Today we the 10 Shortlisted albums now in the running for 2025’s title and £20,000 prize, as well as this year’s five Sound of Young Scotland finalists. Plus, KT Tunstall’s debut album ‘Eye to the Telescope’ is announced as this year’s Modern Scottish Classic Award winner, with the singer-songwriter set to celebrate the win with a special live performance at the SAY Award Ceremony in Dundee next month.
The SAY Award 2025 Shortlist, in alphabetical order, is:
- Brooke Combe Dancing At The Edge Of The World
- Cloth Pink Silence
- Hamish Hawk A Firmer Hand
- Jacob Alon In Limerence
- Kai Reesu KOMPROMAT vol. I
- Kathryn Joseph WE WERE MADE PREY.
- Matt Carmichael Dancing with Embers
- TAAHLIAH Gramarye
- The Joy Hotel Ceremony
- Zoe Graham TENT
Brooke Combe’s ‘Dancing At The Edge Of The World’ won the public vote, where music fans had 72 hours to ‘have their SAY’ and vote for their favourite Longlisted album to secure a place on the Shortlist. The 9 remaining Shortlisted albums were chosen by The SAY Award judging panel.
The Modern Scottish Classic Award, presented by the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA), is an annual recognition of an iconic album from Scotland’s past that still inspires today. The winner of the award was voted for by 2025’s Longlisted artists, with KT Tunstall’s ‘Eye to the Telescope’ (2004) named this year’s Modern Scottish Classic. The singer-songwriter will celebrate the award win with a special live performance at this year’s SAY Award Ceremony at Dundee’s Caird Hall on 6th November, with tickets on sale now at www.sayaward.com.
The five finalists for The Sound of Young Scotland Award (supported by Help Musicians, the Scottish Government’s Youth Music Initiative through Creative Scotland and Youth Music) have also been announced. The award aims to stimulate and support the future of Scottish music, offering a funding package worth up to £10,000 to a young and emerging Scottish artist to assist them in creating their debut album. 2025’s Sound of Young Scotland finalists are: Aleena, Alice Faye, GAÏA, Rahul.mp3 and Tarran.
Robert Kilpatrick, CEO and Creative Director of the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) said, “Congratulations to the 10 incredible albums on 2025’s SAY Award Shortlist, as well as to our five Sound of Young Scotland Award finalists and this year’s Modern Scottish Classic Award winner – KT Tunstall’s iconic and much-loved debut record, ‘Eye To The Telescope’.
“As we now quickly approach next month’s Ceremony at Dundee’s Caird Hall, we’re looking forward to celebrating Scottish music’s bright future, rich past and invaluable present. We couldn’t be more delighted to have KT Tunstall join a stellar bill of performing artists, including 2024 SAY Award winners redolent, plus Brooke Combe, corto.alto and Dillon Barrie.
“Scottish music truly is the soundtrack and stories of our lives. We hope you can join us to celebrate it on Thursday 6 November, and we couldn’t be more excited for The SAY Award to make its debut in our new home of Dundee.”
KT Tunstall, winner of 2025’s Modern Scottish Classic Award said, “I am so grateful these deeply personal songs that I recorded and shaped with Steve Osborne in such a stripped back, blues-inspired way still resonate with people 20 years later. Scotland’s incredible musical output continues to inspire me, and I am very proud to see my debut album join the phenomenal lineage of Scottish music recognised by the Modern Scottish Classic Award and the Scottish Music Industry Association.”
2025’s SAY Award Shortlist, Modern Scottish Classic Award winner and Sound of Young Scotland finalists will be celebrated at this year’s Ceremony. One of the biggest nights in Scottish music, the Ceremony takes place outside the Central Belt for the first time ever, at Dundee’s Caird Hall on 6th November. With performances from KT Tunstall, Brooke Combe, corto.alto, Dillon Barrie and rEDOLENT, it is set to be an outstanding celebration of Scottish music past, present and future. Final tickets from www.sayaward.com.
The Modern Scottish Classic Award, presented by the SMIA, is annually selected by the 20 artists on The SAY Award Longlist. All 20 artists submit their top 5 Scottish albums which pre-date the inception of The SAY Award (2011), and continue to inspire to this day.
KT Tunstall’s debut album ‘Eye to the Telescope’ is the fifth recipient of the award, in a year which has also seen the Edinburgh-born, multi-platinum singer-songwriter celebrate the 20th anniversary of the record, with an upcoming re-issue at the end of this month.
The album catapulted KT Tunstall into the global spotlight with career defining moments including an iconic performance of ‘Black Horse and the Cherry Tree’ on Later…with Jools Holland, and ‘Suddenly I See’ as a full length feature in the opening of blockbuster film The Devil Wears Prada. Having recently been awarded an Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Song Collection, KT Tunstall is one of Scotland’s most successful exports with 8 critically acclaimed albums and world tours under her belt.
Each year, the Sound of Young Scotland finalists are chosen by a panel of former SAY Award nominees with 2025’s judging panel including: Bee Asha, Liam Shortall (corto.alto), Ross Leighton (Fatherson), Lucia Fairfull (Lucia & the Best Boys), Robin Herbert (redolent) and more. The panel whittled down 100 eligible applications to this year’s five finalists, with the winner set to be announced at the Ceremony.
The winning package includes; cash grants totalling £6,000 to cover studio and production costs,, a performance slot at 2026’s SAY Award Ceremony, up to 250 vinyl pressings of their debut album from Seabass Vinyl, a bespoke art prize from The SAY Award Design Commission, and more.
Morag Macdonald, YMI Manager at Creative Scotland said, “The Sound of Young Scotland Award shines a light on the vibrant future of music in this country. Creative Scotland, through the Scottish Government’s Youth Music Initiative, is proud to support an award that will help boost the career of an exciting, emerging Scottish artist at a vital stage in their career. Music plays such an important role in the lives and learning of young people, and I hope that other young musicians will also be inspired by the success of this year’s finalists.”
*see finalists quotes in Notes to Editors
The SAY Award is a Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) production. The SAY Award 2025 is delivered in partnership with Creative Scotland, Leisure & Culture Dundee, V&A Dundee, Dundee City Council, UNESCO Dundee City of Design, Seabass Vinyl, PPL, HMV, FOPP, Help Musicians, the Scottish Government’s Youth Music Initiative, Youth Music, 71 Brewing, Bon Accord, Apex Hotels, Malmaison and Music Declares Emergency. The project is part-funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Previous winners of The SAY Award include; 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).
SAY Award Ceremony tickets on sale via www.sayaward.com
£28 + booking fee
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