Choice is back for another year and the top Irish album of the year needs to be decided. Myself and 10 other judges put forward out thoughts on our top 10 albums of the year and the 10 which were deemed highest ranking.
The shortlist looks like this…
Adebesi Shank – This is the Second Album of a band called Adebisi
Shank (Richter Collective)
The Cast of Cheers – Chariot (Self Released)
Cathy Davey – The Nameless (Hammer Toe Records)
Fight Like Apes – The Body of Christ & The Legs of Tina Turner (Model Citizen)
Halves – It Goes, It Goes (Forever & Ever) (Hate is The Enemy)
Imelda May – Mayhem (Universal)
James Vincent McMorrow – Early in The Morning (Universal)
O Emperor – Hither Thither (Universal)
Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History (Kitsune)
Villagers – Becoming a Jackal (Domino)
The full list of judges is as follows;
Aidan Cuffe (Goldenplec.com)
Ray Darcy (Today FM)
Michelle Doherty (Phantom 105.2)
Dave Fanning (2fm)
Shane Hegarty (Irish Times)
Chris Jones (Alternative Ulster)
Danny McElhinney (Irish Mail on Sunday)
John Meagher (Irish Independent)
Jenny Mulligan (Entertainment.ie)
Celina Murphy (HotPress)
Phil Udell (State.ie)
The overall Album of the Year will be selected by this judging panel at the Choice Music Prize Live Event at Vicar Street, Dublin on Thursday March 3.
The winning act will receive €10,000, a prize fund which has been kindly provided by the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA).
The winning act will also receive a specially-commissioned award, courtesy of the Recorded Artists Actors & Performers Ltd (RAAP).