The nominees for the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year have just been announced - and a diversely talented bunch they are too! From lush orchestral pop and genre-bending electronica to acoustic tunesmithery and full force hip hop, this might just be the most eclectic shortlist yet.
The runners and riders are:
All Tvvins – IIVV (Warner Music)
Bantum – Move (Self Released)
Wallis Bird – Home (Mount Silver / Caroline International)
The Divine Comedy – Foreverland (Divine Comedy Records)
Lisa Hannigan – At Swim (Hoop Recordings)
Katie Kim – Salt (Art For Blind Records)
James Vincent McMorrow – We Move (Faction Records)
Overhead, The Albatross – Learning to Growl (Self Released)
Rusangano Family – Let The Dead Bury The Dead (Self Released)
We Cut Corners – The Cadences Of Others (Delphi)
To coincide with today’s unveiling, 2fm switched into all-Irish mode at 7am this morning and won’t be letting up until midnight.
Judging by the avalanche of appreciative social media comments, it’s something they should do more often.
“The RTÉ Choice Music Prize is a great partnership for RTÉ and 2fm,” enthuses station chief Dan Healy. “As proud supporters of Irish music we’re looking forward to fully unleashing the power of the station to get right behind the best albums and songs recorded by Irish artists over the past year and what a great year it has been.”
Taking place on Thursday March 9 in Vicar St. with the winners picking up a cool €10,000, the doling out of the prize and the live gig that accompanies it will air from 7pm-11pm on the national broadcaster with Eoghan McDermott and Bláthnaid Treacy at the helm. If you want to be there in person, tickets are on sale now priced €26.50.
The shortlist for the Irish Song of the Year will be announced on Wednesday February 1, with Golden Discs showing all the nominees in their stores nationwide.
Last year’s winning album was the exquisite debut offering by SOAK (pictured), Before We Forgot How To Dream.