Choice Music Prize Nominations Announced

It's that time of year again for 'The Irish Mercury Prize', and as usual the shortlist has thrown up a number of surprises. Here's the list in full:

Fight Like Apes “Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion”
Mick Flannery “White Lies”
Halfset “Another Way of Being There”
Lisa Hannigan “Sea Sew”
David Holmes “The Holy Pictures”
Jape “Ritual”
Messiah J & The Expert “From The Word Go”
Oppenheimer “Take The Whole Mid-Range And Boost It”
R.S.A.G. “Organic Sampler”
The Script “The Script”

It being one of my albums of the year, I reckon Jape deserve the gong, but this award has always been a tough one to call. I'm hearing great things about Halfset, yet haven't heard the actual album yet. Mick Flannery is another one who has up til now been off my radar. The dark horses have got to be The Script though. Shudder.

The award will be announced at a live extravaganza in Vicar St on March 4th. Tickets will be on sale next Monday for 27 euros a pop. Live performances can be expected can a fair few of the nominees, and as a bonus you'll get to see first-hand the joy and rapture that comes with receiving an award (as modeled by Super Extra Bonus Party above)

This year's judges listed in the readmore.


Niall Byrne (State/Nialler9 blog)
Edel Coffey (Irish Independent)
Ian Dempsey (Today FM)
James Foley (Record of the Day)
Andrew Hamilton (Clare People)
Kieran Hurley (Cork Campus Radio)
Paul Mallon (Irish Daily Star Sunday)
Lauren Murphy (Entertainment.ie)
Sinead Ni Mhorda (Phantom FM)
Ed Power (Freelance)
Rigsy (BBC Northern Ireland’s Across The Line/ATL TV)
Ian Wilson (2FM)