Here are the ten for the Choice Prize this year. Delighted to see ASIWYFA get a nod as well as Julie Feeney and Valerie Francis in particular. It’s a pity there was no room for David Kitt’s The Nightsaver. I figured albums from BATS, The Holy Roman Army, Twinkranes and Patrick Kelleher were maybe a little too out there to all get on the list. I don’t get the appeal of Duckworth Lewis Method myself but sure there ya go. After being a judge last year (list below), all I can say is good luck and enjoy. Nine of these albums (with the exception of Laura Izibor) featured in the top 30 Nialler9 Irish album poll.
Spotify playlist of 8 of the 10 albums here.
- And So I Watch You From Afar – And So I Watch You From Afar
- Bell X1 – Blue Lights on the Runway
- CODES – TreesDreamInAlgebra
- Adrian Crowley – Season of the Sparks
- Dark Room Notes – We Love You Dark Matter
- Duckworth Lewis Method – Duckworth Lewis Method
- Julie Feeney – Pages
- Valerie Francis – Slow Dynamo
- Laura Izibor – Let the Truth Be Told
- The Swell Season – Strict Joy
The judges for this year are:
Martin Burns (News of the World)
Josh Clarke (i105-i107, Galway)
Roisin Dwyer (Hot Press)
Tony Fenton (Today FM)
Cathal Funge (Phantom 105.2, Dublin)
Padraic Halpin (Ragged Words)
Sophie Gorman (Irish Independent)
John McMahon (2fm)
Rob O’Connor (Beat 102-103, Waterford)
Eva Staic (Spin 1038, Dublin)
Chris Wasser (Evening Herald)
Aoife Woodlock (Other Voices)
