The artists behind the 20-strong longlist in the running for the Scottish Album of the Year award have been described as an “antidote to AI”.
The list includes late singer songwriter Beldina Odenyo, from Glasgow, for her post-humous album Heir of the Cursed, released last year by her sister. Also longlisted are former winner Fergus McCreadie, Gaelic trio Sian for 'araon' which won Album of the Year at the Trad awards and Biffy Clyro.
The albums on the longlist compete for the £20,000 prize, with the winner announced in a ceremony at Dundee's Caird Hall in November.
A team of 100 impartial “nominators”, chosen from sectors including journalism, music retail and music venues across Scotland, nominate and rank their five favourite eligible albums in order of preference. The Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) – which produces the award – assigns a score to each title in a nominator’s top five, with the 20 highest scoring albums forming The SAY Award Longlist.
Robert Kilpatrick, chief executive and creative director of the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) said: “It’s hard to believe that 2026 marks The SAY Award’s 15th year, with over £425,000 in prize money distributed to Scottish artists to date – and soon to be more. As ever, the 20-strong Longlist showcases a bold, intimate, powerful and ever-evolving recorded output from across our country – one that continues to inspire, captivate, challenge and connect.
“Music is at the heart of our cultural identity, and each year The SAY Award Longlist gives us the opportunity to reflect on both who we are and who we’re becoming as a nation. I’m incredibly proud of the value we continue to place on music, and on the album as an artform.”
Alan Morrison, head of music at Creative Scotland said: “The 20 works of human brilliance that make up this year’s SAY Award Longlist are an antidote to the negative impacts of generative AI to the music industry. These heartfelt statements of artistic expression in album form will make you cry, sigh, dance and cheer – the full spectrum of emotions that only music can inspire.
“With attention-grabbing debuts standing shoulder-to-shoulder alongside future classics by favourite bands, it’s clear that 2026 has shaped up to be a special vintage year.”
Leah McAleer, sister of Ms Odenyo, who performed as Heir of the Cursed, said it was “heartbreaking and heartfilling” to have the album on the longlist.
A documentary film about Ms Odenyo’s life, directed by Louise Lockwood and produced by Sarah Howitt, was the closing screening for this year’s Edinburgh International Film Festival.
She said: “On 8 November 2018, Beldina texted me and said she was going to make the best album, and then we would tour the world. On 7 December 2021 I promised her that we would spread her songs as wide as words and music can travel. Since then we have worked together to release her album Heir of the Cursed, each of us committed to keeping those promises.
“I know wherever Beldina is she is dancing with delight, but her quote is probably unprintable.”
Last year, Kai Reesu’s debut album KOMPROMAT vol.i, scooped the top prize.
. Heir of the Cursed
Beldina, Odenyo, who performed as Heir of the Cursed, is listed for her posthumous album of the same name. | SAY
