The wait is finally over – Uprising, a brand new, four-part music series, produced in association with Hot Press, lands on our screens tonight, January 12, with a star-studded first episode! Kicking off at 9pm on Virgin Media One, the series will air every Friday until February 2.

In Episode One, you can look forward to performances that span the many styles and sounds that make Irish music so special. Opening up the show is The Academic, the indie-rock band from the Midlands with a string of hits, two No.1 albums and major international praise to their name. There will also be unmissable performances from – and eye-opening interviews with – Cork star Lyra; fearless rapper Celaviedmai; and Oscar winners Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová of The Swell Season.

Lyra at UPRISING. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

The episode will also feature insights from even more of our Uprising artists – whose own performances you can expect later in the series – tackling everything from songwriting to representation, and taking a few weird and wild side-roads in between...

Presented by Katja Mia, with Hot Press deputy editor Stuart Clark taking on the role of roving interviewer, Uprising is set to showcase some of the finest talents on the Irish music scene right now. Across four powerful episodes, filmed at The Complex in Dublin’s North inner-city, there’ll be performances from bright new talents and established stars alike, as well as topical discussions, outspoken opinions – and, of course, lots of fun.

Celaviedmai at UPRISING. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

Over the course of the series, you can look forward to appearances from Hozier, Imelda May, Denise Chaila, Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová, Nell Mescal, Pillow Queens, The Coronas, Villagers, Picture This, Lyra, Mik Pyro, Susan O'Neill, HamsandwicH, Tolü Makay, Junior Brother, Shobsy, Celaviedmai, and more...

“All of the artists featured in tonight’s episode deliver brilliantly,” Hot Press editor Niall Stokes says. “The aim with Uprising was to break new ground in the way music programming is approached. With that objective in mind, Katja Mia does a really brilliant job as presenter – as does Stuart Clark in his role as roving interviewer. We were really pleased with every aspect of how the series came together. Hopefully, now, the proof of the pudding will be in the watching!

"I’m really looking forward to seeing the end result of all the hard work and creativity that went into it – and of the honesty and integrity of the artists involved – going live tonight. In the meantime, I want to say a big thanks, from the gang at Hot Press, to everyone involved. Here’s to it..."

Executive Producers on the powerful new series are Debbie Thornton (for Animo TV Productions), Niall Stokes (for Hot Press), and Sheila Meaney, with Ailbhe Maher as Series Producer and Joe Edwards as Director. Uprising was made with the support of Coimisiún na Meán.

A mix of music, entertainment and fascinating insights into the lives of musicians, Uprising is not to be missed...

Watch the first episode of Uprising on Virgin Media One tonight, January 12, at 9pm.

The Academic at UPRISING. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.