Dermot Kennedy has won the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Song of the Year in a special live show on RTÉ 2FM and RTÉ Player.
Dermot Kennedy has been voted the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Song of the Year for his song 'Better Days'. The announcement was made by The Script's, Danny O'Donoghue on the Tracy Clifford Show on RTÉ 2FM and live streamed on RTÉ Player (watch live above). 'Better Days' by Dermot Kennedy was selected from a shortlist of 10 songs by public vote (Ireland only), via the RTÉ 2FM and Choice Music Prize websites. Fans were given the chance to get behind their favourite Irish song of 2021 until midnight on Sunday 27th February.
The full RTÉ Choice Music Prize Song of The Year 2021, in association with IMRO & IRMA, was:
Bobbi Arlo – Feel It
Dermot Kennedy – Better Days
Elaine Mai – No Forever feat. MayKay
Inhaler – It Won't Always Be Like This
Jack O’ Rourke – Sea Swimming
Kynsy – Mr Nice Guy
Picture This – Things are Different
Shane Codd – Always on My Mind feat. Charlotte Haining
Soda Blonde – Small Talk
Soulé – Queenish
Commenting, Adam Fogarty, Head of Music at RTÉ 2FM: "When the shortlist was announced earlier this year, I was keen to highlight that the sheer quality of the 10 songs reflects the incredible standards now being reached routinely by musicians and artists in Ireland across a range of genres. These songs, and so many others produced by Irish artists during another extremely challenging year for the music industry, are as good as anything you will find anywhere in the world. We are so proud in 2FM, through the RTÉ Choice Music Prize and through 2FM Rising to continue to support our great artists and musicians in every way we can and help them reach new audiences."
Listen to the songs nominated for RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Song of the Year below.
RTÉ Choice Music - Album of the Year shortlist
Listen to the 10 shortlisted albums here.
The 17th annual RTÉ Choice Music Prize will once again celebrate the best in Irish recorded music. The Prize has become one of the music-industry highlights of the year since its inception in 2005. The Irish Album of the Year award is chosen from a shortlist of ten albums by a panel of eleven Irish music media professionals and industry experts. The full list of judges is listed on www.choicemusicprize.ie.
RAAP and Minding Creative Minds are also official project partners of the RTE Choice Music Prize as are Culture Ireland and First Music Contact (FMC).
Through its funding of FMC's Music From Ireland programme, Culture Ireland support of the RTÉ Choice Music Prize will be directed towards participant artists, as well as assisting the online RTÉ Choice Music Prize "Conversations".
#rtechoiceprize
Watch videos for all 12 tracks shortlisted for Irish Song of the Year 2021 below
Bobby Arlo - Feel It
Dermot Kennedy - Better Days
Elaine Mai feat. May Kay - No Forever
Inhaler - It Won't Always Be Like This
Jack O'Rourke - Sea Swimming
Kynsy - Mr Nice Guy
Picture This - Things Are Different
Shane Codd feat. Charlotte Haining - Always On My Mind
Soda Blonde - Small Talk
Soulé - Queenish
The 17th annual RTÉ Choice Music Prize will once again celebrate the best in Irish recorded music. The Prize has become one of the music-industry highlights of the year since its inception in 2005. The Irish Album of the Year award is chosen from a shortlist of ten albums by a panel of eleven Irish music media professionals and industry experts. The full list of judges is listed on choicemusicprize.ie
The winning 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.
RAAP and Minding Creative Minds are also official project partners of the RTE Choice Music Prize as are Culture Ireland and First Music Contact (FMC).
Through its funding of FMC’s Music From Ireland programme, Culture Ireland support of the RTÉ Choice Music Prize will be directed towards participant artists, as well as assisting the online RTÉ Choice Music Prize "Conversations".
#rtechoiceprize
Stay up to date with the latest RTÉ Choice Music Prize news by following @choiceprize, @rte2fm, @rte and @rte2 on Twitter and Facebook and @explorerte and @rte2fm on Instagram using #rtechoiceprize. Further information can be found at: choicemusicprize.ie