Ahead of the return of the RTÉ Choice Music Prize to Vicar Street on March 0, the shortlist for Irish Album of the Year have been unveiled – featuring CMAT's If My Wife New I'd Be Dead, Fontaines D.C.'s Skinty Fia, Aoife Nessa Frances' Protector, Just Mustard's Heart Under, Dermot Kennedy's Sonder, The Mary Wallopers' The Mary Wallopers, Anna Mieke's Theatre, Pillow Queens' Leave The Light On, Sorcha Richardson's Smiling Like An Idiot, and Thumper's Delusions of Grandeur.

The nominees were announced live on Tracy Clifford's RTÉ 2FM show this afternoon.

The overall winner of Irish Album of the Year will be selected on the night of the awards ceremony by a panel of eleven Irish music media professionals and industry experts. The winning act will receive €10,000, a prize fund which has been provided by The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and The Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA). Last year saw For Those I Love take home the prize with his acclaimed self-titled album.

The Irish Song of the Year 2022 shortlist is set to be unveiled on Friday, January 13. New categories will be introduced this year, including Irish Artist of the Year, Irish Breakthrough Artist, and Classic Irish Album.

The RTÉ Choice Music Prize live event will be held at Vicar St, Dublin on Thursday, March 9 – and celebrated in an exclusive live broadcast on RTÉ 2FM, alongside a televised special on RTÉ Two later that month.

The #RTEChoicePrize Irish Album of the Year 2022 shortlist has landed on #Tracy2FM 😎@cmatbaby @fontainesdublin @Aoife_N_Frances @justmustard @DermotKennedy @marywallopers @annamieke_ @PillowQueens @SorchaRichardsn @thumper666

Best of luck to all our nominees 🔥 pic.twitter.com/tCfWjlcfE1

— RTÉ 2FM (@RTE2fm) January 9, 2023

Take a look at the Hot Press 50 Best Albums of 2022 here.