Quick facts for kids Choice Music Prize |
Choice Music Prize Logo (2017–present)
|
| Presented by |
IRMA, IMRO and RAAP |
| Location |
Vicar Street, Dublin, Republic of Ireland (2005–present)
The Olympia Theatre, Dublin (2011 ceremony) |
| Country |
Ireland |
| First awarded |
2005 |
The Choice Music Prize (Irish: Duais Cheoil Choice) is a super cool yearly award given to the best music album from Ireland. It celebrates amazing music made by artists born in the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland, or who have an Irish passport. If it's a band, most of the members need to be from Ireland or have an Irish passport.
For many years, the award show was on a radio station called Today FM. But since 2017, you can hear it live on RTÉ 2FM. The big award ceremony happens in Vicar Street, a famous place in Dublin.
The show has been live on radio since it started in 2005. It used to be a long special show, lasting for hours. Many different presenters have hosted it over the years. Big companies like Samsung and Meteor used to help pay for the prize. But now, it's supported by RTÉ.
How It Started
The Choice Music Prize was created in 2005. A journalist named Jim Carroll and a manager named Dave Reid came up with the idea.
Why the Awards Exist
The people who run the Choice Music Prize want to help Irish music get noticed more. They hope it will help Irish artists get more airplay on the radio, both in Ireland and around the world.
Winning this award can really change an artist's career. Cormac Brady from the band Super Extra Bonus Party said winning brought them "a hell of a lot more recognition overnight." Julie Feeney, who won the first prize, called it "probably the biggest achievement of my life."
The Choice Music Prize is like the Mercury Prize in the UK. It's about finding the best album based on its artistic quality. It doesn't matter how many copies the album sold or what type of music it is. A group of twelve judges decides the winner. The winner also gets a €10,000 cheque.
The prize is known for picking winners that might surprise people. The first winner in 2005 was Julie Feeney. Other early winners include The Divine Comedy, Super Extra Bonus Party, and Jape.
The award ceremony happens every year in February or March at Vicar Street in Dublin. Nominated artists often perform live at the event. The judges are locked in a room during the performances to decide the winner. They use a secret vote to pick the best album.
Many artists say that being nominated or winning the Choice Music Prize has helped their careers a lot. It can double or even triple their album sales!
How to Watch or Listen
When the awards first started, you could listen to them live on Today FM. Since 2017, the show has been broadcast live on RTÉ 2FM. You can also see highlights of the event on RTÉ2 television.
Past Winners and Nominees
Here are some of the amazing artists who have won the Choice Music Prize, and some of the other talented musicians who were nominated.
Super Extra Bonus Party, winners in 2007
Jape, winners in 2008 and 2011
Adrian Crowley, winner in 2009
Delorentos, winners in 2012
Villagers, winners in 2013
| Year |
Winner |
Album |
Shortlisted nominees & albums |
| 2005 |
Julie Feeney |
13 Songs |
- Bell X1 – Flock
- Cane 141 – Moonpool
- The Chalets – Check In
- Joe Chester – A Murder of Crows
- Duke Special – Adventures in Gramophone
- Hal – Hal
- Nick Kelly – Running Dog
- Emmett Tinley – Attic Faith
- Turn & Turn LP
|
| 2006 |
The Divine Comedy |
Victory for the Comic Muse |
- Director – We Thrive on Big Cities
- Duke Special – Songs from the Deep Forest
- The Immediate – In Towers and Clouds
- David Kitt – Not Fade Away
- Messiah J and the Expert – Now This I Have to Hear
- Fionn Regan – The End of History
- Republic of Loose – Aaagh!
- Si Schroeder – Coping Mechanisms
- Snow Patrol – Eyes Open
|
| 2007 |
Super Extra Bonus Party |
Super Extra Bonus Party |
- Adrian Crowley – Long Distance Swimmer
- Cathy Davey – Tales of Silversleeve
- Delorentos – In Love with Detail
- Dry County – Unexpected Falls
- The Flaws – Achieving Vagueness
- David Geraghty – Kill Your Darlings
- Kíla – Gamblers' Ballet
- Róisín Murphy – Overpowered
- Stanley Super 800 – Louder & Clearer
|
| 2008 |
Jape |
Ritual |
- Fight Like Apes – Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion
- Mick Flannery – White Lies
- Halfset – Another Way of Being There
- Lisa Hannigan – Sea Sew
- David Holmes (musician) – The Holy Pictures
- Messiah J and the Expert – From the Word Go
- Oppenheimer – Take the Whole Midrange and Boost It
- R.S.A.G. – Organic Sampler
- The Script – The Script
|
| 2009 |
Adrian Crowley |
Season of the Sparks |
- And So I Watch You from Afar – And So I Watch You From Afar
- Bell X1 – Blue Lights on the Runway
- Codes – Trees Dream in Algebra
- Dark Room Notes – We Love You Dark Matter
- The Duckworth Lewis Method – The Duckworth Lewis Method
- Julie Feeney – Pages
- Valerie Francis – Slow Dynamo
- Laura Izibor – Let the Truth Be Told
- The Swell Season – Strict Joy
|
| 2010 |
Two Door Cinema Club |
Tourist History |
- Adebisi Shank – This Is the Second Album of a Band Called Adebisi Shank
- The Cast of Cheers – Chariot
- Cathy Davey – The Nameless
- Fight Like Apes – The Body of Christ and the Legs of Tina Turner
- Halves – It Goes, It Goes (Forever & Ever)
- Imelda May – Mayhem
- James Vincent McMorrow – Early in the Morning
- O Emperor – Hither Thither
- Villagers – Becoming a Jackal
|
2011
- Held on Thursday 8 March 2012
- Paul McLoone's debut as M.C.
- Broadcast live on Today FM
|
Jape |
Ocean of Frequency |
- And So I Watch You From Afar – Gangs
- Bell X1 – Bloodless Coup
- Cashier No. 9 – To the Death of Fun
- Lisa Hannigan – Passenger
- The Japanese Popstars – Controlling Your Allegiance
- Jape – Ocean of Frequency
- Patrick Kelleher and His Cold Dead Hands – Golden Syrup
- Pugwash – The Olympus Sound
- Tieranniesaur – Tieranniesaur!
- We Cut Corners – Today I Realised I Could Go Home Backwards
|
2012
- Held on 7 March 2013
- Broadcast live on Today FM
|
Delorentos |
Little Sparks |
- Wallis Bird – Wallis Bird
- The Cast of Cheers – Family
- Adrian Crowley – I See Three Birds Flying
- Damien Dempsey – Almighty Love
- Julie Feeney – Clocks
- Heathers – Kingdom
- Mumblin' Deaf Ro – Dictionary Crimes
- Two Door Cinema Club – Beacon
- Windings – I Am Not The Crow
|
2013
- Held on 27 February 2014
- Broadcast live on Today FM
|
Villagers |
{Awayland} |
- And So I Watch You from Afar – All Hail Bright Futures
- Bell X1 – Chop Chop
- Girls Names – The New Life
- Kodaline – In a Perfect World
- Little Green Cars – Absolute Zero
- Mano Le Tough – Changing Days
- My Bloody Valentine – MBV
- O Emperor – Vitreous
- Lisa O'Neill – Same Cloth or Not
|
2014
- Held on 5 March 2015
- Broadcast live on Today FM
|
The Gloaming |
The Gloaming |
- Aphex Twin – Syro
- Delorentos – Night Becomes Light
- Hozier – Hozier
- James Vincent McMorrow – Post Tropical
- Sinéad O'Connor – I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss
- Damien Rice – My Favourite Faded Fantasy
- The Riptide Movement – Getting Through
- U2 – Songs of Innocence
- We Cut Corners – Think Nothing
|
2015
- Held Thursday 3 March 2016
- Paul McLoone's final appearance as M.C.
- Final broadcast on Today FM
|
SOAK |
Before We Forgot How to Dream |
- Girl Band – Holding Hands with Jamie
- Ham Sandwich – Stories from the Surface
- Gavin James – "Bitter Pill"
- Jape – This Chemical Sea
- Le Galaxie – Le Club
- Colm Mac Con Iomaire – And Now The Weather
- Róisín Murphy – Hairless Toys
- Villagers – Darling Arithmetic
- Young Wonder – Birth
|
2016
- Held on Thursday 9 March 2017
- Eoghan McDermott's debut as M.C.
- Broadcast live for the first time on RTÉ 2FM, with highlights on RTÉ2
|
Rusangano Family |
Let The Dead Bury The Dead |
- All Tvvins – llVV
- Wallis Bird – Home
- Bantum – Move
- The Divine Comedy – Foreverland
- Lisa Hannigan – At Swim
- Katie Kim – Salt
- James Vincent McMorrow – We Move
- Overhead, The Albatross – Learning to Growl
- We Cut Corners – The Cadences of Others
|
2017
- Held in Vicar Street on 8 March 2018
- Broadcast live on RTÉ 2FM, with highlights on RTÉ2
|
Ships |
Precession |
- Come On Live Long – In The Still
- Marlene Enright – Placemats and Second Cuts
- Fangclub – Fangclub
- Lankum – Between The Earth & Sky
- James Vincent McMorrow – True Care
- New Jackson – From Night to Night
- Otherkin – OK
- Fionn Regan – The Meetings of the Waters
- Talos – Wild Alee
|
2018
- Held in Vicar Street on 7 March 2019
- Broadcast live on RTÉ 2FM, with highlights on RTÉ2
|
O Emperor |
Jason |
- The Academic – Tales From The Backseat
- Delorentos – True Surrender
- Just Mustard – Wednesday
- Kojaque – Deli Daydreams
- Lisa O'Neill – Heard A Long Gone Song
- Saint Sister – Shape of Silence
- Rejjie Snow – Dear Annie
- Villagers – The Art Of Pretending To Swim
- Wyvern Lingo – Wyvern Lingo
|
2019
- Held in Vicar Street on 5 March 2020
- Broadcast live on RTÉ 2FM, with highlights on RTÉ2
|
Lankum |
The Livelong Day |
- Daithi – L.O.S.S.
- Mick Flannery – Mick Flannery
- Fontaines D.C. – Dogrel
- Girl Band – The Talkies
- Jafaris – Stride
- Junior Brother – Pull The Right Rope
- SOAK – Grim Town
- Maija Sofia – Bath Time
- Sorcha Richardson – First Prize Bravery
|
2020
- Held on 4 March 2021
- Broadcast live on RTÉ 2FM, with highlights on RTÉ2
|
Denise Chaila |
Go Bravely |
- Fontaines D.C. – A Hero's Death
- JyellowL – 2020 D|Vision
- Róisín Murphy – Róisín Machine
- Nealo – All The Leaves Are Falling
- Pillow Queens – In Waiting
- Ailbhe Reddy – Personal History
- Niamh Regan – Hemet
- Silverbacks – Fad
|
| 2021
|
For Those I Love |
For Those I Love |
- Bicep – Isles
- Mick Flannery & Susan O'Neill – In The Game
- For Those I Love – For Those I Love
- Orla Gartland – Woman On The Internet
- HousePlants – Dry Goods
- Kojaque – Town's Dead
- Elaine Mai – Home
- Saint Sister – Where I Should End
- Soda Blonde – Small Talk
- Villagers – Fever Dreams
|
| 2022
|
CMAT |
If My Wife New I'd Be Dead |
- Fontaines D.C. – Skinty Fia
- Aoife Nessa Frances – Protector
- Just Mustard – Heart Under
- Dermot Kennedy – Sonder
- The Mary Wallopers – The Mary Wallopers
- Anna Mieke – Theatre
- Pillow Queens – Leave the Light On
- Sorcha Richardson – Smiling Like an Idiot
- Thumper – Delusions of Grandeur
|
| 2023
|
Lankum |
False Lankum |
- Grian Chatten – Chaos for the Fly
- CMAT – Crazymad, for Me
- John Francis Flynn – Look Over the Wall, See the Sky
- Kojaque – Phantom of the Afters
- Rachael Lavelle – Big Dreams
- The Murder Capital – Gigi's Recovery
- The Scratch – Mind Yourself
- Soda Blonde – Dream Big
- Ezra Williams – Supernumeraries
|
Who Can Be Nominated?
To be considered for the Choice Music Prize, an album must meet a few rules:
- The album must have been released for the first time in Ireland (Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland) between January 1st and December 31st of the previous year.
- Albums that are re-releases, "best of" collections, live albums, or albums with many different artists are not allowed.
- The artist or band members must be born in Ireland or have an Irish passport. For bands, most members need to meet this rule.
- An album must have at least six songs or be longer than 33 minutes and 20 seconds.
There's no special way to apply for the award. If an album follows these rules, it can be considered by the judges!
It's not about the best debut album or the best out-there album or the best pop album or the best album by an old-timer – it's the album that you, the judges, believe best sums up the previous year in Irish music, made by the act you, the judges, believe best represents Irish music and the Choice Music Prize right now.
— An email sent to judges for the 2008 awards.
Similar Music Awards
The Choice Music Prize is like other awards around the world that celebrate great music:
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