The nominees for the Choice Music Prize for the Best Irish Album of 2013 have been announced and below are the list of albums which have been deemed the ten contenders.
And So I Watch You From Afar - All Hail Bright Futures
Bell X1 - Chop Chop
Girls Names - The New Life
Kodaline - In A Perfect World
Little Green Cars - Absolute Zero
Mano Le Tough - Changing Days
My Bloody Valentine - MBV
O Emperor - Vitreous
Lisa O'Neill - Same Cloth Or Not
Villagers - {Awayland}
The judges who will meet in a dark room for some sort of weird, clandestine 12 Angry Men style vote are:
John Balfe - entertainment.ie (That's me, that is!)
Aidan Butler - RTE Radio One
Niall Byrne - Nialler9 / Irish Independent
Steve Cummins - Irish Post
Shilpa Ganatra - Daily Star
Daniel Gray - Totally Dublin
Laurence Mackin - Irish Times
Una Mullally - Irish Times / TG4
Fin O'Leary - MCD Concerts
Colm O'Sullivan - Today FM
Niall Stokes - Hot Press
Amy McGarrigle - BBC Northern Ireland
Laura Kirkpatrick - Spotify
The judging panel will be headed by Tony Clayton-Lea and the event will take place in Vicar Street on Thursday February 27th and will feature a selection of performances by some of the nominated acts. I can't see them getting My Bloody Valentine into Vicar Street, mind you, but I'd be happy to be proved wrong.
The winner of the Prize will receive a cheque for €10,000, thanks to IMRO and IRMA, and tickets for the show will go on sale on Friday priced at €23.50.
