Carrie Fitz, Hannah English, Aaron Coughlan and Shane Barry have been picked as WLR FM's 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 22 stations across Ireland on September 14. Voting is now live via the station's website.

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 22 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. Irish Music Month is also supported by IMRO, RAAP and Live Nation, along with Ticketmaster, Rubyworks, Camden Recording Studios and Spéir Mix and Master.

The stations participating in Irish Music Month are: 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 FM, South East Radio, Sunshine FM, Tipp FM, and WLR FM.

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

– More Irish music song plays

– More Irish music artist mentions

– 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.

Without further ado, let's meet WLR FM's shortlisted artists..

Carrie Fitz

Carrie Fitz is a singer-songwriter from Tramore, County Waterford, whose music blends elements of pop, rock and country. She's been writing and performing for over two years, and has built a reputation for her upbeat, lively songs and her love of playing live and connecting with new audiences.

This year, Carrie has performed at Kaleidoscope Festival and Heatwave Festival Waterford, while last year saw her take to the stage at Spraoi Festival and Tramore Summer Sessions.

Carrie Fitz

Hannah English

At just 16 years old, Hannah English from Waterford City is already making her mark. The budding singer-songwriter has long dreamed of pursuing music as a career, and currently has three original songs available across all major streaming platforms.

Winning the A New Local Hero, the artist said, would give her the opportunity to spend more time doing what she loves most — being in the studio, creating new music and developing her sound.

Hannah English

Aaron Coughlan

Aaron Coughlan is a 21-year-old singer-songwriter from Waterford City, who began releasing his own music in February 2026. He's been building up some strong momentum as of late, through a number of live shows and the release of his third single of the year, 'Anyway', dropping last month.

He is continuing to gig around Waterford with the aim of reaching new audiences and growing his profile as an artist. Winning the competition would help Aaron invest in studio time towards his goal of recording and releasing a full album.

Aaron Coughlan

Shane Barry

Waterford-based singer-songwriter and producer Shane Barry returned to releasing music in 2026 following a quieter year, with new material being released both under his own name and through his Americana project, The Night Post.

His 2026 solo release, ‘Later Than You Think’, features his regular backing band and showcases his signature sound, blending straight-up pop with influences from the 1960s to the 1980s.

Following a year of sold-out performances, including the Roots Festival, Shane is preparing two new EPs for release this autumn.

Shane Barry

• Keep an eye on hotpress.com and listen to your local participating station for more news on Irish Music Month, A New Local Hero and the Irish song competition, Amhrán na Laoch.