Jessica Brett, Dàwna, Stell Kennedy and Jack Maye Murphy have been selected as local finalists in the A New Local Hero national talent search - a key part of Irish Music Month which is set to kick off on 21 stations across Ireland, on September 1st.

As one of the central features of Irish Music Month, A New Local Hero is a major call to arms for Irish musicians and bands – with all 21 participating radio stations having reached out for submissions in recent months. The excitement is rising, with a slew of announcements arriving over the next few days. Each of the acts selected by the stations will perform and be interviewed on their local station, with one act from each station going forward onto the long-list of contenders for the national A New Local Hero award.

Launched in 2021, Irish Music Month is an initiative of Hot Press and the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland, and is funded by Coimisiún na Meán.

What Irish Music Month means, across participating independent stations, is:

– More Irish music song plays

– More Irish music features

– More Irish artist gig pushes

– More Irish artist interviews

And – what's more – we'll be putting over €100,000 into the hands of music makers and their crews across the country too.

So, without further ado, let's meet Tipp FM's shortlisted artists...

Jessica Brett

After writing songs in various musical projects for almost of a decade, this Clonmel native switched her focus to solo material in 2022, with the impressive debut single ‘BYE BYE’. Citing the likes of Olivia Rodrigo, Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa as her influences, Brett has collaborated with Kilkenny’s platinum selling pop maestro Robert Grace. With her romantic, sweet-sounding vocals, it’s no surprise that the 26-year-old also plies her trade as a sought-after wedding singer.

Dàwna

This Nenagh native takes his stage name from the Irish word Dàna. Translating to bold, it very much sums up his electronic-folk songwriting, which has garnered millions of views on TikTok. He’s also supported Hermitage Green, Susan O’Neil and Gavin James – who Dàwna opened for in Paris, just a week prior to his own sold-out Dot Theatre gig in Dublin this past March. The hype is real.

Jack Maye Murphy

This 18-year-old from Carrick on Suir dedicates his craft to helping those battling with their mental health, having faced his own personal struggles after losing his father three years ago. Murphy’s powerful batch of so-far released singles have the modern-sounding emotiveness of Sam Tompkins written all over them - revealing a rising artist who’s brave beyond his years.

Stell Kennedy:

At just 17-years-old, this Irish-American has already immersed herself in Ireland's busking circuit. It’s evidently been time well spent, with the youngster winning the prestigious Mick Egan Memorial Busking Competition in 2023. The past year has seen Kennedy start releasing her own original tunes, and after listening to her impressively mature debut EP Death Wish, it’s no surprise to see her included on Tipp FM's shortlist.

Irish Music Month is also supported by IMRO, RAAP, Live Nation, Rubyworks and Camden Recording Studios.

See the full list of participating radio stations below:

Clare FM
Classic Hits
Cork's 96FM
East Coast FM
FM104
Galway Bay Fm
Highland Radio
KCLR
KFM
Limerick Live 95FM
LMFM
Midlands 103
MidWest Radio
Northern Sound
Ocean FM
Radio Kerry
Radio Nova
Shannonside
South-East Radio
Tipp FM
WLR FM

• Irish Music Month - Irish Radio Supporting Artists - in association with IBI, Hot Press & Coimisiún na Meán's Sound & Vision Scheme, funded by the Television License Fee.

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