Supporting Irish Musicians and Artists
- Music
- 23 Sep 26
Cork 96 FM: Amy Valentina, Shimmer Boy, Kevin McDaid and WaveFlyer chosen as the station's A New Local Hero finalists
With Irish Music Month underway, the good news is continuing to roll in for rising stars across the nation, with more than eighty artists being named as local finalists in the national search for A New Local Hero over the coming weeks. Here are Cork 96 FM's four picks: Amy Valentina, Shimmer Boy, Kevin McDaid and WaveFlyer.
Amy Valentina, Shimmer Boy, Kevin McDaid and WaveFlyer have been picked out as Cork 96 FM's local finalists in the A New Local Hero national talent search - a key part of Irish Music Month which is taking place on 22 stations across Ireland.
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 22 participating radio stations having reached out for submissions in recent months. The excitement is rising, with a slew of announcements arriving over the next few days. Each of the acts selected by the stations will perform and be interviewed on their local station, with one act from each station going forward onto the long-list of contenders for the national A New Local Hero award.
Launched in 2021, Irish Music Month is an initiative of Hot Press and the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland, and is funded by Coimisiún na Meán. Irish Music Month is also supported by IMRO, RAAP and Live Nation, along with Ticketmaster, Rubyworks, Camden Recording Studios and Spéir Mix and Master.
The stations participating in Irish Music Month are: Clare FM, Classic Hits, Cork's 96FM, East Coast FM, FM104, Galway Bay FM, Highland Radio, KCLR, KFM, Limerick Live 95FM, LMFM, Midlands 103, Midwest Radio, Northern Sound, Ocean FM, Radio Kerry, Radio Nova, Shannonside FM, South East Radio, Sunshine FM, Tipp FM, and WLR FM.
What Irish Music Month means, across participating independent stations, is:
– More Irish music song plays
– More Irish music artist mentions
– More Irish music features
– More Irish artist gig pushes
– More Irish artist interviews
And – what's more – we'll be putting over €100,000 into the hands of music makers and their crews across the country too.
Without further ado, let's meet Cork 96 FM's shortlisted artists...
Amy Valentina
Amy Valentina is balancing her final year studying accounting at UCC with some serious musical ambitions. From winning Cork pop-singing competitions as a teenager to performing at her graduation and Christmas Eve mass, music has always been a huge part of her life. Now, she's working on club-focused remixes with her sights set on DJ sets at Fred Zeppelins, and ultimately, playing her tracks in at her favourite club Pacha in Ibiza. Her big dream - a collab with Sonny Fodera.
Amy ValentinaShimmer Boy
Shimmer Boy is the alter ego of Cork songwriter and guitarist Aaron O’Sullivan. In 2026, he played Electric Picnic, sold out his headline show at Coughlan’s and supported artists including Dave Lofts and Robert Grace. His music has received support from RTÉ Radio 1 and RTÉ 2FM, including Track of the Week, as well as a UK sync placement in Made in Chelsea. Following the release of his debut album In The Aftermath, We Bloom, available both digitally and on limited edition vinyl, Shimmer Boy is now focused on building an international career through collaboration, publishing, songwriting, sync and live opportunities.
Shimmer BoyKevin McDaid
Kevin McDaid is a powerhouse independent artist putting out fresh music consistently every single week. With his self-released single 'My Lovin' and three SoundCloud remixes all crushing over a million streams—plus his track 'Can U Keep Up' going viral in over 11,000 TikTok videos—he's building a massive global following, topping listener charts in the UK, US, and Germany. Now, Kevin's sights are set on bringing his sound to more gigs across Ireland, landing his very first international show, and making music his full-time passion.
Kevin McDaidWaveFlyer
WaveFlyer are a Cork rock act that’s spent the past year taking over local stages. Set to support Smithereens and Fynches this October, they’ve just wrapped up recording their new EP, celebrating with a launch show at The Savoy on November 26th. Dedicated to creating empowering music by women for women, WaveFlyer are ready to hit the tour and festival trail—with their ultimate sights set on playing Glastonbury.
WaveFlyer• Keep an eye on hotpress.com and listen to your local participating station for more news on Irish Music Month, A New Local Hero and the Irish song competition, Amhrán na Laoch.
Irish Music Month is supported by IMRO, RAAP, Live Nation, Camden Recording Studios, Spéir Mix & Master, Ticketmaster and Square1
