For the first time a rap record won the Best Scottish Album award. The winner was «Re-Up», also the first album by DJ Nova (Shaheeda Sinckler). (En español aquí)

Nova, 24, of Edinburgh, is also the youngest winner of the annual award.

She said:

! It is such an incredible feeling to have won the 2020 Scottish Album of the Year Award, just a couple of weeks shy of my 25th birthday!

It is so affirming – any doubts that I might have had previously are now out of the window and I’m seriously so excited for the future.

I’m excited to keep on this upwards trajectory, thrilled to encounter new experiences and take my professionalism to the next level.

To think that my manager and I had no idea where we would end up when we started working together and now to have made it here is just fantastic! «

The other artists nominated for Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) in 2020 were Blanck Mass, The Ninth Wave, and Erland Cooper. The 2019 winner was Auntie Flo for her album “Radio Highlife”

Nova’s social comments

General manager of the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA), Robert Kilpatrick, said: 

Nova’s SAY Award win for Re-Up sends a powerful message of hope and ambition to Scotland’s music scene at a time it’s never been needed more.

Re-Up is Nova’s debut body of work. Poignant social commentary and unfiltered truth is set against the backdrop of bassy trap, lo-fi hip-hop and heavy grime, resulting in a record which is well crafted, authentic and necessary.

The fact it was delivered with the support of a range of local producers from across Scotland only goes to show the passion, strength and innovation of Scotland’s growing hip-hop / rap / grime scene, which I’m delighted that The SAY Award is shining a bright and well-deserved spotlight on through Nova’s win. «

Re-Up includes 6 tracks and 18 minutes long. It was the shortest album among the 10 finalists.

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