Here’s a look at when Choice Music Prize shortlists and the live event takes place for its 21st year, again celebrating the best in Irish recorded music.
The Irish Album of the Year prize only is chosen from a shortlist of ten albums by a panel of eleven Irish music media professionals and industry experts.
The winning AOTY 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). All shortlisted acts will receive a specially commissioned award on the night.
Irish Album of the Year 2025 Shortlist – 19th January
Irish Song of the Year 2025 Shortlist – 23rd January
The RTÉ Choice Music Prize live event, one of the music industry’s biggest nights, will be back in Vicar St on Thursday 5th March and also broadcast live on RTÉ 2FM.
Tickets on sale Friday 14th Nov at 9am, priced €29.50 plus fees from Ticketmaster.
Irish Artist of the Year / Irish Breakthrough Artist / Classic Irish Album
Three additional prizes will be awarded on the night – Irish Artist of the Year, Irish Breakthrough Artist and Classic Irish Album.
RTÉ 2FM will broadcast a week of Choice Music Prize announcements from 19th – 23rd January, with All Irish All Day kicking things off on the station on Monday 19th January.
Irish Album of the Year 2025 –shortlist, Mon 19th January
Irish Artist of the Year – shortlist, Tues 20th January
Irish Breakthrough Artist – shortlist, Wed 21st January
Classic Irish Album – further details Thurs 22nd January (the winning album will be announced ahead of the live gig next year)
Irish Song of the Year 2025 – shortlist, Fri 23rd January
The Choice Music Prize website has published a list of Irish albums released to date in 2025. This list can be viewed and updated via https://www.choicemusicprize.ie/
Conversations – Thursday 5th March, BIMM, Francis St
Live Event with an Exclusive RTÉ2FM Broadcast – Thursday 5th March, Vicar St
Dave Reid, Choice Music Prize co-founder commented – “The breadth and diversity of Irish music right now is astounding typified by recent Choice Music Prize winners Fontaines D.C., CMAT and more doing so well on the world stage. We look forward to honouring and celebrating the best in Irish music in partnership with RTE through our week of shortlist announcements on the Tracy Clifford show beginning on January 19th and ending with the 21st edition of the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Live event on Thursday March 5th at Vicar St”.
2024 winners announced last March:
Fontaines D.C. – Romance (AOTY)
Kabin and Lisdoonvarna Crew – “The Spark” (SOTY)
Jordan Adetunji – Irish Artist of the Year
Kneecap – Irish Breakthrough Artist of the Year
Watermark by Enya – Classic Irish Album
RAAP, Culture Ireland, FMC, Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet & Minding Creative Minds are also official project partners of the RTÉ Choice Music Prize.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
