Some of the best emerging Scottish talent has been recognised at this year’s Scottish Alternative Music Awards (SAMA) in Glasgow.
The virtual ceremony was held on Wednesday, November 18, and was broadcast globally on Twitch, attracting viewers from across Europe, the USA and Brazil.
Hosted by radio presenter and DJ Jim Gellatly and spoken word artist Leyla Josephine, the event featured performances by Glasgow alt-pop quintet Walt Disco and this year’s Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) award winner Nova.
The winners were determined following a three-day public ballot which received over 10,000 votes.
The biggest winner of the night was artist, producer and DJ TAAHLIAH, who became the first black transgender artist to be nominated for a SAMA.
Taking home both the Best Newcomer and Best Electronic awards, she has become the first artist in SAMA history to be nominated and win in two different categories in the same year.
The electronic artist, producer and DJ said: “I’m delighted to have won, especially winning twice.
“It is a real honour to be the first black trans artist to win, but I know and hope I will not be the last.
“It means a lot to be recognised so highly, so early on my career as an artist.”
Two in one go! @OfficialSAMA 🖤 pic.twitter.com/z0360P7wLa
— TAAHLIAH (@TAAHLIAH) November 18, 2020
Edinburgh singer-songwriter Callum Easter—whose debut album Here or Nowhere was also shortlisted for this year’s SAY Award—bagged the prize for Best Live Act.
Other artists to scoop the national awards included Glaswegian indie-pop sextet Fauves (Best Rock/Alternative), folk singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jenny Sturgeon (Best Acoustic), Dundee rap powerhouse India Rose (Best Hip Hop) and ‘Caledonian metal’ band Saor (Best Metal).
This year’s SAMA winners in full:
Best Acoustic (sponsored by BTO BeCreative)
Jenny Sturgeon
Best Electronic (sponsored by citizenM hotels) and Best Newcomer (sponsored by The Academy of Music & Sound)
TAAHLIAH
Best Hip Hop (sponsored by Help Musicians Scotland)
India Rose
Best Live Act (sponsored by Musicians Union)
Callum Easter
Best Metal (sponsored by Hard Rock Café Glasgow)
Saor
Best Rock/Alternative (sponsored by Rock Rose Gin)
Fauves
For more information on the SAMAs, visit their website here.
Watch this year’s SAMA ceremony in full via YouTube below.
