THE third annual Weekender Awards are open for entries – with yet another new prize being unveiled for 2022.
A total of seven awards will be up for grabs this year, including Album of the Year and EP of the Year with the Breakthrough Artist of the Year category also back once again.
Music Video of the Year also returns, while the individual track awards continue to be split into Single of the Year and Song of the Year.
However, for the first time, The Weekender has included a Live Act of the Year award which will cover the period between now and August, 2021.
This year the awards themselves are being sponsored by Forth Valley College, Party at the Palace, Vibration Festival, Electric Shores and B12 Entertainment.
Iain Smith, editor of The Weekender, said: “It goes without saying that the last year or so has been tough for the Scottish music scene – but, even in the face of that, Scottish artists continue to produce incredible work that should be celebrated.
“Last summer, we saw the return of live music which has been such a welcome sight. I am sure I am alone in saying that; the difference it has made to many will be stark. As such, we felt it was time we recognised the craft with its own prize this year. Without live music, we are all at a loss.
“Thanks again to the sponsors who continue to support the music industry, and to all who have released new material over the last year or so. Your art has not gone unnoticed.”
Entry for the 2022 Weekender Awards is free and open to managers, PR reps, fans, bloggers, journalists and other interested parties to submit on behalf of others. Bands and artists are, of course, more than welcome to enter directly.
Artists can enter as many of the categories as they are eligible for. Those entering more than one award are asked to submit separate emails for each (details below).
The deadline for entries is Friday, November 25, 2022, at 12noon.
The Awards - introducing our sponsors
Forth Valley College is once again sponsoring both the Song of the Year Award and Single of the Year Award categories, while the folks at Party at the Palace are back to sponsor the Album of the Year Award prize for the third year in a row.
Electric Shores publicity is sponsoring the Breakthrough Artist of the Year Award while the EP of the Year Award will be sponsored by Vibration Festival in Falkirk.
The Music Video of the Year Award is back with a sponsor yet to be confirmed, while B12 Entertainment is sponsoring the inaugural Live Act of the Year Award.
The Criteria - Introducing the rules
For any and ALL material to be considered, it must:-
- Have been released for purchase, streaming or viewing between November 1, 2021, and November 23, 2022.
- Have been created by a Scottish artist, a band with at least half of its members considering themselves Scottish, or bands/artists that have chosen the Scottish music scene as their base of operations and have been located in Scotland for the past two years.
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For an album to be considered, it must satisfy the initial entry criteria and:-
- Be at least eight tracks long at any duration, or at least 30 minutes long with any number of full-length tracks (intros, outros and bridging tracks will not count toward the minimum)
- Must not have been released in some format previously
- Must not be a compilation album or a live album
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For an EP to be considered, it must satisfy the initial entry criteria and:-
- Feature at least three full-length tracks. Intros/outros, track commentary and songs of less than one minute will not count toward the three-track minimum
- Can be an EP consisting of previously released singles, so long as no track appears on another EP or album from the same artist previously
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For a song to be considered, it must satisfy the initial entry criteria and:-
- Must not be a cover of another artist's track
- May have been released in the past, so long as there is a material difference between the two releases – including a change from acoustic to full band or vice versa; a re-recording of the original track with significant alterations (both versions must be submitted). A remix of a track from another artist will not be considered.
Note: Some tracks will be eligible for both awards and can be entered in both the Song of the Year Award and Single of the Year Award categories. For reference, the Single of the Year is for more radio-friendly, algorithm-informed, playlist-ready songs, whereas Song of the Year will highlight more complex tracks and more skillful songwriting.
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For a music video to be considered, it must satisfy the initial entry criteria and:-
- Must be a full video to accompany the full version of the song.
- Must not be a lyric video or standard graphic video, though consideration may be given to unusual concepts in this area
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For breakthrough artist entries to be considered, they must satisfy the initial entry criteria and:-
- Have released a debut single, EP or album between November 1, 2021, and November 23, 2022
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The Live Act of the Year Award shortlist will be compiled by The Weekender based on live performances between August 1, 2021, and November 23, 2022.
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NOTE: The Weekender reserves the right to move entries to different categories.
How to enter - Introducing yourself
Email submissions to iain.smith@newsquest.co.uk containing the following information:
- Name of the band/artist
- Contact details for the band/artist (email address or phone number)
- Category entered – please send separate emails for different categories
- Link to entry material (Spotify, Bandcamp, YouTube, etc.)
Reminder: There is no fee for entering The Weekender Awards
Further information
All entries are FREE - no payment will be accepted.
A supporting statement is not necessary; however, The Weekender is ALWAYS keen to hear stories from bands and artists.
Entries can be submitted by anyone: PR reps, bands, other bands, venue owners and even fans, bloggers, journalists and other interested parties – so long as the entry details are completed.
The deadline for all entries is Friday, November 25, 2022, at 12noon.
A shortlist will be compiled and released in a future edition of The Weekender magazine - provisionally due for release on Wednesday, December 7. Winners of all seven awards will be announced in late December.
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