New Music Scotland has announced its inaugural Scottish Awards for New Music will take place on 8 March 2017. The awards, which receive financial support from Creative Scotland, will celebrate and champion the highest standards and achievements of Scotland’s composers, musicians, sound artists and ensembles.
New Music Scotland Chair, composer Oliver Searle, said: ‘We are excited about the launch of these awards in Scotland, in recognition of the range of innovative new work being created, promoted and performed. New Music Scotland recognises the diversity and quality of new music that exists here, providing a further opportunity to raise awareness of the range of musical activity that is essential in making Scotland such a culturally vibrant place to live and work.’
Alan Morrison, head of music, Creative Scotland, added: ‘The Scottish Awards for New Music offer a fantastic opportunity to celebrate work that resonates locally, nationally and internationally. Excellence and experimentation thrive across all of the award categories, proving yet again that Scotland is home to musicians and composers who are truly world-class. Creative Scotland also hopes that these new awards raise the profile of such artists in our society, allowing the public to engage with some of the most thrilling music currently being made here.’
Nominations opened on 24 November for music being made by Scottish and Scottish-based creators of new music. You have until 20 December to put recommendations forward for the following nine categories:
Electroacoustic/Sound Art Work
Small Scale New Work (1-10 Performers)
Large Scale New Work (11+ Performers)
Recorded New Work
Innovation
Collaboration
Community/Education Project
Achievement In New Music
New Music Performer(s) of The Year
High profile figures on the panel are Jessica Cottis (conductor); Brian Irvine (composer); Dr Evonne Ferguson (director of the Contemporary Music Centre Ireland); Rose Dodd (composer); Tom Poulson (musician); Susanne Eastburn (chief executive, Sound and Music); Kate Molleson (music writer); Emmanuel Cocher (director of the Institut français d’Ecosse).
Nominations are open from Thursday 24 November until Tuesday 20 December 2016 and can be made by both members of the public and industry professionals. Nominations can be made via the website where details of eligibility and submission criteria can be found. Profiles of the shortlisted entries will be available on New Music Scotland’s website in the weeks leading up to the event.
The ceremony will take place on 8 March at 8pm at the Drygate Brewery, Glasgow. Tickets are priced from £20 before the shortlist is announced and £25 after the shortlist is announced (January 2017). Table booking options are available from January 2017.
newmusicscotland.co.uk/awards2017
@scotnewmus
