THE WEEKENDER is launching its very own annual awards this winter in a bid to further recognise the array of talent within the Scottish music scene.

For many, 2020 has been a constant source of gloom and disappointment. Bands have been forced to postpone releases and cancel tours while their income – along with that of crews and venues – has been completely devastated.

Still, throughout it all, artists have remained committed to their craft and some wonderful music has been created, recorded and unveiled, bringing comfort and joy to fans.

The Weekender, which launched this time last year, is shining a light on the remarkable output from Scotland’s bands and solo artists with a brand new set of awards.

Four will be given out this year: Album of the Year, EP of the Year, Song of the Year and Music Video of the Year.

Though there is no cash pot for winners, each award comes with an additional prize, provided through the support of sponsors in the form of Party at the Palace, Forth Valley College, Stirling City Radio and Coda Production Services.

Iain Smith, editor of The Weekender, said: “I’ve said it many times, Scottish musicians don’t get the credit they deserve. Too easy the focus is on, maybe, one or two well-promoted artists, but the sheer wealth of talent that goes unnoticed is shocking at times.

“It is important to recognise what our artists can produce, especially considering that many do so after working 40-hour weeks and while juggling family commitments.

The Weekender was set up to highlight and support artists who struggle to catch the eye of the media. We will continue to do this as best we can.

Alloa and Hillfoots Advertiser: The Weekender has produced issues #3 through #10 in lockdownThe Weekender has produced issues #3 through #10 in lockdown

“This year has been dreadful for so many reasons, but artists haven’t stopped producing and we won’t stop shouting about their achievements.

“We see these awards as a bit of a pilot – if all goes well, the hope is to see it expanded next time around, adding more awards in the form of Live Band award and, perhaps, having a Song of the Year as well as a Single of the Year, so that nothing goes unsung.

“My thanks go to the sponsors who backed the idea and who are all genuinely keen to support talent. I am also keen to see what bands and artists produce with the prizes within reach."

Entry for the inaugural awards is free and is open to managers, PR reps, fans, bloggers, journalists and other interested parties to submit on behalf of a band or artist.

Deadline for entries is 12noon on Saturday, November 21, 2020, for music videos, EPs and songs. The deadline for album entries is 12noon on Saturday, November 14, 2020.

The Awards - introducing our sponsors (and prizes)

Alloa and Hillfoots Advertiser: The inaugural Weekender awards will be sponsored by Party at the Palace, Forth Valley College, Stirling City Radio and Coda Production ServicesThe inaugural Weekender awards will be sponsored by Party at the Palace, Forth Valley College, Stirling City Radio and Coda Production Services

Party at the Palace and Party at the Park will be sponsoring the Album of the Year Award and will give the winner the opportunity to open one of the stages at either Party at the Palace in Linlithgow or its sister festival Party at the Park in Perth, in 2021.

John Richardson, co-organiser of Party at the Palace and Party at the Park, said: "Promoting Scottish artists has always been a major part of what we do and who we are. It's always a huge source of pride when we see bands develop before our eyes - whether graduating through our stages or getting recognition elsewhere.

"It's important to shout about the talent we have in Scotland and we're delighted to support The Weekender's Awards this year.

"We feel there will always be a place for albums in the Scottish music scene and massive credit should go to all those bands who worked their fingers to the bone to create a full body of work this year.

"We look forward to welcoming the winning band or artist to play some of their award-winning album at either Party at the Palace or Party at the Park next year. Best of luck to all."

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Forth Valley College is sponsoring the inaugural Song of the Year Award and is offering the winner a professional one-on-one session to record, mix and master a brand-new track.

Sound production lecturer Barry Frame said: “I am really delighted that I will have the opportunity to work with new artists.  I think it gives them a great experience to record in a professional studio but also gives me an insight into the current local talent and to also meet like-minded people.

“Having worked with a few artists during lockdown, one being Irish folk singer Liam McGrandles, whose album reached number 5 in the iTunes Album Charts, it has definitely sparked my interest in working with others.

“Most recently I recorded Sister Gavin and The Gator’s new single which has a great gospel feel to it, so can’t wait to see what other musical styles are out there.

“I think the winner will be really impressed with the studios at Forth Valley College.  These are truly the best studios I have worked in and features equipment found in the some of the world’s best recording studios.  The winners are definitely in for a treat.”

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Stirling City Radio is sponsoring the EP of the Year Award and is offering the winner the opportunity to come into the studio for a feature-length promo show where the EP will be played in full with an interview and commentary in between tracks.

Station manager James Russell said: "If there is one thing Stirling City Radio is passionate about, it's shouting about the Scottish music scene.

"We've been saying for some time that the wealth of talent in this country is incredible. However, it often goes unsung.

"With that in mind, we are thrilled to be involved in these awards and we can't wait to welcome the winning artist or band to our studio to talk about their EP."

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Coda Production Services – known for their work on The Garden Sessions project which emerged during lockdown – is sponsoring Music Video of the Year and will offer the winner a video shoot at their new Glasgow Studio.

Stevie Richmond, from Coda Production Services, said: "Coda are honoured to be supporting The Weekender in awarding Scotland’s new music and creative talent, and are delighted to be providing our services to help the winner engage with their audiences in Scotland and beyond. 

"Over the last 15 years, our team has been fiercely passionate in its support of new and established Scottish artists and providing creative ways to showcase their music on stage and, of course, now pioneering new ways to continue this online. 

"Since the start of lockdown, our mission has been to keep our artists connected to their audience in new and innovative ways. This prize represents an opportunity for us to start new creative relationships and continue keeping Scottish artists at the cutting edge.

"We’re extremely excited to invite the winner to come and work with us at our new state-of-the-art facility in Glasgow and we look forward to seeing what we can create and present to the world together."

The Criteria - Introducing the rules


For any submission to be considered...

  • It must have been released for purchase or streaming between November 1, 2019, and November 13, 2020.
  • It must have been created by a Scottish artist, a band with at least half of its members identifying as Scots, or bands/artist who have chosen the Scottish music scene as their base of operations and have been located in Scotland for the past two years.

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For albums to be considered, it must satisfy the initial entry criteria and:-

  • Be at least eight tracks long at any duration, or at least 30 minutes long with any number of tracks.
  • Must not have been released in some format previously. 
  • Must not be a compilation album or a live album

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For EPs to be considered, it must satisfy the initial entry criteria and:- 

  • Feature at least three full-length tracks. Intros/outros, track commentary, live versions of songs and songs of less than one minute will not count towards the three-track minimum.
  • Can be an EP consisting of previously released singles, so long as no track appears on another EP or album from the same artist previously.

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For individual songs to be considered, it must satisfy the initial entry criteria and:-

  • Must not be a cover of another artist's track
  • Does not have to have been released as a single for the purposes of charting
  • Can also have been released in the past, so long as there is a material difference between the two releases - including a change from acoustic to full band or vice versa; a re-recording of the original track with significant alterations (both versions must be submitted). A remix of a track from another artist will not be considered at this time.

ENTER NOW

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For music videos to be considered, it must satisfy the initial entry criteria and:-

  • Must be a full video to accompany the full version of the song.
  • Must not be a lyric video or standard graphic video, though consideration will be given to unusual concepts in this area.
  • Can be videos for songs that were released in the month before the stated release period (therefore, between October 1, 2019, and November 13, 2020).

ENTER NOW

How to enter - Introducing yourself


Email submissions to iain.smith@newsquest.co.uk containing the following information:

  • Name of the band
  • Contact details for the band (email address or phone number)
  • Category entered
  • Link to entry material (Spotify, Bandcamp, YouTube, etc.)

Further information

All entries are FREE - no payment will be accepted.

A supporting statement is not necessary; however, The Weekender is ALWAYS keen to hear stories from bands and artists.

Entries can be submitted by anyone: managers, PR reps, bands, friends, venue owners and even fans, bloggers, journalists and other interested parties - so long as the entry details are completed.

Deadline for entries is 12noon on Saturday, November 21, 2020, for music videos, EPs and songs. The deadline for album entries is 12noon on Saturday, November 14, 2020.

A shortlist will be compiled and released in the next edition of The Weekender magazine - provisionally due for release on Wednesday, November 25.