IMRO, that's the Irish Music Rights Organisation to you, has announced the second annual Live Music Venue of the Year Awards.
The awards recognise excellence in live music entertainment in venues around the country. 400 venues across Ireland qualify for the awards and these include pubs, hotels, arts centres, theatres, purpose built music venues and many more. Along with one overall award for National Live Music Venue of the Year, awards will be presented to the leading live music venues in the following regions: Dublin, Leinster (excluding Dublin) Connaught, Munster and Ulster (covering Donegal, Monaghan and Cavan).
The awards were launched in Copyright House today with solo artist and multi instrumentalist Julie Feeney and lead singer of The Coronas, Danny O’Reilly (above). The shortlist of nominated venues will be announced at the end of October and the awards will take place at the beginning of December at a special event at IMRO Headquarters. Vicar St cleaned up at last year's awards, bagging gongs for Best Live Music Venue of the Year and Best Dublin Live Venue of The Year.
You the public can once again vote for the Hot Press Readers Award for Best Venue by registering over at hotpress.com. Our nominations go to the magnificent Button Factory in Temple Bar and the superb Sugar Club over on Leeson St, if only they'd put more shows on!