In association with IMRO and IRMA 

2 0 2 1   D A T E S 

Irish Album of the Year 2020 Shortlist Announcement – 6^th January 

Irish Song of the Year 2020 Shortlist Announcement – 27^th January 

Exclusive RTÉ Live Broadcast - Thursday 4^th March 

Pictured at today’s announcement: RTÉ 2FM’s Tracy Clifford and Bláthnaid Treacy, along with Radie Peat and Daragh Lynch of Lankum, winners of this year’s RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Album of The Year and previous nominee, Sorcha Richardson.

The RTÉ Choice Music Prize will return in 2021 and continue its principal role in championing Irish music.  Key dates for 2021’s event were announced today on RTÉ 2FM’s Tracy Clifford Show with previous RTÉ Choice Music Prize nominee, Sorcha Richardson.  

The RTÉ Choice Music Prize Event will be celebrated in an exclusive live broadcast on RTÉ 2FM on Thursday 4^th March, along with a TV-special on RTÉ2. Further details will be announced once final decisions have been made.   

Other RTÉ Choice Music Prize key dates include:  

Irish Album of the Year 2020 Shortlist Announcement – Wednesday 6^th January 2021  

Irish Song of the Year 2020 Shortlist Announcement – Wednesday 27^th January 2021  

The Irish Album and Song of the Year 2020 will be announced on Thursday 4^th March live on RTÉ 2FM.  

Adrian Lynch, Director Audiences, Channels and Marketing at RTÉ, said: “Through our successful partnership with the Choice Music Prize over the past three years RTÉ has combined our television, radio and online platforms to great effect to promote nominated artists and support Irish music talent. This support is more important now than ever and in a very difficult year for Irish artists, it is essential that, through this year’s RTÉ Choice Music Prize, we continue to do our part to celebrate the music and the artists who have continued to reach great heights in 2020.” 

Dan Healy, Head of RTÉ 2FM, said: “Despite unprecedented challenges for the music industry, Irish artists, emerging and established, have produced some incredible, inspiring music this year. Giving airplay to this great Irish talent is at the very core of what we do at 2FM and our RTÉ Choice Music Prize All-Irish music days, which celebrate Irish music and artists, have become one of the most popular features on the station. Everyone in 2FM is looking forward to again getting right behind the RTÉ Choice Music Prize and celebrating Irish artists and their music.” 

RTÉ Choice Music Prize ‘Conversations’ will return on Thursday 4^th March 2021. ‘Conversations’ is an international music forum designed to encourage frank exchanges amongst panellists and with the audiences to challenge and elucidate the biggest prevailing issues confronting artists and industry professionals.  

RTÉ Choice Music Prize will once again celebrate the best in Irish recorded music.   The Prize has become one of the music-industry highlights of the year since its inception in 2005. The Irish Album of the Year award is chosen from a shortlist of ten albums by a panel of eleven Irish music media professionals and industry experts.  

 The winning act will receive €10,000, a prize fund which has been provided by The Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and The Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA).  

“RTÉ Choice Music Prize recognises and champions some of our finest songwriters and IMRO is delighted to continue its longstanding association with this prestigious music prize. Irish music continues to push new boundaries and this Prize provides a great platform for new music to resonate so strongly with audiences in Ireland and important overseas markets” – Keith Johnson, Director of Marketing & Membership IMRO.  

“IRMA is once again delighted to support the RTE Choice Music Prize, particularly in this difficult period affecting the music industry.  An event such as the RTE Choice Music Prize shines a light on great new Irish music and serves as a beacon of hope for artists who have had their livelihoods seriously disrupted by the pandemic. The RTE Choice Music Prize rewards artists who have continued to create new and innovative recordings and who have found a way to rise above the difficulties which they face at this time” – Willie Kavanagh, Chairman of IRMA  

All shortlisted acts will receive a specially commissioned award.  

RAAP, Culture Ireland, FMC and Minding Creative Minds are also official project partners of the RTE Choice Music Prize. 

The Choice Music Prize website has published a list of Irish albums released to date in 2020. This list can be viewed at http://www.choicemusicprize.ie/2020-album-list/ and notified by email regarding any additions info@choicemusicprize.com  

#rtechoiceprize  

About the RTÉ Choice Music Prize 

The RTÉ Choice Music Prize is organised by David Reid.  Editor of RTÉ Brainstorm, Jim Carroll is the chairman of the judging panel. It is unique in that the judging of the Irish Album of the Year focuses simply and solely on the music (as opposed to sales or airplay). The full list of judges will be on the RTÉ Choice Music Prize website from 6th January. Past winners can be found via http://www.choicemusicprize.ie/past-prizes/   

Stay up-to-date with the latest RTÉ Choice Music Prize news by following @choiceprize, @rte2fm, @rte and @rte2 on Twitter and Facebook and @explorerte and @rte2fm on Instagram using #rtechoiceprize. For Snapchat updates, follow @rte2fm.  

Further information can be found at:  
http://www.choicemusicprize.ie