The Choice Music Prize is back and better than ever! 2022 will see the event happen on March 3rd in the iconic Dublin venue Vicar Street, as the music industry come together to celebrate some of Ireland’s finest talents. Leading up to the main event, the shortlist for 'Best Album' will be revealed on the 5th of January 2022 and the shortlist for ‘Song of the Year’ will be announced 2 weeks later, on the 26th of January. Not only will the event be broadcast live but will also be shown as a Choice Music Prize special on TV later that month.
Dan Healy the head of RTÉ 2FM said: “Despite the challenges thrown at us this year, our artists and musicians have continued to do what they do best and created some incredible music, and at 2FM we are really looking forward to celebrating it. The quality of this year’s ‘Song of The Year’ and ‘Album of The Year’ shortlists highlight the sheer quality of music in Ireland right now.”
Last year, rising Limerick Rapper & Poet Denise Chaila took the crown for ‘Best Album’. Since then she has received support on BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra and performed at international showcase events such as Eurosonic. Other previous winners include; Villagers, SOAK, Two Door Cinema Club, Rusangano Family and more. Each year the ‘Irish Album of the Year’ award is whittled down to one, from a shortlist of ten albums by a panel made up of Irish music industry and media experts. The winning act will receive a whopping €10,000, provided by The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and The Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA).
The Choice Music Prize has just published a list of Irish albums released to date in 2021. So, jump ahead of the curve and get listening!