The nominees for the 2020 Scottish Alternative Music Awards (SAMA) have been announced, with shortlisted acts including hip hop rap artist LOTOS, Glasgow indie-pop sextet Fauves, and multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter Callum Easter.
This year’s ceremony is moving online for the first time due to COVID-19 restrictions, with spoken word artist Leyla Josephine and radio presenter and DJ Jim Gellatly announced as special guest hosts.
The event will feature live performances from Glaswegian alt-pop outfit Walt Disco, and grime powerhouse and latest Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) winner Nova.
The independent awards—now in their eleventh year—recognise the best new alternative Scottish music across a host of genres, with past winners including Lewis Capaldi, Gerry Cinnamon and The Ninth Wave.
Richy Muirhead, founder and creative director, said: “I am delighted the SAMA is returning for the 11th edition.
“This year has been an incredibly challenging time for the arts; however, it has been so refreshing to see artists continue to write and release music from across Scotland during the lockdown.
Due to COVID-19, artists who have been hosting innovative, high-quality live streams will be eligible for the Best Live Act award.
Since its launch in 2009, the SAMAs have placed a spotlight on some of the best new talents across Scotland’s diverse underground music scene.
“The awards are a platform to ignite some positivity, encourage music discovery, and take a wide look at many of the innovative artists across genres like rock, electronic, hip hop, and more,” Muirhead added.
“It will be strange not hosting this in a packed-out room in Glasgow, but we are working behind the scenes to deliver something just as special for 2021.”
A three-day public vote will launch on the SAMAs official website on November 9, followed by an announcement of the winners at the live virtual ceremony on November 18.
The online ceremony will take place at 6.30 pm via a new partnership with leading live streaming platform Twitch.
Suzanne Miller, Help Musicians Scotland manager, said: “We know how uniquely difficult 2020 has been for musicians; with so many still unable to perform it has been and continues to be, both emotionally and financially challenging.
“That’s why this year’s SAMAs are perhaps more important than ever before, offering us all a moment to reflect on the incredible power of music, in all its various genres, that has kept us going and lifted our spirits exactly when we’ve needed it.”
The event will be free to stream worldwide, with e-ticket registrations now open here.
Donations are optional, with any money raised split between the Scottish Help Musicians fund and the cost towards future SAMA events.
The 2020 SAMA nominees in full:
Best Acoustic (sponsored by BTO BeCreative)
Bobby Kakouris
Fair Mothers
Jenny Sturgeon
Man of the Minch
Best Electronic (sponsored by citizenM hotels)
Lady Neptune
Pleasure Pool
TAAHLIAH
Tommy Perman
Best Hip Hop (sponsored by Help Musicians Scotland)
CLING
India Rose
LOTOS
Louis Seivwright
Best Live Act (sponsored by Musicians Union)
Callum Easter
Free Love
Kapil Seshasayee
Still House Plants
Best Metal (sponsored by Hard Rock Café Glasgow)
Bleed From Within
King Witch
Neshiima
Saor
Best Newcomer (sponsored by The Academy of Music & Sound)
Nathan Somevi
Kohla
TAAHLIAH
Tamzene
Best Rock/Alternative (sponsored by Rock Rose Gin)
Dead Pony
Fauves
HYYTS
Pleasure Heads
Listen to SAMA’s Spotify playlist featuring the 2020 nominations here.
Photo Credit:
Neil Mckenzie
