Estate was awarded the £20,000 first prize, coveted title and bespoke trophy ahead of a Shortlist including Barry Can’t Swim, Hen Hoose Collective, Swim School, VLURE and more. Vagrant Real Estate, a moniker for DJ and producer Nick Cronin, won for ‘Neither Collar Nor Crown’, a record which brought together 25 different Scottish artists from across genres featuring English and Gaelic lyricism.  

Produced by the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA), The SAY Award celebrated its 15th year at tonight’s Ceremony by recognising Scottish music past, present and future. Presented in association with Fettercairn, guests gathered to celebrate the strength, diversity and cultural impact of Scotland’s recorded output. Following tonight’s event, the award will have distributed over £462,000 in prize money to Scottish artists since its inauguration in 2012.

Listen to 2026’s Scottish Album of the Year ‘Neither Collar Nor Crown’ by Vagrant Real Estate here. 

Board of Canada’s 1998 debut album ‘Music Has The Right to Children’ won the Modern Scottish Classic Award, presented by the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA), joining a list of previous winners including KT Tunstall’s ‘Eye to the Telescope’, Paolo Nutini’s ‘These Streets’, Frightened Rabbit’s ‘The Midnight Organ Fight’ and more. 

Nikhita was named The Sound of Young Scotland, winning a funding package worth up to £10,000 to support the creation of their debut album. 

The 15th SAY Award Ceremony took place in Dundee’s Caird Hall for the second year in a row, as part of a three year partnership with Leisure & Culture Dundee, V&A Dundee, Dundee City Council and UNESCO Dundee City of Design to make Dundee the new home of Scotland’s national album prize. 

Vagrant Real Estate (Nick Cronin) said onstage, “This is a bit mad, I fully did not expect this at all – enormous thank you to the panel. The Shortlist was unbelievable this year – there’s so much talent in this country.

Thank you to The SAY Award and SMIA for the recognition alone. The album is full of collaborators from all across the country. All the artists who put time aside to contribute to this project. To Chelsea Frew  for the phenomenal artwork… to my mum and dad and to Lydia, my mrs.

I’m definitely forgetting somebody but I just want to say to anybody who’s trying to make a career in music who doesn’t live on the central belt, where you might feel the industry’s attention is – I’m from Aberdeen. Let’s go!”

Collecting her award onstage, Nikhita said, “Thank you so much, I’m honestly lost for words. I just want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me and listened to my music. Thank you to The SAY Award for supporting the arts and making all of this possible. A massive well done to everyone who was nominated as well. There’s so much talent in this room and I don’t know what to say – it’s such an honour, thank you!”

‘Neither Collar Nor Crown’ sees Aberdonian producer and DJ Vagrant Real Estate bring together an all-star cast of 25 Scottish artists including rapper Bemz, folk singer Iona Fyfe, MC Jackill and more. The producer, real name Nick Cronin, has been independently releasing music since 2018 with a range of local and international artists. The record encompasses varying genres – drawing upon local heritage and culture to weave together spoken word, choir and cutting lyricism in both English and Gaelic. It samples traditional Scottish folk and Gaelic, merged with Scottish rap and hip-hop. Released on St Andrew’s Day in 2025, the album is an ambitious and richly layered celebration of Scottish identity and a love letter to Vagrant Real Estate’s home. The producer will release a deluxe version of the album with additional bonus tracks on its first anniversary, on 30th November 2026. 

The SAY Award winner was chosen by a panel of judges from across the creative industries. Vagrant Real Estate took home the top prize of £20,000 and collected their bespoke winner’s trophy onstage, whilst the remaining nine artists on 2026’s Shortlist won £1,000 and their own Shortlist sculptures, created by local Dundee maker Camillo Atlas. 

Dundee’s Caird Hall welcomed artists as well as music industry and fans for the live unveiling of 2026’s winner, co-hosted by Vic Galloway and Nicola Meighan, featuring performances across the night. 2025 winners Kai Reesu opened proceedings, with last year’s Sound of Young Scotland winner Alice Faye also returning to the Caird Hall to perform. The SAY Award Ceremony also hosted special performances recognising the winning albums of 2021 – 2024, performed by a five-piece house band led by Joe Rattray, honouring former winners: Mogwai, Fergus McCreadie, Young Fathers and rEDOLENT. 

Robert Kilpatrick, CEO and Creative Director of the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) said, “Massive congratulations to Aberdonian producer and DJ Vagrant Real Estate, with ‘Neither Collar Nor Crown’ claiming 2026’s coveted title of Scottish Album of the Year. Bringing together 25 Scottish artists, it’s an unapologetically Scottish record that pushes the boundaries of Scottish hip-hop while drawing deeply from our shared cultural and musical heritage. It’s visceral, powerful and a masterpiece in both collaboration and storytelling – a truly well-deserved SAY Award winner.

“Fifteen years into SAY, this record is a firm reminder of why the album remains the best vehicle for musical expression. Outstanding records often challenge us, move us and allow us to see ourselves differently. ‘Neither Collar Nor Crown’ does exactly that, and finds strength in bringing different voices, perspectives and traditions together.

“Tonight we also celebrated Nikhita as 2026’s Sound of Young Scotland Award winner, alongside Boards of Canada’s ‘Music Has the Right to Children’ as this year’s Modern Scottish Classic – two awards that shine a light on Scottish music’s bright future and rich past. Together, the three awards capture what SAY exists to celebrate: the cultural impact of outstanding Scottish records, emerging artists taking their next step and iconic albums that continue to inspire the music being made in Scotland today.

“Returning to Dundee’s Caird Hall for a second year, while marking 15 years of The SAY Award, has been incredibly special. Tonight we paid tribute to some of the albums that have shaped the award’s history, while celebrating the artists shaping Scotland’s ever-evolving cultural identity. It was a powerful and emotive reminder of the strength, diversity and collaborative spirit of our music community.

“The SAY Award has now distributed over £462,000 in prize money directly to Scottish artists. I’m incredibly proud of what that says about the value Scotland places on its musical output, and on the album as a format. Massive congratulations again to all of this year’s nominees and winners.”     

Head of Music at Creative Scotland, Alan Morrison said  “Yet again, The SAY Award and Sound of Young Scotland have shone a spotlight on the awesome array of music that’s being made in Scotland right now. ‘Neither Collar Nor Crown’ draws its energy from the cultural diversity that is at the centre of Aberdeen’s distinctive musical identity. It’s an album that reflects Vagrant Real Estate’s total commitment to generating a local music scene and platforming the talent of his peers. Congratulations too to Nikhita, another future star in Scotland’s musical firmament, who enriches her neo-soul sound with her South Asian heritage.”

Thom Watt, Global Brand Controller at Fettercairn said, “The Shortlist for this year’s SAY Award was full of some incredible artists producing some phenomenal records, but there’s a very worthy winner in ‘Neither Collar Nor Crown’, which really did push the boundaries. We’ll be raising a glass to another incredible year for Scottish albums.”

Anna Day, Head of Culture and Libraries at Leisure & Culture Dundee said, “Massive congratulations to Vagrant Real Estate’s ‘Neither Collar Nor Crown’ on being named the 2026 Scottish Album of the Year. We are delighted to welcome The SAY Award back to Caird Hall for a second year, building on the success of last year’s Ceremony and reinforcing Dundee’s reputation as one of Scotland’s leading cultural cities.

“Over the past two years, The SAY Award has brought artists, audiences and industry professionals together in the heart of Dundee, celebrating the very best of Scottish music while showcasing the warm welcome that makes our city so special. We look forward to building on that success in 2027 and continuing to support the ambition and innovation that define Scotland’s music scene.

“A huge thank you to The SAY Award team, the artists, audiences, partners and everyone involved in making this year’s Ceremony such a memorable occasion.”

The SAY Award 2026 Shortlist, in alphabetical order, was: 

A panel of judges from across the creative industries deliberated and chose the ultimate SAY Award winner, chaired by music and culture journalist Arusa Qureshi. 2026’s judging panel included: Kath M Mainland (Executive Director – Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre), broadcaster and singer Michelle McManus, Scotland’s Makar Peter Mackay, Highland-born music journalist and editor Robin Murray (CLASH), music journalist Tallah Brash (The Skinny), writer and actor Sanjeev Kohli and more.  * full judging panel in Notes to Editor. 

Boards of Canada’s ‘Music Has The Right to Children’ became the sixth ever Modern Scottish Classic winner. The album was celebrated on the night with a performance from The SAY Award house band, alongside specially commissioned visuals from Tom Scholfield – also known as Konx-om-Pax, himself a SAY Award Shortlisted artist in 2017. The debut album, released in 1998 and produced in the brothers’ recording studio in the Pentland Hills, is widely considered a landmark record in the worldwide electronic music scene. The award was collected by Jamie Pettinger (Label Manager, LuckyMe Records) on the duo’s behalf. Their fifth studio album ‘Inferno’ was also Shortlisted for The SAY Award this year, in addition to their Modern Scottish Classic win. 

The Sound of Young Scotland Award – supported by the Scottish Government’s Youth Music Initiative through Creative Scotland and Youth Music, with manufacturing support from Seabass Vinyl – exists to support the next generation of Scottish talent. Announced as winner live onstage, Nikhita was chosen by a panel of 11 former SAY Award nominees from this year’s finalists: heavyskint, Jasmin Jet, LOLA, Niamh Corkey and Nikhita. 

Whittled down to five finalists from 46 eligible applications, Nikhita’s winning package includes: cash grants totalling £8,000 to cover studio hire costs and session musician fees, a run of up to 250 vinyl pressings of their debut album from Seabass Vinyl, a performance slot at 2027’s Ceremony and more. Plus, for the first time, finalists will receive one-to-one sessions with Youth Music Initiative. 

Marking 15 years of Scotland’s national music prize, the Caird Hall crowd enjoyed special performances celebrating previous SAY Award winners. Building on its 10th anniversary celebration at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall in 2021, a five-piece house band led by Joe Rattray reimagined songs from the SAY Award winning albums of 2021–2024, joined by special guests:

  • Mogwai ‘As The Love Continues’ (2021) performed by The Ninth Wave 
  • Fergus McCreadie ‘Forest Floor’ (2022) performed by The SAY Award house band 
  • Young Fathers ‘Heavy Heavy’ (2023) performed by Billy Got Waves and Leon Power
  • rEDOLENT ‘dinny greet’ (2024) performed by Carla J Easton

Local Dundee designer and maker Camillo Atlas was selected by The SAY Award Design Commission to create nine Shortlist awards and three bespoke winner awards for The SAY Award, Modern Scottish Classic and Sound of Young Scotland winners. A graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, Camillo created the prizes from waste plastic collected across Dundee, including bottle tops and shampoo bottles, and drew inspiration from Dundee’s abstract architecture and urban landscape to create the stunning, vividly coloured trophies. 

The SAY Award is a Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) production.  The SAY Award 2026 is delivered in partnership with Fettercairn, Creative Scotland, Leisure & Culture Dundee, V&A Dundee, Dundee City Council, UNESCO City of Design Dundee, Seabass Vinyl, PPL, HMV, FOPP, the Scottish Government’s Youth Music Initiative, Youth Music, Apex Hotels, Malmaison,Music Declares Emergency and Six° North. 

Previous winners of The SAY Award include; Kai Reesu ‘KOMPROMAT Vol.i’ (2025),  redolent ‘dinny greet’ (2024), 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).

Now in its sixth year, previous winners of the Modern Scottish Classic Award are: KT Tunstall ‘Eye to the Telescope’ (2025),  Martyn Bennett ‘Grit’ (2024), Paolo Nutini ‘These Streets’ (2023),  Cocteau Twins ‘Heaven or Las Vegas’ (2022) and Frightened Rabbit ‘The Midnight Organ Fight’ (2021). 

Previous winners of the Sound of Young Scotland Award are: Alice Faye (2025), Dillon Barrie (2024), No Windows (2023), Berta Kennedy (2022), LVRA (2021). 

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