The Northern Irish Music Prize announces shortlist for album of the year & more

The NI Music Prize has announced its shortlist for the event in four categories this year. It aims to celebrate and shine a light on Northern Irish albums and this year for the first time it will extend to four categories (returning to the original format of the first year six years back). The shortlist in all have been announced and music from the last 12 months was considered (DOI: I was one of the 80 judges).

The event take places on November 15th at the Ulster Hall (tickets), is now in its 6th year and includes the return of three categories that formed part of the very first NI Music Awards back in 2011.

Album of the Year

And So I Watch You From Afar – The Endless Shimmering
Ash – Islands
Bicep – Bicep
Brand New Friend – Seatbelts For Aeroplanes
Ciaran Lavery – Sweet Decay
Girls Names – Stains on Silence
Hannah Peel – Mary Casio: Journey to Cassiopeia
Malojian – Let Your Weirdness Carry You Home
Robocobra Quartet – Plays Hard To Get
Ryan Vail – Distorted Shadows
Snow Patrol – Wildness
The Wood Burning Savages – Stability

Best Single

Arvo Party – Liberté
Ash – Buzzkill
Brand New Friend – Girl
Cherym – Take It Back
Hot Cops – Decay
Joshua Burnside – A Man of High Renown
Kitt Philippa – Human
Robocobra Quartet – You’ll Wade
ROE – Hey Thomas
Rosborough – Burn Blue
Snow Patrol – Life on Earth
The Wood Burning Savages – I Don’t Know Why I Do It To Myself

Oh Yeah Contender Award

Cherym
Hand Models
Hunkpapa
Rebekah Fitch
Roe

Best Live Act

And So I Watch You From Afar
Brand New Friend
Robocobra Quartet
Ryan Vail
The Wood Burning Savages

“>NI Music Prize website

There will be a second round of voting for all but Best Single, which will go to public vote later this week. The winners of all four categories will be announced on November 15th. The Oh Yeah Centre will reward the winners of each category with a cash prize. Best Single, Best Live Act and Oh Yeah Contender will receive £1,000 and £3,000 will go to the winner of Best Album.

The NI Music Prize is coordinated by the Oh Yeah Music Centre and is supported by Belfast City Council, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, British Council, PRS (Performing Rights Society), PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited), Help Musician’s Northern Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland and Tourism Ireland.

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