Winner of The Big Break Revealed!

There were thousands of entries. These were whittled down to a shortlist of a 33. The public cast their votes and then it was down to five. Each act was asked to submit two extra tracks and then invited to come into Hot Press HQ for a live session. There was a prolonged debate and agonising deliberation. Finally the decision was taken. The Big Break 2014 title goes to… Rocstrong!

The ‘Big Break’ competition run by Hot Press in association with ALCATEL ONETOUCH is aptly named. Being chosen as the winner really is a huge boost for any musician.

“Winning this is the biggest and most exciting thing that’s happened to me in my music career,” declares Rocstrong. “It feels like such a great achievement. I’ve been reading Hot Press for years and it’s a magazine where you always see all these celebrities and big musicians. I never thought that I’d be on the cover myself!”

As well as appearing on the flip cover of Hot Press, Rocstrong will perform at The Big Break Live, in association with ALCATEL ONETOUCH , which will take place in Dublin, on Thursday June 5th – with singer-songwriter Gavin James headlining. In addition Rocstrong, and the four other finalists, will each win an ALCATEL ONETOUCH IDOL MINI – the perfect accessory for any musician!

"We were overwhelmed with the standard of entries again this year,” said Tracey Hudson, Head of Marketing UK & Ireland at ALCATEL ONETOUCH. “Rocstrong is a worthy winner and we’re confident that winning The Big Break is the beginning of very bright future."

The Final Five shortlisted acts also included, in alphabetical order, Cult Called Man, El Grey, Miriam Donohue and Rackhouse Pilfer.

“The quality of the entries was incredible, proving once again that Ireland is bursting with talent,” said Hot Press Editor Niall Stokes. “It was very difficult to choose the original shortlist of 33, let alone pick one winner. Watching The Final Five’s live sessions and listening to their other tracks, it was clear to see why the public voted for these exceptional acts, but the judges were unanimous in choosing Rocstrong. He has a raw and unique talent, with a very successful career ahead of him.”

For details on how you can win tickets to The Big Break Live, on June 5th, check out [link]hotpress.com/thebigbreak[/link] this Thursday. There’ll only be 40 pairs of tickets up for grabs so make sure you don’t miss out on this special event!