Celebrating the best of up-and-coming talent in Ireland, A New Local Hero is back for a highly anticipated second year – with FM104 having now announced their four finalists.

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.

So, let's meet FM104's shortlist...

FYA FOX:
A thrilling emerging force in Irish music, the alt-pop star was tipped as one of our ‘Hot For 2022’ acts. 2023 is gearing up to be another busy one – with appearances at Sea Sessions and Indiependence this summer.

Liliana:
When she’s not kept busy studying Law at Trinity, this singer-songwriter continues to serve up some of the most exciting pop sounds on these shores – including her latest single, ‘Waste Of Time’, released in January.

Temi:
After teaming up with fellow Dubliner Bailey333 on ‘Monsters In My Head’ last summer, the Irish-Nigerian artist has kept the magic flowing with a series of brilliant singles. He played his debut headline show last month at The Sound House.

Dylan Fennell:
Set to bring a bold alternative energy to the airwaves, Dylz’s string of singles – including his latest, ‘RAGE (JOURNEY)’ – have earned him coveted spots on popular Spotify playlists like Alternative Ireland and Dear Diary.

Each of the selected artists at this stage in the campaign will get a chance to play live on their station, and all of those artists – thanks to the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, under its Sound & Vision scheme – will be paid for their performance.

From there, the four finalists representing the station will be whittled down to one ‘Local Hero’ from each  – a major honour in itself, which will serve as a huge milestone in the careers of the selected 25 artists.

All of this leads to the national stage of the journey. From the 25 artists selected locally, an industry judging panel will choose just five 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.

As announced by Hot Press and the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI), Irish Music Month will run from Monday, March 12, to Friday, April 13 – and will see significantly increased radio play for Irish music across 25 independent radio stations.

Irish Music Month is supported by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, under its Sound & Vision scheme.

The event is also supported by IMRO, RAAP, MCD Productions, Live Nation, Ticketmaster, Camden Recording Studios and the Rubyworks label.

Read more about Irish Music Month here.