Tonight is a big night for ten of Ireland's finest music acts, as the winner of the Meteor Choice Prize - the award for the best album of 2012 - will be unveiled. The winner will join a pretty exclusive list of past winners, including Jape (times two!), Two Door Cinema Club and The Divine Comedy. Jape is so far the only act to have won two Choice Prizes but they could be joined tonight by past winners Two Door Cinema Club, Julie Feeney and Adrian Crowley - all of whom have one win apiece.

Here's a closer look at the ten acts in the running this evening and how likely they are to win, according to the bookies.

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Delorentos - Little Sparks (15/8)

The headliners of our recent awards ceremony/gig The Erics, Delorentos' third album Little Sparks is the undoubted gem of their discography up until this point and it's no surprise that they're the bookies favourites to take home the prize.

 

Heathers - Kingdom (6/1)

Heathers kept their fans waiting for the follow-up to their debut album, 2008's Here, Not There but when Kingdom finally did arrive last year it was greeted with nothing but high praise.

 

Two Door Cinema Club - Beacon (9/1)

Two Door Cinema Club are previous winners of the prize, having pipped Villagers to the prize for the best album of 2010. They're among the favourites to take home another win tonight too, but we'd be surprised if they do end up coming out on top.

 

Wallis Bird - Wallis Bird (11/2)

Wallis Bird released the best album of her career thus far last year and is rightfully in contention for this year's Choice Music Prize. She might be something of a longshot though, and this is reflected in the odds.

 

Windings - I Am Not The Crow (6/1)

Windings picked up their first ever nomination for last year's excellent I Am Not The Crow. Potential dark horses right here.

 

Mumblin' Deaf Ro - Dictionary Crimes (10/1)

Every year there seems to be one album that comes out of nowhere to appear on the shortlist. This year it was Mumblin' Deaf Ro's Dictionary Crimes. Will this be the year that the underdog wins? No, it won't.

 

The Cast of Cheers - Family (11/2)

Now this could be worth a little bet. The Cast of Cheers are one of Ireland's best live acts. Stranger things have happened...

 

Julie Feeney - Clocks (8/1)

Winner of the first ever Choice Music Prize in 1996, Feeney was also nominated in 2009 for 'Pages' and again this year for 'Clocks'. Despite relatively positive odds, we think that it would be a huge surprise should she win for a second time tonight.

 

Damien Dempsey - Almighty Love (10/1)

You wouldn't begrudge a win for Damo, would you? After over a decade of music, Dempsey has eventually picked up a long overdue nomination. If 'Seize The Day' and 'Shots' didn't get him a win, we doubt 'Almighty Love' will be the album to bring home the prize for Damo.

Adrian Crowley - I See Three Birds Flying (11/2)

Crowley won the prize back in 2009 for his album Season of the Sparks, released the year prior, and was also nominated back in 2007. 'I See Three Birds Flying' was a great record but not the type that we expect to see winning.

 

 


Meteor Choice Music Prize 2012 - Live Stream on MUZU.TV