rEDOLENT took home the £20,000 first prize and a bespoke trophy as part of Scotland’s national music prize, claiming the title ahead of a Shortlist including Arab Strap, corto.alto, Rachel Sermanni and more. The Edinburgh five piece won for their electronic indie-pop debut album at the beginning of what is set to be a hugely exciting career for the Scottish newcomers.
Martyn Bennett’s final record ‘Grit’ was awarded the Modern Scottish Classic Award, presented by the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA), with Martyn’s wife Kirsten Bennett and close friend BJ Stewart accepting the award on his behalf. Dillon Barrie was named The Sound of Young Scotland, winning a funding package worth up to £10,000 to create his debut album.
'Feels like a dream'
rEDOLENT winners of The Scottish Album of the Year Award 2024 said, “This feels like the dream of a 7 year old child - it’s making me question all of existence and reality! I always feel like we’re sprinting behind the pack trying to keep up and all I’ve wanted to do is contribute something. I’m potentially also gonna greet right now which is ironic. We’re just so grateful this helps us keep this wee club that we’ve got going. Thank you also to Young Fathers for all the cool tunes and for not releasing one this year!”
The Edinburgh five piece, made up of brothers Danny and Robin Herbert plus Andrew Turnbull, Robbie White and Alice Hancock, claimed the prize for their debut album. rEDOLENT won the coveted title from a Shortlist including Barry Can’t Swim, Becky Sikasa, Kathryn Williams & Withered Hand, all of whom collected runner-up prizes of £1,000 each and unique glass trophies, created via The SAY Award Design Commission by Dunblane artist Elin Isaksson.
Winners of each prize, The SAY Award, Modern Scottish Classic and Sound of Young Scotland, collected bespoke sand-casted glass sculptures, with The SAY Award trophy enhanced with 23.5 carat gold. The awards were cast from naturally occuring rocks found by the artist close to her Dunblane studio, hand poured with molten glass, using recycled coloured shards of glass as a result of a sustainability-focussed brief.
'A proud host of this magnificent event'
Stirling Council Depute Leader, Cllr Gerry McGarvey said, “Congratulations to rEDOLENT on the much deserved accolade of 2024 Scottish Album of the Year and also to Dillon Barrie for receiving The Sound of Young Scotland Award. ‘Grit’ being named as the Modern Scottish Classic was also a fitting tribute to the life, career and legacy of Martyn Bennett.
“Stirling has been proud to host The SAY Award over the last three years, with the historic Albert Halls providing an ideal stage for this magnificent event, especially as we celebrate our 900th anniversary this year.
“Our partnership with The SAY Award continues beyond this evening as the award-winning Tolbooth Stirling will host a number of shows from some of the Shortlisted artists as well as an exhibition from local artist Elin Isaksson who designed the stunning trophies as part of The SAY Award Design Commission.
“Thank you once again to everyone who played their part in making The 2024 SAY Award a resounding success and underlining Stirling’s status as a major cultural events destination.”
'Powerful and resonant body of work'
Robert Kilpatrick, CEO and Creative Director of the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) said, “Tonight, rEDOLENT’s debut album ‘dinny greet’ claims Scotland’s national music prize with a powerful and resonant body of work. The album’s experimental indie pop sound draws on both sharp social commentary and inventive electronic textures, firmly establishing them as a unique and important voice in Scottish music. By writing and singing in their own demotic, ‘dinny greet’ carries an unmistakable self-assurance, reflecting not just the band’s journey, but where we are culturally as a nation in 2024.
“rEDOLENT’s win is a testament to the importance of recognising and investing in Scotland’s diverse creative talent. The band’s distinct sound and voice, honed over a decade, speaks to the power of DIY ethos and creative evolution, showing us the impact of emerging artists in shaping our ever-evolving cultural identity.
“This year’s Ceremony also saw rising talent Dillon Barrie awarded the Sound of Young Scotland Award, promising a bright future for Scottish music. Meanwhile, Martyn Bennett’s iconic ‘Grit’ was celebrated as the Modern Scottish Classic Award winner – a seminal record that fused traditional Scottish music with cutting-edge electronica, creating a lasting legacy that continues to inspire generations of artists and music fans alike. Chosen as the winner by this year’s 20-strong SAY Award Longlist, tonight we celebrated ‘Grit’ through a specially curated unique performance – one which will undoubtedly be remembered for many years to come.
“Scottish music is the soundtrack and stories of our lives. The SMIA is proud of its ongoing commitment to strengthen, empower, and unite our music industry, and tonight’s Ceremony highlights both the cultural significance and global contribution of Scotland’s outstanding creative talent.”
Head of Music at Creative Scotland, Alan Morrison, said, “‘dinny greet’, rEDOLENT’s SAY Award-winning album, is a perfect example of off-centre alt-pop, meshing together intimate lyrics, catchy tunes and leftfield rhythms to create one of the most memorable debuts by a Scottish band in recent years. It’s also nice to see a bit of Scots language upfront in the title, underlining everything that gives our music scene such a distinctive identity. Congratulations too to Dillon Barrie, whose Sound of Young Scotland Award highlights the magnificent new generation of talent that’s making Scotland’s jazz sector one of the most vibrant creative spaces in the country. Creative Scotland is proud to support the SMIA and The SAY Award, and to champion the album as an invaluable form of artistic expression.”
The SAY Award Shortlist for 2024 in alphabetical order:
Arab Strap I'm totally fine with it
Barry Can't Swim When Will We Land?
Becky Sikasa The Writings and the Pictures and the Song
corto.alto Bad With Names
Dead Pony IGNORE THIS
Kathryn Williams & Withered Hand Willson Williams
Lucia & The Best Boys Burning Castles
Rachel Sermanni Dreamer Awake
rEDOLENT dinny greet
Theo Bleak Pain