Apply before Wed 22 July to design and produce the fourteen awards for this year’s Scottish Album of the Year Award!

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The Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award is returning to Dundee for their 2026 award ceremony in November! Now, they’re looking for a Dundee-based designer, artist or maker to create bespoke prizes for this year’s awards.

The commission fee of £3,000 must cover the design and manufacture of fourteen awards which should aim to take inspiration from Dundee and the surrounding area, consider awards in the context of the climate emergency, and recognise the importance of both music and design in our cultural lives.

Last year, Dundee-based makers No Comply created bespoke, sustainable prizes for the ceremony using reclaimed hardwood and discarded skateboard decks, highlighting the connection between music and skate culture. Each piece carried its own story, inspired by skateboarding culture and a commitment to sustainable design.

The creative chosen and the prizes they produce will be amplified across SAY Award social channels, showcased at this year’s SAY Award ceremony at the Caird Hall, and supported by city partners, Leisure and Culture Dundee, V&A Dundee, Dundee City Council and UNESCO Dundee City of Design.

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How to apply:

• The Design Commission invites Expressions of Interest from artists, designers or makers living or working in a DD postcode.
• At this stage in the process they are not asking for ideas/sketches or concepts.
• Applicants should demonstrate what format their concept of an award would take, their proposed materials, and how they would embed sustainability at the forefront of the design and production process.
• Applicants are encouraged to take inspiration from the city and region of Dundee.
• Applicants are invited to reflect on the concept of what an ‘award’ is in the context of the climate emergency, whilst celebrating how music and design elevate our lives – thinking outside the box and steering away from a ‘traditional’ award.
• Whatever format the awards take, it is required that they are visible for the ceremony’s live audience, carry the award ‘name’, and work for the event photography. Suggested minimum height per award is 25cm.

Deadline for submissions: midnight, Wed 22 July 2026

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The Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award is Scotland’s national music prize; celebrating Scottish music, and the cultural impact and contribution of outstanding Scottish albums. Placing artistic merit before sales history, genre or record label affiliation, The SAY Award dispenses with categorisation, opting instead for the creation of a bold, unifying platform from which Scotland’s most outstanding albums – across all genres – can be celebrated, discovered and championed.

Dundee will play host to The SAY Award across three years with the 2026 ceremony taking place at Caird Hall on Thu 5 November.