Band strikes it lucky with debut
Sacred Paws win Scottish Album of theYear
This year’s winner of The Scottish Album of the Year - announced in Paisley - was Sacred Paws with their album Strike A Match.
The most coveted music prize in Scotland was announced on Wednesday night at a ceremony in Paisley Town Hall.
Hosts Vic Galloway and Nicola Meighan were joined by an audience of industry insiders, avid music fans and some of Scotland’s best and brightest creative talent to see Sacred Paws pick up the £ 20,000 first prize.
The band also received a unique Paisley-inspired winners trophy, created by local jeweller Lisa Crockard, winner of the Say Design Commission.
Band member, Rachel Aggs was overwhelmed by their win, saying :“I just want to say thank you so much, thanks to the SAY Award, thanks to the judges, thanks to everyone at Rock Action and I can’t believe it.
“We are not always the most confident people and I think playing music has a lot to do with confidence, so this is completely overwhelming and we don’t feel like we belong here but at the same time we feel validated for what we do.”
Formed in 2014, Sacred Paws, comprised of vocalist and guitarist Rachel and drummer Eilidh Rodgers, released their debut album, Strike A Match, on January 27, on Glasgow label Rock Action Records.
The duo, based between Glasgow and London, received critical acclaim from the likes of Clash Magazine, Pitchfork, Q Magazine, DIY Magazine, amongst other titles and can now include Scottish Album of the Year to their repertoire.
Produced by The Scottish Music Industry Association ( SMIA), and now in its sixth year, The SAY Award has grown to become the most prestigious music prize in Scotland.
For the past two years, the award has teamed up R e n f re w s h i re C o u n c i l , supporting the Paisley bid for UK City of Culture 2021.
The shortlist served to highlight the very best in Scottish music, spanning a range of genres and audiences.
The winner of this year’s public vote was the poignant Future Echoes by Pictish Trail, which won an automatic place on the shortlist after a 72-hour public vote.
The remaining nine slots were awarded by The SAY Award’s panel of independent judges and each won a £1,000 prize, and all ten received a 3D printed plate produced by Lisa.