Supporting Irish Musicians and Artists

In another major moment in the A New Local Hero talent search, Midlands 103 have announced Brinda Irani as their overall winner

Initially rising to prominence as a popular busker in Dublin, the 16-year-old singer-songwriter has cemented her status as a star-in-the-making with her stunning debut original single, ‘A Shadow’.

"Ahh can’t believe it!" Brinda wrote online, in response to the news. "Got through the regional finals of the competition Irish Music Month, so honoured to be representing Midlands for the nationals – it’s going to be a tough one but I’m so excited to see how it goes, thank you Midlands 103 for this opportunity!"

The other fantastic finalists selected by Midlands 103 include Athlone-raised singer-songwriter Eva Coyle, Portlaoise folk musician James O'Connor and Mullingar's Paulie Martin & Friends.

Each finalist got the chance to play live on Midlands 103, with all of the artists – thanks to the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, under its Sound & Vision scheme – being paid for their performance.

As one of the central features of Irish Music Month, A New Local Hero is a major call to arms for Irish musicians and bands – with all 25 participating radio stations having reached out for submissions as part of the talent search.

Watch Brinda Irani in action at Midlands 103 below:

25 artists, including Brinda, have been selected as their radio station's A New Local Hero. Now, an industry judging panel will choose just five of those acts to go forward to play at a special showcase event in Dublin.

The A New Local Hero campaign will ultimately see over  €100,000 paid directly to Irish artists – and one worthy winning act selected, who will get to record a single at the prestigious Camden Recording Studios in Dublin, and release the single on the famed Irish independent record label Rubyworks.