Hot Press Readers' Poll 2023 Winners Announced.

Who knows where the time goes? It has been that kind of year at HP central, with a load of new projects and developments getting up and running – and some on the way that will be announced shortly.

In addition to our return to the world of mainstream book publishing with Paul Charles’ acclaimed Adventures In Wonderland; our launch of the Nothing Compares Brigid’s Day initiative, among a range of events we’ve curated; Irish Music Month 2023; our activity at Electric Picnic 2023 as well at a host of other live shows over the summer; the release of the ‘Come On Ireland’ single; and our involvement in the creation of Uprising for television (more on this soon), we also – most recently – had the honour of creating a special issue dedicated to Sinéad O’Connor. An additional publication, turned around very quickly, it has generated an amazing and thoroughly heart-warming response. We've also been planning the return of our Y&E Series which will take place over 40 nights in October and November

With all that going on, one thing did get somewhat sidelined. There was a hugely increased response to the Hot Press Readers’ Poll back in February and March. Between the jigs and the reels, and with everything else that was happening, we underestimated the sheer volume of work involved in getting the final results tabulated. So apologies to all who voted – the bad news is that we’re late; the good news is that the results are now available! Even better, we now have the systems in place to guarantee that the 2024 poll will run like clockwork, when the time comes. Watch this space...

Album of the Year (Irish)
1 Dermot Kennedy - Sonder
2 Fontaines D.C. - Skinty Fia
3 CMAT - If My Wife New I'd Be Dead
4 The Coronas - Time Stopped
5 Pillow Queens – Leave The Light On
6 Mick Flannery - Night At The Opera
7 Róisín O – Courageous
8 David Keenan - Crude
9 Gavin James - The Sweetest Part
10 James Vincent McMorrow - The Less I Knew

Group of the year

1 Fontaines D.C
2 Picture This
3 The Coronas
4 Kodaline
5 Villagers
6 Inhaler
7 Just Mustard
8 Thumper
9 Pillow Queens
10 Dea Matrona

Individual Artist of the year

1 Dermot Kennedy
2 Hozier
3 CMAT
4 Damien Dempsey
5 Lyra
6 Mick Flannery
7 Moncrieff
8 Gavin James
9 Denise Chailla
10 Imelda May

Most Promising Act of The Year

1 Cian Ducrot
2 Gemma Dunleavy
3 Sprints
3 Aby Coulibaly
4 Eva Campbell
5 Leah Moran
6 Sophie Doyle Ryder
7 Seba Safe
8 Meryl Streek
9 Fia Moon
10 Rowan


Best Dance/Electronic (Irish)

1 Bicep
2 Daithí
3 Caoimhe
4 Tommy Holohan
5 Cormac
6 Lychee
7 Or:la
8 DJ Deece
9 Cailin
10 REOSC


Best Rap/Hip Hop (Irish)

1 Denise Chaila
2 Kojaque
3 Malaki
4 Rejjie Snow
5 Selló
6 Offica
7 KhakiKid
8 Tebi Rex
9 Jafaris
10 JYellowL

Best Folk/Trad (Irish)
1 Christy Moore
2 The Mary Wallopers
3 The High Kings
4 Lisa O'Neill
5 Declan Ó'Rourke
6 The Scratch
7 Emma Langford
8 Molly O’Mahony
9 Ye Vagabonds
10 Clare Sands


Best Songwriter

1 Dermot Kennedy
2 Hozier
3 CMAT
4 Damien Dempsey
5 Lisa Hannigan
6 Conor O'Brien (Villagers)
7 Glen Hansard
8 Mick Flannery
9 David Keenan
10 Denise Chaila


Best Musician

1 Hozier
2 Sharon Shannon
3 The Edge
4 Micheál Quinn
5 Liam Ó Maonlaí
6 Wallis Bird
7 Colm Mac an Iomaire
8 Cormac Begley
9 Gemma Doherty
10 Martin Hayes

Comedian of the Year? (Irish)

1 Tommy Tiernan
2 Aisling Bea
3 Joanne McNally
4 Tony Cantwell
5 Justine Stafford
6 Dara Ó Briain
7 Jason Byrne
8 Deirdre O'Kane
9 Michael Fry
10 Fabu D

Best Radio DJ (National, Mutli-city or Local)

1 Fergal D'Arcy
2 Dave Fanning (RTÉ 2FM/RTÉ Gold)
3 Jenny Greene (RTÉ 2FM)
4 John Creedon (RTÉ Radio 1)
5 Ian Dempsey (TodayFM)
6 Tracy Clifford (2FM)
7 Tom Dunne (Newstalk)
8 Gemma Bradley (BBC Radio 1 /BBC Radio Ulster)
9 Kayte O'Malley (iRadio)
10 Marty Miller (Radio Nova)


Best Radio DJ (multi-city or local)

1 Martin Bridgeman (KCLR)
2 Louise Tighe (FM 104)
3 Darren Rice (Beat 102-103)
4 Dave McArdle (Red FM)
5 Lorraine Murphy (96FM Cork)
6 Mark Patterson (Radio Foyle)
7 Ralph McClean (BBC Radio Ulster)
8 Ray Colclough (WLR FM)
9 Rob O’Connor (Beat FM)
10 Stephen McCauley (BBC Radio Ulster)

Best Film? (Irish and International)
1 The Banshees of Inisherin
2 An Cailín Ciúin
3 Top Gun: Maverick
4 Aftersun
5 Elvis


Best TV Show (Irish and International)

1 Bad Sisters
2 Peaky Blinders
3 Stranger Things
4 White Lotus
5 Dead to Me