Mogwai have won the 2021 Scottish Album Of The Year (SAY) award for their 10th studio LP As The Love Continues.
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Itโs the first time the Glasgow band have won the award after being shortlisted four times for the honour, beating out the likes of Biffy Clyro, Stanley Odd and The Snuts.
Mogwai guitarist Stuart Braithwaite picked up the trophy and ยฃ20,000 prize at Usher Hall in Edinburgh Saturday night (October 23). He dedicated the award to the bandโs long-time booking agent Mike Griffiths, who passed away earlier this month.
โI really was not expecting this. I have not thought of anything to say other than thank you and I wish Iโd got steaming,โ Braithwaite said (via The Scotsman). โThis has been a really mental year for the band. Loads of things have happened that we didnโt think would happen and this is just another. This is nuts.โ
He added: โI want to thank everyone who has bought the record, supported the record, played it on radio and all that stuff.โ
Other artists nominated for the SAY in 2021 included AiiTee, Joesef, Lizzie Reid, Rachel Newton and The Ninth Wave.
2020โs winner was Edinburgh-based rap star Nova, who opened last nightโs ceremony. Other performances came from Hamish Hawk, Sacred Paws, Bemz and Alasdair Roberts.
Elsewhere during the night, rising Edinburgh singing star Lvra was honoured with a new Sound of Young Scotland Award.
Frightened Rabbit were crowned the inaugural winner of a new award to recognise a โModern Scottish Classicโ album, with the group recognised for their 2008 album The Midnight Organ Fight.
? Congratulations @FRabbits winning The Modern Scottish Classic Award for 'The Midnight Organ Fight'
Every single person in the room joined together for the band + @tinychanges to celebrate one of the most special Scottish albums of our time
#SAYaward #TenYearsOfSAY pic.twitter.com/UZk94CGgcc
โ The SAY Award (@SAYaward) October 23, 2021
The honour comes three years after the death of frontman Scott Hutchison, who took his own life in 2018 after a battle with depression.
Grant Hutchison, Scottโs brother and bandmate, said when accepting the award: โAll of us can come at it from the same place that all of you can โ this was and is Scottโs album.
โThese are his words and they should be shared by all of us. Itโs amazing to have an album thatโs 13 years old and still inspires artists today, because it still inspires me everyday.โ