Denise Chaila wins the Choice Music Prize 2020

Denise Chaila was announced as the winner of the Choice Music Prize for Irish album of the year 2020 in a ceremony that was broadcast on RTÉ Player and RTÉ 2FM today.

The Limerick rapper’s Go Bravely was pitched as a mixtape but the judges deemed it worthy enough for nomination and eventual winner.

Not pictured but thorougly a huge part of the win is God Knows and MuRli, who previously won the Choice Prize with Rusangano Family.

The winning act receives €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 also receive a specially commissioned award.

A special RTÉ Choice Music Prize highlights programme will be broadcast on RTÉ2 television on Sunday March 14th.

This is @DeniseChaila's world and we're just living in it 💚

Her reaction is EVERYTHING!

A snippet of 'Anseo' live in here too 😍 #RTEChoicePrize pic.twitter.com/JAswYWaLrj

— RTÉ 2FM (@RTE2fm) March 4, 2021

The 10 shortlisted albums were, in alphabetical order are:

Bitch Falcon – Staring at Clocks (Small Pond Recordings)
Denise Chaila – Go Bravely  (narolane)
Fontaines D.C. – A Hero’s Death  (Partisan Records)
JyellowL – 2020 DIvision  (JyellowL Records)
Róisín Murphy – Róisín Machine  (Loaded Records)
Nealo – All The Leaves Are Falling  (2020 Nealo)
Pillow Queens – In Waiting  (Pillow Queens Records)
Ailbhe Reddy – Personal History  (Friends of the Family)
Niamh Regan – Hemet  (The Black Gate Label)
Silverbacks – Fad  (Central Tones)

This year’s judges were:

Trishauna Archer (Beat FM)
Pamela Blake (Today FM)
Pavel Barter (Sunday Times)
Gemma Bradley (BBC Radio One Introducing/BBC Radio Ulster Across the Line)
Lisa Connell (GCN)
Tracy Clifford (RTÉ 2FM)
Lauren Murphy (Freelance journalist)
Derek O’Connor (RTÉ Culture)
Claire Regan (LMFM/Virgin Media)
Louise Tighe (FM104)
Ray Wingnut (Spin Southwest)

Niall Byrne

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, Cara Magazine, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, founder of Lumo Club, club promoter, event curator and producer of gigs, listening parties & events in Dublin.

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