skip to main content

The Scottish Alternative Music Awards Are Set to Return to Glasgow

The key music event will be returning on 8 December 2022 to Saint Luke’s in Glasgow, featuring acts such as VLURE, The Honey Farm and Becky Sikasa.

Published: 14 November 2022 | 8:25 AM
Bright and colourful stage lights beam through the smoke.
SAMA 2022 aims to put a spotlight on genres and artists who have been working hard and making moves over the last 12 months. Photo credit: Shutterstock

Three compelling Scottish acts will perform at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards (SAMA) prize-giving ceremony at Glasgow’s Saint Luke's on Thursday 8 December 2022.

Acts set to play at the ceremony

Theatrical electro-rock outfit VLURE, all-female rap trio The Honey Farm and intimate soul songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Becky Sikasa will perform at the thirteenth edition of the event, supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland in recognition of the SAMA’s growing significance across the music scene in Scotland and beyond.

New music champion Jim Gellatly and highly acclaimed poet Leyla Josephine will host the evening, which will see awards given to seven of the most outstanding artists working in Scotland today.

In keeping with the celebratory atmosphere there will be a live performance from VLURE, the Glasgow five-piece who fuse intense club rhythms with towering synths, candid lyrics and an ethos that views the dancefloor as the stage for vivid, life-affirming catharsis.

Also set to play live is The Honey Farm, the school friends from rural Dunbar who went on to become “potentially the first and only and by default greatest Scottish female rap group of all time”, and Becky Sikasa, a multi-instrumentalist vocalist and songwriter whose SAMA performance will crown a prolific year of single releases showcasing her warm, humane, off-centre soul pop.

Hosts Jim Gellatly and Leyla Josephine, who will appear following a UK tour in support of her new collection ‘In Public/In Private’, return to SAMA following last year's event where winners included Bee Asha, Bemz, K4cie and Lizzie Reid.

Prizes will be given over seven award categories

As in previous years, the SAMA 2022 seven award categories are Best Live Act, Best Hip Hop, Best Newcomer, Best Acoustic, Best Metal, Best Electronic and Best Rock/Alternative. Nominations for each category will be put forward by teams of promoters, programmers, broadcasters, podcasters, editors, writers and artists from organisations such as Amazing Radio, BBC, Jupiter Rising, Scotland in Colour, Tenement TV, Time Out, The Skinny and Up2standard.

A full list of nominators is available on the website. Nominations for the seven awards will be announced mid November with the SAMA 2022 winners chosen by the public via an online vote later that month.

About the SAMA

Founded over a decade ago by Richy Muirhead, the SAMA have grown in prominence over the years, with past winners including Fatherson, Hector Bizerk, The Snuts, Gerry Cinnamon and Lewis Capaldi, recognised long before his debut EP release. 

Richy Muirhead explains: “SAMA 2022 aims to put a spotlight on genres and artists who have been working hard and making moves over the last 12 months! The showcase artists and nominations list reflect the creativity and quality of music coming out of Scotland in 2022. We're thrilled to host the 13th edition of the event in Glasgow!" 

Now in its thirteenth year, the event marks a festive highlight for what's since developed and diversified into a year-long operation presenting other activities including the Paisley Takeover and Pitch, Scotland's conference of hip hop and underground culture, presented in 2022 in partnership with FOCUS Wales and Europe's biggest hip hop conference, New Skool Rules.

Tickets are available via Eventbrite. You can find out more information about SAMA by visting their website or across social media at @officialSAMA. 

Get MU membership today

From gig players to part-time teachers and professional instrumentalists, MU members can access specialist insurance for musicians. This includes Public Liability, Instrument and Equipment Insurance, Accident Insurance, Tax Investigation Insurance, and Professional Indemnity Insurance for music teachers.

Explore our member services

  • Get public liability insurance for musicians
  • Access expert legal support
  • Be represented in your profession
  • Access expert career advice, resources, and training events
  • Connect, network, and get to know the community of musicians

Learn about all membership benefits

Get MU membership today

Continue reading

Three wooden blocks with red icons painted on them.

MU Concerned by New EU Customs Fees for Artists Selling Merchandise

A new EU customs charge on low-value parcels is creating additional costs and administrative challenges for musicians selling merchandise directly to fans in Europe. The MU will work to ensure musicians affected by the new legislation are represented at a stakeholder consultation later this year.

Published: 31 July 2026

Read more about MU Concerned by New EU Customs Fees for Artists Selling Merchandise
A brick wall with the flags of Spain and Gibraltar painted on it, overlapping each other.

Spain-Gibraltar Border Changes: What the New Agreement Means for Musicians

New arrangements between Gibraltar and Spain will remove routine border checks for people crossing by land. While the agreement does not change existing rights to work in Spain or the EU, any time spent in Gibraltar will count towards musicians’ 90-day allowance for the Schengen area.

Published: 30 July 2026

Read more about Spain-Gibraltar Border Changes: What the New Agreement Means for Musicians
A pink sign being held up that says

Music Qualifications Reform Debated in House of Lords

Peers from across the political spectrum raised concerns about the Government’s proposed reforms to level 3 music qualifications, with ministers confirming that existing qualifications will remain in place until at least 2030 and announcing a new creative advisory board to help shape the reforms.

Published: 28 July 2026

Read more about Music Qualifications Reform Debated in House of Lords
Large crowd sat in front of the main stage at Tolpuddle. It is a sunny day and there are lots of festival tents.

A Weekend of Music and Solidarity at Tolpuddle 2026

From panel discussions on AI and workers' rights to performances across the festival and a vibrant union procession, the MU played a visible role throughout Tolpuddle 2026, celebrating the power of music, solidarity and collective action.

Published: 23 July 2026

Read more about A Weekend of Music and Solidarity at Tolpuddle 2026