The Scottish Alternative Music Awards are back and bigger than ever, hosting a launch party last night (Wednesday 22nd April) at the CitizenM, in Glasgow, which saw the crème de la crème of Scotland’s music scene partying until the wee hours.
Last night’s intention was to bring people together to celebrate established and emerging music. And celebrate it did – with tickets for the 150-capacity event selling out in under two hours.
As well as the usual mix of rock and roll, the event saw the SAMA’s first ever Outstanding Contribution to Music award go to Bruce Findlay – ex Simple Minds manager and founder of the famous independent music store, Bruce’s Record Shop. Sponsored by the Academy of Music and Sound, the award honours the biggest names in Scottish music for their work in the industry.
With acoustic sets from the likes of BWANI, Toni Etherson and Finn LeMarinel, attendees were given a taste of the awards, which celebrate the wealth of home-grown Scottish alternative artists.
Turning 6 this year, the Scottish Alternative Music Awards have amassed a huge following from music fans across the country, as it shines a much-needed spotlight on emerging bands and artists that the mainstream media tends to ignore.
Previous winners, including Hector Bizerk and Fatherson, have gone on to perform at the world-renowned SXSW festival, alongside some of the biggest names in music, with many more past winners going on to enjoy successful music careers.
Speaking from his Edinburgh home of his delight at winning the Outstanding Contribution to Music award, Bruce Findlay said: I am thrilled to receive the first Outstanding Contribution to Music award at this year’s Scottish Alternative Music Awards. The SAMAs pleases me because I’ve always felt alternative to the mainstream and I am genuinely humbled by this award being given by a relatively new and useful organisation to the music industry.”
Richy Muirhead, founder and director of the SAMAs, said: “The Scottish Alternative Music Awards don’t do anything by halves and last night showed that there is a bigger thirst than ever for Scotland’s alternative scene to be heard and recognised. Last night we celebrated previous winners, welcomed new talent and honoured one of the biggest names in Scottish music history, Bruce Findlay. We are stronger than ever, working alongside international brands such as Heineken and CitizenM. This year is already shaping up to be our biggest yet, so stay tuned for more exciting developments.”
The date and location for this year’s Scottish Alternative Music Awards will be announced soon via www.facebook.com/OfficialSAMA or at @OfficialSAMA
For more information, please contact: officialsama@outlook.com
Well done Bruce Findlay for your award! :-))
