An enthusiastic crowd of gig goers gathered in St Lukes, Glasgow, on November 29th for the 16th annual Scottish Alternative Music Awards (SAMA), a night dedicated to celebrating the best of Scotland’s ever-evolving underground and emerging music scenes.
Each year, the SAMA spotlight artists on the cusp of breaking through, with the nomination list formed through the SAMA Music Criteria and curated with input from key industry organisations including DF Concerts, Music Venue Trust and Triple G Presents. Since launching in 2009, the awards have become a cultural touchpoint for music discovery in Scotland, helping platform artists and genres that often thrive outside the mainstream. Alumni such as Lewis Capaldi, Gerry Cinnamon, Gallus and Bemz stand as proof of just how far a SAMA win can propel a rising musician.
For 2025, fans were given the final say: the seven winners were chosen through an online public vote held from November 17th to 19th, a democratic process that drew thousands of music lovers keen to support their favourites.
The 2025 SAMA winners are:
Best Rock/Alternative: Martha May & The Mondays
Best Newcomer: Mercy Girl
Best Live Act: Waverley
Best Hip Hop: Loki
Best Electronic: Proc Fiskal
Best Acoustic: Miwa Nagato-Apthorp
Best Metal: Sixth Wonder
As well as announcements of the winners and some emotional acceptance speeches, attendees were treated to a trio of live performances from Lo-Rays, Comfort and Kai Reesu.
Kicking off the night were Lo-Rays, a post-apocalyptic pop-metal four-piece who wasted no time setting the tone. Flanked by two dancers in gas masks and leather, the band strode onstage like a vision pulled straight out of a dystopian sci-fi film. What followed was a blistering electro-rock assault: glitchy synths twisting around pop-leaning hooks, thunderous metal riffs and a theatrical stage presence that held the room captive. It was less a performance and more an immersive experience, one that left the crowd both bewildered and exhilarated.
Next came DIY electronic-punk duo Comfort, who brought an entirely different kind of intensity. Their set fused serrated guitar lines, bold electronic textures and groove-driven rhythms with lyrics that refused to shy away from real-world issues, from gender identity and bodily autonomy to capitalism’s sharp edges. Natalie delivered each line with a hard-poetry cadence, half-sung and half-spoken, creating an urgency that crackled through the venue. If there was one act that sent audience members rushing to add a new artist to their playlists, it was Comfort.
Kai Reesu at SAMA. Photos by Aled Falcon
The highlight of the evening belonged to Kai Reesu, fresh from winning the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award. Their set felt like stepping into a dreamscape where hip-hop, jazz and experimental electronics melt together. Psychedelic textures swirled around grime-inflected beats, while the brass section lifted the entire room into motion; a sea of bodies dancing beneath St Luke’s stained-glass windows.The performance captured the spirit of the SAMAs perfectly: innovative, boundary-pushing and deeply rooted in Scotland’s diverse musical identity.
The 2025 SAMA once again delivered on its promise: a celebration not only of outstanding talent, but of the communities, subcultures and shared spaces that allow Scotland’s alternative music scene to thrive.
