The Script and Sharon Shannon bag Meteors

Music
18 Mar 09

The Script and Sharon Shannon were just two of the big acts honoured at last night's Meteor Awards, where Hot Press editor Niall Stokes also picked up an award...

The Blizzards, Sharon Shannon, The Script, Mick Flannery and a hyper-excited Ray Foley were among the big winners last night at the 2009 Meteor Ireland Music Awards in the RDS, which get a TV screening today at 9pm on RTÉ Two.

Team Hot Press got a little dewy-eyed as our capo dei capi Niall Stokes picked up this year’s Industry Award.

The accompanying film featured tributes from Niall Breslin, Tom Dunne, Snow Patrol and Bono and The Edge, along with archive footage of an extremely hirsute Niall from the ‘70s, which he probably wishes had remained in the vaults!

The Most Exuberant Award-Winner of the Night gong went to 2fm Hope of the Year Wallis Bird who somersaulted her way onto the stage.

On the live performance front, Elbow put goosepimples on goosepimples with an all
amps on ‘11’ run through of ‘Grounds For Divorce’; Imelda May continued her one-woman mission to make the bodhran sexy with ‘Johnny Got A Boom Boom’; Gabriella Cilmi managed to upstage Enrique when she depped for Ciara on his new single, ‘Takin’ Back My Love’; and Duke Special acted out his Gene Kelly ‘Singing in The Rain’ fantasies during ‘Sweet Sweet Kisses’.

The night’s biggest cheers though went to Humanitarian Award-winner Father Shay Cullen who was also presented with a €100,000 cheque to further his work with Filipino street children, and Lifetime Achievement Award-winner Sharon Shannon (pictured, with Mundy) who brought proceedings to a close with a suitably rabble-rousing version of ‘Galway Girl’.

Her musical co-star Mundy revealed that he’s soon to be a dad for the first time, and also debuted the tails, top hat and make-up look he’s adopting for his soon-to-be-released new album Strawberry Blood.

Here’s the full-list of award-winners, the ‘PV’ standing for public vote:

Best Radio DJ - National (PV)
Ray Foley – Today FM

Best Radio DJ – Regional (PV)
Dermot, Dave and Siobhan – Dublin's 98

Best Irish Band (PV)
The Script

Best Irish Pop Act (PV)
Westlife

Best Irish Album (PV)
The Script – The Script

Best Irish Female (PV)
Imelda May

Best Irish Male (PV)
Mick Flannery

Best Irish Live Performance (PV)
The Blizzards – Oxegen

Best Traditional/Folk
Damien Dempsey

Best Intl Live Performance
Leonard Cohen – IMMA

Best International Band
Elbow