New winners announced for the 2024 Specsavers Scottish Music Awards

With just over a week to go until the sold-out 2024 Specsavers Scottish Music Awards at Barrowland Ballroom, the prestigious awards ceremony has announced its latest winners.

Article Source: Specsavers Scottish Music Awards
Last Updated: 22 October 2024 16:18

Joining an already impressive line-up that includes Travis, Lulu, Kyle Falconer and Calum Bowie, the new honourees showcase the incredible talent from Scotland and beyond.

Glasgow’s Alt-Rock Heroes Twin Atlantic, Dundee’s DJ Hannah Laing, Subclub Legends, Harri and Domenic, 90’s Darlings, Soup Dragons, Industry Legend Phil Bowdery and Record-Breaking Event, Country 2 Country will be celebrated for their outstanding contributions to the music industry. These artists will join the ranks of previous winners such as Rod Stewart, Joesef, Callum Beattie, and Emeli Sandé.

The Specsavers Scottish Music Awards, now in its 26th year, is a flagship fundraiser for Nordoff and Robbins, a UK-based music therapy charity. The event will take place on Saturday, November 2nd and feature exclusive performances from some of Scotland's most celebrated musicians.

In alphabetical order, the announced winners for this year’s Specsavers Scottish Music Awards include:

Berkeley 2 Studios – Guitar Guitar Music Industry Award
Calum Bowie – Beavertown’s Breakthrough Award
Country 2 Country – Ticketmaster’s Tourmaster Award
Hannah Laing – Go Radio Breakthrough Award
Harri and Domenic – Ballantines and Subclub Electronic Music Award
Kyle Falconer – King Tuts’ Song Writing Award
LuLu – Scottish Icon Award sponsored by Rox
Phil Bowdery - OVO Hydro Promoter of the Year Award
Soup Dragons - Raymond Weil Lifetime Achievement Award
Travis – Outstanding Achievement Award sponsored by the Sir Reo Stakis Foundation
Twin Atlantic – Disruptor Award sponsored by Hard Rock Cafe Edinburgh

Off the back of their 7th Studio Album, Meltdown, and on the cusp of a November UK Tour, Twin Atlantic are back on our airwaves and better than ever, earning them Disruptor Award sponsored by Hard Rock Cafe Edinburgh.

Sam McTrusty says: “It’s truly an honour to be recognised by Nordoff and Robbins for their Scottish Music Awards. The work they do with music therapy is so inspiring to us as musicians and so necessary for so many families out there who rely on the experiences they provide.

For our band to be called a Disruptor within the industry feels great. We’ve always tried to push ourselves creatively, touring and now even how we release our music. So of course, it’s very humbling to have people from our homeland make some noise about it and the longer we are a band the more we just keep being drawn towards disruption of the rules.

Hopefully can be disrupting for many years to come.”

Staples of the Scottish clubbing scene, Harri and Domenic’s Saturday residency at Sub Club is the longest running residency in the whole world. Celebrating their 30th anniversary of providing killer tracks for Glasgow’s punters, it’s fitting for them to be recognised at the Specsavers Scottish Music Awards with the Ballantines and Subclub Electronic Music Award.

Harri says: “I feel like the trainspotter who got run over by the steam train – absolutely chuffed to bits! It’s an incredible honour to be recognised for something we’ve been so passionate about for so many years. The music, the culture, and the community have always been at the heart of what we do, and to receive this award from such an amazing organisation means a lot to us.”

Domenic says: “To be honest I'm a wee bit embarrassed about receiving an award, music is such a subjective thing that I've never felt comfortable with awards in music. My award is getting to play in the Sub Club every week to a great crowd and in front of great staff. I am however extremely honoured to be connected in some small way to the incredible work that Nordoff and Robbins do and how they use music to help so many people.”

Hannah Laing has cemented herself as one of Scotland’s legendary DJ’s. From getting her own Radio 1’s essential mix to announcing her very own festival in her home city, Dundee. This “Doof Distributor” is a worthy recipient of Go Radio’s Breakthrough Award.

Hannah says: “As a Scottish artist, winning this award means absolutely everything. Over the last 12 years that I've been a DJ I've built up such a loyal Scottish following. They give so much support to their own and I appreciate that a lot.”

Phil Bowdery, President of Touring at Live Nation Europe, has been honoured with OVO Hydro's Promoter Award. A key figure in the live music industry, Bowdery has played a pivotal role in bringing top-tier talent to venues like the OVO Hydro. The award recognises his significant contributions to live entertainment in Scotland and his ongoing impact on the global music scene.

He says: “I am extremely honoured to be the recipient of this year's OVO Hydro Promoter Award. Due to our long-standing relationship, Glasgow and the OVO Hydro hold a very dear place in my heart. I’d like to thank them and Nordoff and Robbins for this incredible recognition. Nordoff and Robbins’ dedication and passion make this a very special organisation, with music at its heart. The transformative work they do truly helps to enrich many lives.”

Belshill heroes, famed for their 90’s hit cover of The Rolling Stone’s “I’m Free” and some Christmas shows lined up for the end of the year, Soup Dragons have earned themselves the Raymond Weil Lifetime Achievement Award.

Frontman Jim says: “The Soup Dragons are overjoyed to be honoured by Nordoff and Robbins with this award as the work and values of the organisation mean a great deal to the group. We stand together with Nordoff and Robbins in saying that- Together, we are music.”

Ticketmaster’s Tour Master Award will be awarded to the record-breaking Country 2 Country tour which took place at the OVO Hydro in March this year. With 3 days of perfect country programming, Scottish Country fans flocked to the city, C2C have a well-earned award.

Geoff Ellis, CEO of DF Concerts says: “We’re proud to receive the Ticketmaster Tourmaster Award for Country to Country on behalf of promoters DF Concerts, AEG and SJM, and would like to dedicate it to Chris York who sadly passed away this year. Chris was a legend of the music industry who played an instrumental role in bringing C2C Festival to the UK and someone who truly knew the power that music played when it comes to supporting good causes, just like Nordoff & Robbins.”

The Specsavers Scottish Music Awards is a celebration of Scottish music and a vital source of funding for Nordoff and Robbins. Join us on November 2nd at Barrowland Ballroom for an unforgettable night of music, awards, and fundraising.

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