Scottish Album of the Year: Mercury Prize nominee Jacob Alon, Mogwai nominated - here is the full longlist
The longlist for this year’s Scottish Album of the Year has been announced.
Mercury Prize nominee Jacob Alon and Mogwai are among the 20 musicians longlisted for the prestigious Scottish Album of the Year prize.
Alon’s In Limerance album is listed, alongside veteran band Mogwai’s The Bad Fire. It is the sixth time Mogwai has been nominated for the award, which it won in 2021 with As The Love Continues.
Also on the list is Hamish Hawk, for his album A Firmer Hand, as well as Be Charlotte, with Self Help and Fictional Doubts.
Other nominees include Brooke Combe, Cloth, Constant Follower, corto.alto, Faith Eliott, Kai Reesu, Kathryn Joseph, kitti, Maranta, Matt Carmichael, Rebecca Vasmant, TAAHLIAH, The Joy Hotel, Walt Disco and Zoe Graham.
The Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) and Creative Scotland said the nominated albums of the awards, known as SAY, "reaffirm the intrinsic value of the album" in a sector "increasingly driven by AI and metrics".
Whittled down from 401 eligible album submissions, this year’s longlist showcases Scottish talent from across the country. The longlist features two former SAY Award winners, one 2025 Mercury Prize nominee and genres from indie pop to R&B/soul, folk, jazz and dance.
Robert Kilpatrick, chief executive and creative director of SMIA, which produces the award, said: “In an industry increasingly driven by algorithms and metrics, each year the announcement of the longlist reaffirms the intrinsic value of the album – artistic works that soundtrack our lives, tell our stories and shape both who we are and who we can become.
“Records let us enter an artist’s inner world, and through doing so often reflect something back within ourselves – sometimes even things we never knew were there. To me, it’s that intimate dance and unique connection that gives them their magic.
“With 401 eligible submissions this year, today’s announcement is about celebrating the 20 outstanding Scottish albums that are now in the running for the coveted title of Scottish Album of the Year, as well as the £20,000 first prize. We implore you to listen to them, and through doing so maybe you'll find something more than a few new favourites.”
Alan Morrison, head of Music at Creative Scotland said, “This year’s SAY Award Longlist proves that the album will always triumph over an industry driven by AI and algorithms. These 20 works of art are where true musical creativity is to be found – beyond easy categories, across genres and genders.
“It is encouraging to see so many debut releases included here and to know that the album remains such a valid format for anyone making their first artistic statement in an ever-changing world. It’s also why the SAY Award, supported by the Scottish Government through Creative Scotland funding of the SMIA, continues to grab the attention of music-loving audiences and industry alike.”
The list is created by 100 impartial “nominators”, chosen from sectors including journalism, music retail and music venues across Scotland. These judges nominate and rank their five favourite eligible albums in order of preference. The SIMA assigns a score to each title in a nominator’s top five, with the 20 highest scoring albums forming The SAY Award Longlist.
The Scottish Album of the Year will be awarded at a ceremony on November 6 at Dundee’s Caird Hall.
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