Our search for A New Local Hero continues – with Ireland's Classic Hits having now announced their four finalists!

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

So, let's meet Ireland's Classic Hits' shortlisted artists...

Eva Campbell:

Previously tipped as one of our ‘Hot For 2022’ Irish acts, the Dublin-based singer-songwriter’s debut single, ‘Echo’ went straight to No.1 on the Irish iTunes Top 100 and Pop charts. More recently, she’s been collaborating on tracks with James Mulcahy.

Rawney:

Hailing from Clonakilty, the multi-instrumentalist also known as Ciarán Calnan released his debut EP, Say It Loud, last July – which showcased a compelling blend of rock, indie, folk and pop influences.

Credit: Celeste Burdon

No Photos:

Previously featured in the Hot Press A&R Department, the Dublin indie-pop group generated major buzz with their self-titled album last year. Their highly anticipated new single, ‘Everything In Pink’, is out today.

The Cliffords:

Quickly becoming one of the most exciting emerging acts in Cork, this four-piece erupted onto the scene as the winners of UCC Battle of the Bands. They’ve since kicked off 2023 with the release of double single, ‘Lycaphobia’/’Crawlspace’.

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.