Friday, 26th February 2021
  • Latest Issue
  • Submit An Article
  • Radio
  • Advertise With Us
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Latest Issue
  • News
  • Features
    • Features
    • Editorial
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Gaeilge
  • Music
  • Byline
    • Fiction
    • Humour
    • Gaming
    • Film & TV
    • Fashion
    • Food
  • About
    • About
    • Editorial Team
    • Our Sections
    • Latest Issue
    • Advertise With Us
  • Write For Us
    • Apply
    • How To
    • Submit An Article
  • Sexpress
    • Ask Sexpress
    • Sexpress Magazine
  • Radio
home Byline, Music RTÉ’s Choice Prize returns for 2021

RTÉ’s Choice Prize returns for 2021

By Cathal Donovan O Neill   Posted in Byline Music
Posted on February 18, 2021

By Cathal Donovan O’Neill – Music Editor

This year’s RTÉ Choice Prize is coming up soon, with both the album and single shortlists having recently been released. Here’s the lowdown on who’s up for the prize, what they can win, and how you can help your favourite.

The RTÉ Choice Prize has been going since the mid-Noughties, and is a valiant attempt to get the best Irish music attention and airplay. All shortlisted acts get an award from RTÉ, with the winner receiving €10,000, national media coverage and some good airplay.

The album award is judged by a panel of music journalists and broadcasters ranging from national newspaper critics to journalists at music websites. Their selections are fairly spot on – past victors include O Emperor’s swan song Jason and Rusangano Family’s instant-classic Let The Dead Bury The Dead.
The list of shortlisted albums for the 2020 prize is as follows:
• Staring at Clocks, Bitch Falcon (Reckless Records, rock)
• Go Bravely, Denise Chaila (NaroLane Records, rap)
• A Hero’s Death, Fontaines D.C. (Partisan Records/Universal, rock)
• 2020 DIvision, JyellowL (JyellowL Records, rap)
• All The Leaves Are Falling, Nealo (Diffusion Lab Records, rap)
• In Waiting, Pillow Queens (Pillow Queens Records, rock)
• Personal History, Ailbhe Reddy (Friends of the Family, folk/rock)
• Hemet, Niamh Regan (The Black Gate Label, folk)
• Fad, Silverbacks (Central Tones, rock)
• Roisín Machine, Roisín (Skint/BMG, disco)

While the selection’s a bit Dublin-focused, it’s great to see recognition for Ireland’s independent and local-label artists. Many of our country’s best musicians are unsigned by big labels; it’s good to see them get their flowers. More Irish hip-hop is nice to see, also, with Denise Chaila, Nealo and JYellowL getting deserved nominations – the last couple years have been a flashpoint for Irish hip-hop breaking the mainstream, and we’d be delighted to see it get bigger and bigger in the future.
The list of individual songs, meanwhile, is awarded by public vote on RTÉ Choice Prize’s website. It’s well worth checking out some of the songs you mightn’t have heard before; there’s some real gems there, like Gemma Dunleavy’s ‘Up De Flats’ and Denise Chaila’s breakout hit ‘Chaila’’.

• ‘Chaila’, Denise Chaila (NaroLane, rap)
• ‘Up De Flats’, Gemma Dunleavy (independent, rap)
• ‘Televised Mind’, Fontaines D.C. (Partisan Records, rock)
• ‘No Judgement’, Niall Horan (Capitol Records/Universal Music Group, pop)
• ‘Haunted’, Jafaris (Diffusion Lab Records, rap)
• ‘Boxes’, Gavin James (Sony Music, pop)
• ‘Giants’, Dermot Kennedy (Interscope Records/Universal Music Group, pop)
• ‘Winona Ryder’, Picture This (Republic Records/Universal Music Group, pop)
• ‘Holy Show’, Pillow Queens (Pillow Queens Records, rock)
• ‘Survive’, True Tides (Temple Records, pop)

The singles list is more pop-focused, with talented independents like Dunleavy going up against the pop behemoths of Niall Horan, Picture This and Dermot Kennedy.
We’re hoping that the public competition doesn’t end up getting brigaded by Niall Horan stans. The megafans showed up en masse earlier in the pandemic to curse Dustin The Turkey, after the puppet cut short an RTÉ appearance of Horan whilst yelling ‘We wanted Harry Styles, you only get a minute and a half.’ It was a whole thing on Twitter for a couple of days and, as with most things on Twitter which become whole, it was embarrassing.
The winners of both awards will be announced over RTÉ 2FM’s Tracy Clifford show and the RTÉ Player on March 4, with highlights next week on TV’s RTÉ 2.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related

Search

You Might Also Like

Making Your Applications
Making Your Applications
  • Feb 17, 2021
The Adopted Person’s Right to Information in Ireland: A Timeline
The Adopted Person’s Right to Information in Ireland: A Timeline
  • Feb 17, 2021
How is modern technology shaping our society?
How is modern technology shaping our society?
  • Feb 17, 2021
“My Master’s really helped me overcome my fear of independent thinking”
“My Master’s really helped me overcome my fear of independent thinking”
  • Dec 09, 2020
Direct Provision: The need to dismantle it
Direct Provision: The need to dismantle it
  • Dec 09, 2020

Recent Articles

Art in Action: UCC Fáilte Refugees & Glucksman Unveil Powerful New Exhibition
Art in Action: UCC Fáilte Refugees & Glucksman Unveil Powerful New Exhibition
  • Feb 22, 2021
Idle time, Journalism and roasting Michael O’Leary
Idle time, Journalism and roasting Michael O’Leary
  • Feb 19, 2021
Admitting defeat
Admitting defeat
  • Feb 19, 2021
The Waiting Game
The Waiting Game
  • Feb 19, 2021
A Recommended Reading List for Black History Month  
A Recommended Reading List for Black History Month  
  • Feb 19, 2021
Theme by Evan Smith