In association with IMRO and IRMA
2 0 2 1 D A T E S
Irish Album of the Year 2020 Shortlist Announcement – 6th January
Irish Song of the Year 2020 Shortlist Announcement – 27th January
Choice Conversations – Tuesday 2nd March
Exclusive RTÉ Live Broadcast – Thursday 4th March
The RTÉ Choice Music Prize will return in 2021 and continue its principal role in championing Irish music. Key dates for 2021’s event were announced today on RTÉ 2FM’s Tracy Clifford Show with previous RTÉ Choice Music Prize nominee, Sorcha Richardson.
The RTÉ Choice Music Prize Event will be celebrated in an exclusive live broadcast on RTÉ 2FM on Thursday 4th March, along with a TV-special on RTÉ2. Further details will be announced once final decisions have been made.
Other RTÉ Choice Music Prize key dates include:
Irish Album of the Year 2020 Shortlist Announcement – Wednesday 6th January 2021
Irish Song of the Year 2020 Shortlist Announcement – Wednesday 27th January 2021
The Irish Album and Song of the Year 2020 will be announced on Thursday 4th March live on RTÉ 2FM.
Adrian Lynch, Director Audiences, Channels and Marketing at RTÉ, said: “Through our successful partnership with the Choice Music Prize over the past three years RTÉ has combined our television, radio and online platforms to great effect to promote nominated artists and support Irish music talent. This support is more important now than ever and in a very difficult year for Irish artists, it is essential that, through this year’s RTÉ Choice Music Prize, we continue to do our part to celebrate the music and the artists who have continued to reach great heights in 2020.”
Dan Healy, Head of RTÉ 2FM, said: “Despite unprecedented challenges for the music industry, Irish artists, emerging and established, have produced some incredible, inspiring music this year. Giving airplay to this great Irish talent is at the very core of what we do at 2FM and our RTÉ Choice Music Prize All-Irish music days, which celebrate Irish music and artists, have become one of the most popular features on the station. Everyone in 2FM is looking forward to again getting right behind the RTÉ Choice Music Prize and celebrating Irish artists and their music.”
RTÉ Choice Music Prize ‘Conversations’ will return on Tuesday 2nd March 2021. ‘Conversations’ is an international music forum designed to encourage frank exchanges amongst panelists and with the audiences to challenge and elucidate the biggest prevailing issues confronting artists and industry professionals. This year’s event will be fully online so you can join us from anywhere in the world. Full details available here.
RTÉ Choice Music Prize will once again celebrate the best in Irish recorded music. The Prize has become one of the music-industry highlights of the year since its inception in 2005. The Irish Album of the Year award is chosen from a shortlist of ten albums by a panel of eleven Irish music media professionals and industry experts.
The winning act will receive €10,000, a prize fund which has been provided by The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and The Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA).
“RTÉ Choice Music Prize recognises and champions some of our finest songwriters and IMRO is delighted to continue its longstanding association with this prestigious music prize. Irish music continues to push new boundaries and this Prize provides a great platform for new music to resonate so strongly with audiences in Ireland and important overseas markets” – Keith Johnson, Director of Marketing & Membership IMRO.
“IRMA is once again delighted to support the RTE Choice Music Prize, particularly in this difficult period affecting the music industry. An event such as the RTE Choice Music Prize shines a light on great new Irish music and serves as a beacon of hope for artists who have had their livelihoods seriously disrupted by the pandemic. The RTE Choice Music Prize rewards artists who have continued to create new and innovative recordings and who have found a way to rise above the difficulties which they face at this time”. – Willie Kavanagh, Chairman of IRMA
All shortlisted acts will receive a specially commissioned award.
RAAP, Culture Ireland, FMC and Minding Creative Minds are also official project partners of the RTE Choice Music Prize.
RTÉ Choice Music Prize Returns in 2021
In association with IMRO and IRMA
2 0 2 1 D A T E S
Irish Album of the Year 2020 Shortlist Announcement – 6th January
Irish Song of the Year 2020 Shortlist Announcement – 27th January
Choice Conversations – Tuesday 2nd March
Exclusive RTÉ Live Broadcast – Thursday 4th March
The RTÉ Choice Music Prize will return in 2021 and continue its principal role in championing Irish music. Key dates for 2021’s event were announced today on RTÉ 2FM’s Tracy Clifford Show with previous RTÉ Choice Music Prize nominee, Sorcha Richardson.
The RTÉ Choice Music Prize Event will be celebrated in an exclusive live broadcast on RTÉ 2FM on Thursday 4th March, along with a TV-special on RTÉ2. Further details will be announced once final decisions have been made.
Other RTÉ Choice Music Prize key dates include:
Irish Album of the Year 2020 Shortlist Announcement – Wednesday 6th January 2021
Irish Song of the Year 2020 Shortlist Announcement – Wednesday 27th January 2021
The Irish Album and Song of the Year 2020 will be announced on Thursday 4th March live on RTÉ 2FM.
Adrian Lynch, Director Audiences, Channels and Marketing at RTÉ, said: “Through our successful partnership with the Choice Music Prize over the past three years RTÉ has combined our television, radio and online platforms to great effect to promote nominated artists and support Irish music talent. This support is more important now than ever and in a very difficult year for Irish artists, it is essential that, through this year’s RTÉ Choice Music Prize, we continue to do our part to celebrate the music and the artists who have continued to reach great heights in 2020.”
Dan Healy, Head of RTÉ 2FM, said: “Despite unprecedented challenges for the music industry, Irish artists, emerging and established, have produced some incredible, inspiring music this year. Giving airplay to this great Irish talent is at the very core of what we do at 2FM and our RTÉ Choice Music Prize All-Irish music days, which celebrate Irish music and artists, have become one of the most popular features on the station. Everyone in 2FM is looking forward to again getting right behind the RTÉ Choice Music Prize and celebrating Irish artists and their music.”
RTÉ Choice Music Prize ‘Conversations’ will return on Tuesday 2nd March 2021. ‘Conversations’ is an international music forum designed to encourage frank exchanges amongst panelists and with the audiences to challenge and elucidate the biggest prevailing issues confronting artists and industry professionals. This year’s event will be fully online so you can join us from anywhere in the world. Full details available here.
RTÉ Choice Music Prize will once again celebrate the best in Irish recorded music. The Prize has become one of the music-industry highlights of the year since its inception in 2005. The Irish Album of the Year award is chosen from a shortlist of ten albums by a panel of eleven Irish music media professionals and industry experts.
The winning act will receive €10,000, a prize fund which has been provided by The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and The Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA).
“RTÉ Choice Music Prize recognises and champions some of our finest songwriters and IMRO is delighted to continue its longstanding association with this prestigious music prize. Irish music continues to push new boundaries and this Prize provides a great platform for new music to resonate so strongly with audiences in Ireland and important overseas markets” – Keith Johnson, Director of Marketing & Membership IMRO.
“IRMA is once again delighted to support the RTE Choice Music Prize, particularly in this difficult period affecting the music industry. An event such as the RTE Choice Music Prize shines a light on great new Irish music and serves as a beacon of hope for artists who have had their livelihoods seriously disrupted by the pandemic. The RTE Choice Music Prize rewards artists who have continued to create new and innovative recordings and who have found a way to rise above the difficulties which they face at this time”. – Willie Kavanagh, Chairman of IRMA
All shortlisted acts will receive a specially commissioned award.
RAAP, Culture Ireland, FMC and Minding Creative Minds are also official project partners of the RTE Choice Music Prize.
Winners – RTÉ Choice Music Prize 2019
Lankum win the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year 2019
Westlife take home the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Song of the Year 2019
Lankum has been announced as the winner of the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year 2019 for the album The Livelong Day. The judging panel, made up of Irish music media professionals, were hidden away for a few hours in a room in BIMM, just around the corner, choosing the winning album.
Lankum received a cheque for €10,000, a prize which has been provided by the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) – as well as a specially- commissioned award.
The winner of the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Song of the Year was also announced and Westlife won the prize for their song “Hello My Love”. Decided by the public, via the RTÉ and Choice Music Prize websites, fans were given the chance to get behind their favourite song.
The sold-out event in Vicar Street was hosted by RTÉ 2FM’s Eoghan McDermott and was broadcast live on the station on the Tara Stewart show.
RTÉ2 will broadcast a one-hour TV highlights programme of the RTÉ Choice Music Prize featuring performances from the acts and interviews by Bláthnaid Treacy on Sunday March 15th at 11.15pm.
Earlier during the day, the “Conversations” conference took place at IMRO, which was attended by international music industry from Spotify, Partisan Records, ATC, Wildlife Management, Polydor and more. The Hyatt Centric Hotel accommodated all the overseas guests.
RAAP, Culture Ireland & The BAI are also official project partners of the prize.
Live Event Line-up – UPDATE
UPDATE:
We are delighted to announce that Soak will also be joining us in Vicar Street on Thursday 05 March to perform a selection of songs from her nominated album, Grim Town.
This brings the number of nominated performs to 8 with the full line-up of:
Daithi
Mick Flannery
Fontaines D.C.
Jafaris
Junior Brother
Sorcha Richardson
Soak
Maija Sofia
A limited number of tickets are still available for the Vicar Street show.
The winning album will be announced at the RTÉ Choice Music Prize live event in Vicar Street, Dublin on Thursday 5th March and broadcast live on RTÉ 2FM in a special four-hour extended show from 7-11pm. A special TV programme of the event highlights will be broadcast on Sunday 15th March on RTÉ2, presented by Eoghan McDermott and Bláthnaid Treacy.
The 10 shortlisted albums are:
Daithi – L.O.S.S. (Strange Brew)
Mick Flannery – Mick Flannery (Rosaleen Records)
Fontaines D.C. – Dogrel (Partisan Records)
Girl Band – The Talkies (Rough Trade Records)
Jafaris – Stride (DFL)
Junior Brother – Pull The Right Rope (Strange Brew)
Lankum – The Livelong Day (Rough Trade Records)
Soak – Grim Town (Rough Trade Records)
Maija Sofia – Bath Time (Trapped Animal Records)
Sorcha Richardson – First Prize Bravery (Faction Records)
The 15th annual RTÉ Choice Music Prize will once again celebrate the best in Irish recorded music. The Prize has become one of the music-industry highlights of the year since its inception in 2005. The Irish Album of the Year award is chosen from a shortlist of ten albums by a panel of twelve Irish music media professionals and industry experts. The full list of judges can be found here.
Culture Ireland will fund the attendance of influential overseas Industry executives to attend the RTE Choice Music Prize Live Event and RTÉ Choice Music Prize “Conversations” will return and take place during the day on the 5th.
Tickets for the Choice Music Prize live event are on sale now from all Ticketmaster outlets and from http://www.ticketmaster.ie priced €28.00 including booking fee.
Irish Song of the Year 2019 Shortlist Announcement
The shortlist for this year’s RTÉ Choice Music Prize, Irish Song of the Year 2019, in association with IMRO & IRMA, was announced today on RTÉ 2FM’s Tracy Clifford. The shortlist is as follows:
Hozier – Almost (Sweet Music) (Rubyworks / Universal)
Dermot Kennedy – Outnumbered (Universal)
Lankum – Wild Rover (Rough Trade Records)
LYRA – Falling (Universal)
Mango X Mathman featuring Lisa Hannigan -Deep Blue (Weapon of Choice)
Roisin Murphy – Incapable (BMG)
Picture This – One Night (UMG Recordings)
Soulé feat. C Cane – Love Tonight (DFL)
Westlife – Hello My Love (Universal)
Wild Youth – Making me Dance (Imperfectly Perfect Records)
To vote for the RTÉ Choice Music Prize, Irish Song of the Year 2019, visit https://2fm.rte.ie/rte-choice-music/. Votes are limited to one per person per day. Only votes cast in the Republic of Ireland will be counted. Voting closes at midnight on Sunday 1st March.
The winning song and album will be announced at the RTÉ Choice Music Prize live event, held in Vicar Street, Dublin on Thursday 5th March and broadcast live on RTÉ 2FM in a special four-hour extended show from 7-11pm. A special TV programme of the event highlights will be broadcast on Sunday 15th March on RTÉ2 at 11.15pm, presented by Eoghan McDermott and Bláthnaid Treacy.
Live Event Line-up Announcement
Vicar Street, Dublin – Thursday 5th March 2020
The line-up for this year’s RTÉ Choice Music Prize live event, in association with IMRO & IRMA, has just been announced by Tracy Clifford on 2FM.
Seven of the ten acts are confirmed so far to perform live at the event:
Daithi
Mick Flannery
Fontaines D.C.
Jafaris
Junior Brother
Maija Sofia
Sorcha Richardson
The winning album will be announced at the RTÉ Choice Music Prize live event in Vicar Street, Dublin on Thursday 5th March and broadcast live on RTÉ 2FM in a special four-hour extended show from 7-11pm. A special TV programme of the event highlights will be broadcast on Sunday 15th March on RTÉ2, presented by Eoghan McDermott and Bláthnaid Treacy.
The 10 shortlisted albums are:
Daithi – L.O.S.S. (Strange Brew)
Mick Flannery – Mick Flannery (Rosaleen Records)
Fontaines D.C. – Dogrel (Partisan Records)
Girl Band – The Talkies (Rough Trade Records)
Jafaris – Stride (DFL)
Junior Brother – Pull The Right Rope (Strange Brew)
Lankum – The Livelong Day (Rough Trade Records)
Soak – Grim Town (Rough Trade Records)
Maija Sofia – Bath Time (Trapped Animal Records)
Sorcha Richardson – First Prize Bravery (Faction Records)
The 15th annual RTÉ Choice Music Prize will once again celebrate the best in Irish recorded music. The Prize has become one of the music-industry highlights of the year since its inception in 2005. The Irish Album of the Year award is chosen from a shortlist of ten albums by a panel of twelve Irish music media professionals and industry experts. The full list of judges can be found here.
Culture Ireland will fund the attendance of influential overseas Industry executives to attend the RTE Choice Music Prize Live Event and RTÉ Choice Music Prize “Conversations” will return and take place during the day on the 5th.
Tickets for the Choice Music Prize live event are on sale now from all Ticketmaster outlets and from http://www.ticketmaster.ie priced €28.00 including booking fee.
Irish Album of the Year 2019 – Shortlist Announcement
The shortlist for this year’s RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year 2019, in association with IMRO & IRMA, was announced today on RTÉ 2FM’s Tracy Clifford Show by Jim Carroll, chairman of the judging panel. The shortlist is as follows:
As part of RTÉ’s continued commitment to promoting Irish music, RTÉ 2FM celebrates the announcement of the shortlist across its schedule throughout the day with All Irish Music All Day from 6am to midnight.
The Irish Album of the Year 2019 will be announced at the Live Event and will be broadcast live on RTÉ 2FM in a special four hour extended programme from 7-11pm, with a special RTÉ Choice Music Prize highlights programme going out on RTÉ2 television the following week.
The 15th annual RTÉ Choice Music Prize will once again celebrate the best in Irish recorded music. The Prize has become one of the music-industry highlights of the year since its inception in 2005. The Irish Album of the Year award is chosen from a shortlist of ten albums by a panel of twelve Irish music media professionals and industry experts. The full list of judges is on the RTÉ Choice Music Prize https://www.choicemusicprize.ie
RAAP and Culture Ireland are also official project partners of the RTE Choice Music Prize.
Culture Ireland will fund the attendance of influential overseas Industry executives to attend the RTE Choice Music Prize Live Event and RTÉ Choice Music Prize “Conversations” will return and take place during the day on the 5th.
Tickets for the Choice Music Prize live event are on sale now from all Ticketmaster outlets and from http://www.ticketmaster.ie priced €28.00 including booking fee.
RTÉ Choice Music Prize Returns for its 15th Year
RTÉ Choice Music Prize is back and continues to champion Irish music. Key dates for 2020’s event announced today live on 2FM’s Tracy Clifford Show by previous nominees, The Academic.
The RTÉ Choice Music Prize Live Event will take place on Thursday 5th March 2020 in Vicar Street, Dublin. Tickets go on sale this Friday 29th November at 9am from Ticketmaster outlets and here priced €28.00 including booking fee.
Other key dates include:
Irish Album of the Year 2019 Shortlist Announcement – Wednesday 8th January 2020
Irish Song of the Year 2019 Shortlist Announcement – Wednesday 29th January 2020
The Irish Album of the Year 2019 will be announced at the Live Event and will be broadcast live on RTÉ 2FM in a special four hour extended programme from 7-11pm, with a special RTÉ Choice Music Prize highlights programme going out on RTÉ2 television the following week.
Adrian Lynch, Head of Audiences, Channels and Marketing, RTÉ, said, “Our channels are once again ready to play a central role in helping all this year’s nominees make a big impact and reach new audiences. From the strong engagement we get across our social channels to the positive reaction we receive to our broadcast of the awards event, we are looking forward to doing all we can to make 2019 another year to remember for all nominees.”
Dan Healy, Head of RTÉ 2FM, said, “The RTÉ Choice Music Prize continues to provide a wonderful opportunity, not just on 2FM, but right across RTÉ to shine a spotlight, like no one else, on the very best in Irish music- and what a year it has been. There are so many incredible Irish artists right now and we are more than happy to support them on 2FM. Our all-Irish music days, which we developed to support our RTÉ Choice Music Prize partnership, remain one of the most popular things we do on the station. So, here’s to another great year for Irish artists and for the RTÉ Choice Music Prize on 2FM.”
RTÉ Choice Music Prize ‘Conversations’ will return and take place on the day of the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Live Event. ‘Conversations’ is an international music forum designed to encourage frank exchanges amongst panellists and with the audiences to challenge and elucidate the biggest prevailing issues confronting artists and industry professionals.
The 15th annual RTÉ Choice Music Prize will once again celebrate the best in Irish recorded music. The Prize has become one of the music industry highlights of the year since its inception in 2005. The Irish Album of the Year award is chosen from a shortlist of ten albums by a panel of eleven Irish music media professionals and industry experts.
The winning act will receive €10,000, a prize fund which has been provided by The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and The Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA).
“We are delighted to continue our longstanding association with Irelands critically acclaimed music prize. Irish music continues to push new boundaries and the Choice Music Prize provides a great platform for new music to resonate so strongly with audiences in Ireland and important overseas markets”. Victor Finn, Chief Executive of IMRO
“The Choice Music Prize continues to highlight new music in Ireland. IRMA supports the Choice Music Prize as it recognising the extraordinary talent that has emerged in recent times in Ireland. Irish acts continue to shine at home and abroad reaffirming our position as a source of enviable musical talent. The Choice Music Prize honours these talents and IRMA congratulates all nominees and wishes them the best of luck for the future.” Willie Kavanagh, Chairman of IRMA
All shortlisted acts will receive a specially commissioned award.
RAAP and Culture Ireland are also official project partners of the RTE Choice Music Prize.
Culture Ireland will fund the attendance of influential overseas Industry executives to attend the RTE Choice Music Prize Live Event on March 5th.
The Choice Music Prize website has published a list of Irish albums released to date in 2019. This list can be viewed at here and notified by email regarding any additions list@choicemusicprize.com.
Tickets for the Choice Music Prize live event will go on sale from all Ticketmaster outlets and from http://www.ticketmaster.ie on this Friday 222nd November priced €28.00 including booking fee.
2018 Winners
O Emperor win the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year 2018
Picture This take home the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Song of the Year 2018
O Emperor have been announced as the winner of the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year 2018 for the album Jason (self released). The judging panel, made up of Irish music media professionals, deliberated at length earlier tonight before choosing the winning album.
Chairman of the judging panel Tony Clayton-Lea commented “Once again 2018 was a terrific year for the quality of Irish albums released, and the judging process reflected this. Of all the years that I have been chairman of the judging panel, this year was the closest in terms of winner and runner up, with Kojaque’s album Deli Daydreams pipped at the post by O Emperor.”
O Emperor received a cheque for €10,000, a prize which has been provided by the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) – as well as a specially-commissioned award.
The winner of the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Song of the Year was also announced and Picture This won the prize for their song “One Drink”. Decided by the public via the RTÉ and Choice Music Prize websites, fans were given the chance to get behind their favourite song.
The sold-out event in Vicar Street was hosted by RTÉ 2FM’s Eoghan McDermott and was broadcast live on the station on a specially-extended Louise McSharry show.
RTÉ2 will broadcast a one-hour TV highlights programme of the RTÉ Choice Music Prize featuring performances from the acts and interviews by Bláthnaid Treacy on Sunday March 17th at 11.15pm.
Live Event Line-up Announcement
Vicar Street, Dublin – Thursday 7th March
The line-up for this year’s RTÉ Choice Music Prize live event, in association with IMRO & IRMA, has just been announced by Tracy Clifford on 2FM.
Nine of the ten acts have confirmed to perform at the event:
The Academic
Delorentos
Just Mustard
Kojaque
O Emperor
Lisa O’Neill
Saint Sister
Villagers
Wyvern Lingo
The winning album will be announced at the RTÉ Choice Music Prize live event in Vicar Street, Dublin on Thursday 7th March and broadcast live on RTÉ 2FM in a special four-hour extended show from 7-11pm. A special television programme of the event will be broadcast shortly afterwards on RTÉ2 presented by Eoghan McDermott and Bláthnaid Treacy.
RTÉ Choice Music Prize 2018 Shortlist
The shortlist for this year’s RTÉ Choice Music Prize, Irish Album of the Year 2018, in association with IMRO & IRMA, was announced today on RTÉ 2FM’s Tracy Clifford Show by Tony Clayton-Lea, chairman of the judging panel. The shortlist is as follows:
The Academic – Tales From The Backseat (ROOM6 Records)
Delorentos – True Surrender (Delo Records)
Just Mustard – Wednesday (Pizza Pizza Records)
Kojaque – Deli Daydreams (Soft Boy Records)
O Emperor – Jason (Big Skin Records)
Lisa O’Neill – Heard A Long Gone Song (River Lea Recordings)
Saint Sister – Shape Of Silence (Self Released)
Rejjie Snow – Dear Annie (BMG)
Villagers – The Art Of Pretending To Swim (Domino Recording Co)
Wyvern Lingo – Wyvern Lingo (Ruby Works)
As part of RTÉ’s continued commitment to promoting Irish music, RTÉ 2FM celebrates the announcement of the shortlist across its schedule throughout the day with All Irish Music All Day from 6am to midnight. Dave Fanning will also chat to Tony Clayton-Lea on his weekend show this Saturday about the album shortlist.
The shortlisted albums can be enjoyed in full here and on www.2fm.ie/rtechoicemusic.
The winning album will be announced at the RTÉ Choice Music Prize live event, held in Vicar Street, Dublin on Thursday 7th March and broadcast live on RTÉ 2FM in a special four-hour extended show from 7-11pm. A special RTÉ2 TV programme of the event will be broadcast shortly afterwards.
The 14th annual RTÉ Choice Music Prize will once again celebrate the best in Irish recorded music. The Prize has become one of the music industry highlights of the year since its inception in 2005. The Irish Album of the Year award is chosen from a shortlist of ten albums by a panel of twelve Irish music media professionals and industry experts.
RAAP and Culture Ireland are also official project partners of the RTE Choice Music Prize.
This year RTÉ Choice Music Prize also partnered with Yangaroo Music Ireland who have provided all eligible artists with a simple, free method of instant delivery of a digital copy of their eligible album directly to the Irish Album of the Year judging panel. Yangaroo Music Ireland (http://www.yangaroomusic.ie) offer a professional digital delivery service for Labels and Artists to deliver their new music releases instantly to media, venues, festivals and promoters in Ireland.
Culture Ireland will fund the attendance of influential overseas Industry executives to attend the RTE Choice Music Prize Live Event on March 7th. First Music Contact (FMC), as part of their international profiling activity, will again advise on the selection of overseas delegates and oversee their integration into the individual mentoring sessions with the artists and the conference.
RTÉ Choice Music Prize “Conversations” will return and take place on the 7th.
Tickets for the Choice Music Prize live event are on sale now from all Ticketmaster outlets and from http://www.ticketmaster.ie priced €28.00 including booking fee.