The shortlists for the four categories of the NI Music Prize - Best album, Best single, Best Live Act and Oh Yeah Contender Award - were announced on BBC Radio Ulster's Across The Line Programme.

The shortlists were also shared on The Thin Air.

Ahead of the shortlist announcement, nominators were chosen from sectors including music journalism, radio, podcasts, blogs, festival and event programmers, music retail, promoters, live music venues, as well as key influencers from elsewhere in the arts. They were invited to contribute and 80 have now returned their votes for Best Live, Best Single, Best Album and The Oh Yeah Contender Award.

The Best Single and Best Live Act will be decided by a public vote (you can vote by going to thethinair.net).

You can find the shortlists for the four categories below:

Best Album
Arvo Party – II
Beauty Sleep – Be Kind
Blue Whale – Process
Conor Mason – On The Surface
Cormac Neeson – White Feather
Pat Dam Smyth – The Last King
Runabay – Between The Lines
Ryan Vail and Elma Orkestra – Borders
Saint Sister – Shape of Silence
Sam Wickens – All I’ve Seen
Soak – Grim Town
Two Door Cinema Club – False Alarm

Oh Yeah Contender Pize
Amy Montgomery
Cherym
Joel Harkin
Jordan Adetunji
Problem Patterns
Strange New Places

The winner of The Oh Yeah Contender Award will receive a cash prize of £1,000 from the Oh Yeah Centre and the BBC is offering an opportunity to perform BBC Introducing Live, including travel and accommodation. Winners of Best Live and Best Single will be awarded a cash prize of £1,000 and the best album will receive £3,000.

Best Live Act

Jordan Adetunji

Joshua Burnside

New Pagans

Ryan Vail & Elma Orkestra

Sister Ghost

Best Single Shortlist

Amy Montgomery – Tree Song

Brand New Friend – I Was An Astronaut

Bui – Something Else To Talk About

Documenta – The Blue Sleep

Hand Models – Banana

Jealous Of The Birds – Blue Eyes

Joshua Burnside – Desert Wine

Junk Drawer – Year Of The Sofa

Kitt Philippa – Grace

Kitt Philippa – You

New Pagans – It’s Darker

ROE – Down Days