The 6th annual Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award has launched for 2017, encouraging artists, labels and the general public to nominate eligible albums released between 1 April 2016 and 31 March 2017 on The SAY Award website.

The SAY Award is a prestigious and exciting arts prize produced by the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA), with confirmed partners for 2017 including Paisley for UK City of Culture 2021, Creative Scotland, TicketWeb and PPL. The award celebrates, promotes and rewards the most outstanding Scottish albums released each year. Respected by artists and valued by the industry, The SAY Award is responsible for a surge in musical discovery and an explosion of impassioned debate on social media.

Once all eligible albums have been collated, 100 impartial ‘Nominators’, chosen from press, radio, music venues, jazz, classical, traditional folk, retail and elsewhere in the arts, will consider titles from The SAY Award’s Eligible Album List, nominating their five favourite albums and ranking them in order of preference. The 20 highest scoring albums will make up The SAY Award Longlist for 2017, announced on May 24th.

The Longlist will be further whittled down to a shortlist of 10 albums, one of which will be chosen by the public during a 72-hour public vote (12-14 June) and the others decided by a panel of prestigious judges. The SAY Award 2017 Shortlist will be announced on June 15th as part of a BBC Quay Sessions show, with the award ceremony then taking place on June 28th in the surroundings of Paisley's elegant Town Hall, in support of Paisley’s bid for Paisley to become UK City of Culture 2021. The winning artist will pick up a £20,000 cash prize, provided by long term Award partner Creative Scotland. The 9 runners up will each be awarded a £1,000 prize, as well as an exclusively designed piece of artwork from the SAY Award Design Commission.

For the second year running, The SAY Award ceremony will be taking place in the historic town of Paisley, a place with a deep cultural heritage, not only in music but across the arts. The town has a thriving music scene and is fast establishing itself as a key destination on Scotland's major events map. To be able to attract and host an event of the importance of the SAY Award is a big boost for Paisley ahead of the town's bid to be UK City of Culture 2021 being lodged."

Previous winners of the Award include Bill Wells and Aiden Moffat (2012), RM Hubbert (2013), Young Fathers (2014), Kathryn Joseph (2015) and last years winner Anna Meredith, who won with her critically acclaimed full length debut album Varmints.

To nominate an album, please visit The SAY Award website for guidelines and more information.

In case you hadn’t heard, it’s Green Man’s 15th birthday. With Green Man being Wales’ biggest music festival, it only seems right to host some of the some of the biggest names in independent, electrifying music. Ahead of an eagerly awaited fifth album, The Shins showcase their enviable back catalogue of beautifully crafted guitar pop for their only UK Festival show this year.

Not only that, but there’s poet and musician Kate Tempest, whose personal, spine-tingling way with words has found its way into albums, books and startlingly original adaptations of Shakespeare. Sleaford Mods bring their direct, stripped back political exultations to fly the flag for punk music in 2017. Their electrifying live shows being where their bristling, confrontational energy shines brightest, we really can’t wait.

New additions in full:

The Shins, Kate Tempest, Sleaford Mods, Thee Oh Sees, Daniel Johnston, Shirley Collins, Saint Etienne, Liars, Julian Cope Johnny Flynn & The Sussex Wit,  Roni Size, Fruit Bats, Andy Shauf, Timber Timbre, Pumarosa, Andy Shauf, Yorkston Thorne Khan, Pictish Trail, Moddi, Moses Boyd, Anna Meredith, Pumarosa, Alasdair Roberts, Charlie Cunningham, Julie Byrne, Holly Macve, Trembling Bells, Circulus, Aldous Harding, Nadia Reid, Happyness, Kikagaku Moya, Warm Digits, Benedict Benjamin, Nathan Ball, Jim Gehdi, Lice, Aled Rheon, H.Grimace, Gintis, Tom Ravenscroft (DJ), Huw Stephens (DJ), Earth Recordings (DJ)

With three headliners already confirmed, in PJ Harvey, Ryan Adams and Future Islands (their only UK festival), and more names to announce too; comedy, film programme, spoken word and literature names and a Thursday night headliner still to come. Keep your eyes peeled for more news soon!

Tickets available here [http://greenman.net]

The Green Man 2017 birthday bash line-up in full (so far):

PJ Harvey, Ryan Adams, Future Islands, The Shins, Michael Kiwanuka, Kate Tempest, Sleaford Mods, Thee Oh Sees, Lambchop, Angel Olsen, Conor Oberst, Daniel Johnston, Shirley Collins, Saint Etienne, Liars, Julian Cope, Johnny Flynn, BadBadNotGood, Roni Size, Jon Hopkins (DJ), Fruit Bats, This is the Kit, Field Music, The Big Moon, Andy Shauf, Julia Jacklin, Hurray For The Riff Raff, Timber Timbre, Fionn Regan, Yorkston Thorne Khan, Anna Meredith, Pictish Trail, Jessica Pratt, Richard Dawson, Moddi, Melt Yourself Down, Wolf People, Pumarosa, Sunflower Bean, LVL UP, Grumbling Fur, Michael Chapman, Moses Boyd Exodus, Alasdair Roberts, Laura Gibson, Karl Blau, Charlie Cunningham, Chris Forsyth & The Solar Motel Band, Julie Byrne, Gaelynn Lea, Holly Macve, Gill Landry, Girl Ray, Trembling Bells, Circulus, Aldous Harding, Nadia Reid, Big Thief, Happyness, GospelbeacH, Kikagaku Moya, Shame, Doomsquad, Deep Throat Choir, Warm Digits, Benedict Benjamin, Warhaus, Nathan Ball, The Orielles, Jim Ghedi, Lice, Aled Rheon, H.Grimace, Gintis, Huw Stephens (DJ), Tom Ravenscroft (DJ), Earth Recordings (DJ).