Scottish Awards for New Music honour talent

The winners of the third annual Scottish Awards for New Music have been announced.

The winners were revealed at an event hosted by music writer and broadcaster, Kate Molleson, at the Drygate Brewery in Glasgow on the evening of Monday.

The Scottish Awards for New Music highlights the country’s contemporary music scene, and showcases the innovative, experimental and ground-breaking work taking place in Scotland.

Garth Knox New Music Performer of the Year Award at the 2019 Scottish Awards for New Music (Photo: Iain Smart)

The winners of the 11 categories Scottish Awards for New Music 2019 are, in no particular order:

New Music Performer of the Year: Garth Knox

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Award for Contribution to New Music in Scotland: Red Note Ensemble

Award for Large Scale New Work sponsored by PRS for Music: Helen Grime, Woven Space

Dorico Award for Small Scale New Work sponsored by Steinberg: James Dillon, Quartet No. 9

Recorded New Work: softLOUD, Sean Shibe on Delphian Records

Red Note Ensemble winners of Contribution to New Music in Scotland Award Red Note Ensemble in photo John Harris and Celia Duffy (chair) (Photo: Iain Smart)

The Good Spirits Company Award for Innovation in New Traditional Music, joint winners: Ailie Robertson, Seven Sorrows, and Grit Orchestra, Bothy Culture

EVM Award for Electroacoustic/Sound Art Work: Pippa Murphy, Breathe in me

Creative Programming: sound

RCS Award for Making It Happen: Nevis Ensemble

Community/Education Project: Lost At Sea East Neuk Festival / Scanner / Svend McEwan-Brown

RCS Award for Collaboration in New Music: Simon Thacker’s Svara-Kanti, featuring Simon Thacker Neyveli / B. Venkatesh / K.V. Gopalakrishna / N. Guruprasad / Farid Yesmin / Raju Das Baul / Sunayana Ghosh

Sean Shibe guitar and Paul Baxter of Delphian Records, winners of the New Recorded Work 2019 (Photo: Iain Smart)

Alan Morrison, Head of Music at Creative Scotland, said: ‘The new music scene in Scotland is fearlessly open to a diversity of influences and ideas, as could be seen and heard right across the excellent list of nominees for this year’s awards.

‘It’s really encouraging to see both emerging talents and leading lights among the winners, as well as festivals and performers who are dedicated to taking new music out of the central belt, to Fife, Aberdeenshire and beyond. Creative Scotland is proud to support a sector that makes such great music while breaking the rules and challenging the norm. Now is the time for Scotland to show how its new music can influence the rest of the world.’

The event, attended by performers, creators, leaders and supporters of the vibrant music scene in Scotland, had live performances, supported by the Musicians’ Union, from winning performer,Garth Knox and a piece from a winning composer, Pippa Murphy, performed by Kate Halsall.

Panellist and artistic director of Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Graham McKenzie said: ‘It was a pleasure to be involved in the Scottish Awards for New Music for the first time, and very exciting to be introduced to the range and diversity of of new music being produced across the country.

‘The quality and innovation of the work was impressive, and I was particularly pleased to see a strong emphasis on gender balance represented. On a personal basis the whole experience has brought to my intention a number of composer voices here in Scotland that I will certainly look to work with in the future.’

Helen Grime winner of the Scottish Award for New Music PRS for Music Award for Large Scale New Work (Photo: Iain Smart)

The awards themselves were designed and created by Edinburgh-based artist and maker, Emma McDowall. Initially studying at Gray’s School of Art, Emma now creates a collection of contemporary concrete pieces. Focusing on the interplay between colour and material, and using the naturally occurring surface pattern and textural imperfections Emma hand-casts colourful, unique works in concrete, from vessels to pieces of art.

Over two hundred nominations were submitted by artists, audience members and the general public, reinforcing the extent of new music activity in Scotland.

Created by New Music Scotland with support from Creative Scotland, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), PRS for Music, Dorico by Steinberg, The Good Spirits Co. Glasgow, Musicians’ Union, and EVM(Effective Visual Marketing) and New Music Scotland.

New Music Scotland is a network of composers, performers, programmers, producers, educators, funders and audience. NMS facilitates the creation, production and promotion of experimental, innovative and imaginative new music.