Live Report: Fontaines D.C., Jordan Adetunji and KNEECAP took top honours at RTÉ Choice Music Prize

The RTÉ Choice Music Prize Awards ceremony, where Irish music legends and up-and-comers descended on Vicar St, was a jubilant celebration of Ireland’s ever-evolving music scene. As the event marked its 20th anniversary, it brought together a remarkable array of talent from across the country, honoring the artists who continue to push boundaries and redefine the Irish music landscape. This year’s ceremony felt particularly significant—capturing not only the essence of Ireland’s current musical vitality but also its rich legacy.

The evening was filled with energy, artistry, and a deep sense of community. Hosted by Tracy Clifford, the ceremony unfolded with live performances that showcased the broad range of musical genres present in Ireland. From the shoegaze energy of NewDad to the silver-tongued flow of Curtisy and the introspective indie-pop of Orla Gartland, the performances were rousing and served as a reminder of the diverse voices shaping Ireland’s vast music scene.

The first winners of the night, Kabin Crew & Lisdoonvarna Crew were voted the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Song of the Year for their song “The Spark”. The outfit delivered a rollicking performance of the track which compelled the audience to their feet as the entire venue broke out in a dance-along frenzy.

Upon accepting the award, one of the members remarked that the win is “absolutely amazing. I’m so happy we won this award, and we are all so grateful - and so is everyone else in Cork I’d say”.

Clinching the Irish Breakthrough Artist of the Year prize were the Belfast rap trio KNEECAP. Addressing the audience in a video message, band members Mo Chara (Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh) and DJ Próvaí (J.J Ó Dochartaigh) remarked that they were “delighted” to win but could not make it to the awards due to touring commitments in New Zealand.

Jordan Adetunji was named Irish Artist of the Year, following an incredible year that saw the Belfast rapper earn a GRAMMY nod for his breakout global hit ‘Kehlani’.

Currently touring in the US, the singer accepted his award from Los Angeles via video message describing the win as “a blessing”.

“I’m so gassed about this. It just feels great to finally be recognised,” Adetunji reflected.

Following Adetunji, Julie Feeney, the first winner of the RTÉ Choice Music Prize AOTY (2005), welcomed Warner Music’s Priscilla Kotey to the stage to accept Enya’s award for the Classic Irish Album for her 1998 LP Watermark.

Enya’s speech read: “My love of music has always been a driving force to me, and any success always feels like a great bonus”.

First up was the incomparable Róis, who descended on the stage in an all-black ensemble with her face shrouded in black lace. She performed three songs from her peerless EP MO LÉAN - ‘WHAT DO YOU SAY’, ‘CITÍ’ and ‘FEEL LOVE’ - that gave us a fitting summation of just how earthly, yet unearthly the Co. Fermanagh songsmith is. While the first two tracks offered haunting ambient soundscapes that accentuated Róis’ incredible keening vocals to the nth degree, the final song boasted a cathartic electronic number for end times.

RTE Choice Music Prize on March 6th, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

Next up were Silverbacks, who performed a dizzying set of tracks from their third album Easy Being A Winner. With their sound straddling the line between sun-kissed indie and breezy rock melancholia, the Parisian-Irish band showcased their delectable riffage coupled with a throbbing rhythm section. Their performance spanned a multitude of inspirations from Talking Heads and Stereolab to Thin Lizzy and Television, while maintaining their unique knack for crafting delightful staccato blasts of tightly-wound grooves.

Following Silverbacks was the indie-folk maestro Niamh Regan, who was celebrating her second Choice Prize nod for her sophomore album Come As You Are. She kicked things off with the rousing rock number ‘Music’, followed by the propulsive love song ‘The Long Haul’. The Galway singer-songwriter capped things off with what she deemed a focal point of the album, ‘Waves’, a stunning declaration of the self that channeled lustral builds and sweeps. It was the kind of performance you hoped wouldn’t end so soon. It’s no wonder Hot Press’ Riccardo Dwyer gave the album a 9/10.

After a brief intermission, A Lazarus Soul took the stage to perform songs from their highly-acclaimed LP No Flowers Grow In Cement Gardens. The Irish-French outfit started with a stunning rendition of the pulverising rock number ‘Black Maria’. But perhaps the highlight of their performance was the final number, ‘Factory Fada’, a vulnerable and raw offering that highlights the harsh reality of physical abuse in the frontman Brian Brannigan’s primary school. A symphony of steel-strung folk melodia and raw vocal stylings, ‘Factory Fada’ resisted major-chord resolutions and centred on the biographical footnotes of its making. It was a standout performance of the night whose impact is still reeling in my head.

RTE Choice Music Prize on March 6th, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

Taking a brief pause from the performances, host Tracy Clifford invited the audience to join in a moment of silence for the late Cork songsmith Eoin French - aka Talos - who died in August at the age of 36. The crowd roared with applause and cheers as a picture of French was projected on the stage.

Orla Gartland followed up with an acoustic performance of songs from her sophomore album Everybody Needs A Hero. Despite the record’s obvious rock palette, such songs as ‘Mine’, ‘Little Chaos’ and ‘Late to the Party’ shimmered in their toned-down renditions. Gartland’s rousing vocals were at the centre of it all, basking in the guitar and bass accompaniment, and delivering endless amounts of sonic might.

RTE Choice Music Prize on March 6th, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

Next up were the Galway rock band NewDad, who supplied the audience with an uncompromising performance of tracks from their viral debut album Madra. In a review of the album last year, Hot Press remarked: “Lyrically, Madra is open and intense, with its self-interrogation and brooding vulnerability very much in line with the current wave of fearlessly introspective Irish guitar bands”. On the stage, the shoegaze cohort proved this in spades, especially with a standout performance of the title-track, ‘Madra’.

The penultimate performer was the Tallaght wordsmith Curtisy, who delivered a string of jazz-infused numbers from his iconic debut album What Was The Question, while also announcing a forthcoming mixtape Beauty In The Beast with a performance of the title track. For the final song, Curitsy brought out longtime collaborators Ahmed, With Love. and Lonely Chap for a stem-winding rendition of the earworm ‘Wok To Blackrock’.

RTE Choice Music Prize on March 6th, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

The final act of the night were SPRINTS, who brought the night to an electrifying close delivering tracks from their widely-acclaimed album Letter To Self. They kicked things off with a raucous performance of ‘Heavy’, bursting into a maelstrom of drums, electric guitar and bass, and building up to the chorus of scream-worthy, existential ponderings. Frontwoman Karla Chubb had the crowd in the palm of her hand as she leapt into the audience and sang atop a table. It was a fitting way to cap off an already electrifying show, with even more energy than I ever thought possible.

RTE Choice Music Prize on March 6th, 2025. Copyright Abigail Ring/ hotpress.com

In the end, the 2025 RTÉ Choice Music Prize Awards was a vibrant celebration of Ireland’s dynamic music scene. From electrifying performances to well-deserved wins, the night honored both established icons and emerging talents, underscoring the country's rich musical legacy and future.