RTÉ Choice Music Prize returns to Vicar Street tomorrow

0:00Let's change tempo for a couple of minutes because the RTE choice music price returns to Dublin's Vickers Street tomorrow night to honor the best in Irish music. 10 albums are vying for the main price Ireland's best album of 2025, but it's probably safe to say that this woman is the favorite. Gosh, doesn't that remind you of last summer that was theme at with take a sexy picture of me from the album Euro country? Also in the running for the choice price are ample for their album reverie. Here's a flavor. Jingle bells, school yard days, rosy ringer ring, door to be, school boys get, lava we would say.

1:14School yard days from Amble, we can talk to music journalist John Marr, John we heard there from two of the main contenders who are the others. Yeah, we've got a very eclectic line up this year, Rachel, there's Brick Nasty, Joshua Burnside, Dove Ellis, Junior brother, Joseph Mustard, Pot Pot, Maria Somerville and Sprints. So outside of Amble and Seamat, a lot of names that people won't know necessarily and I suppose that's the thing about the choice music prize. It's very much about honoring artistic achievement. So some very well-known names who released albums last year didn't get a look in this time around. I do think as you suggest at the start of this that Seamat is the one to beat. She was nominated for the Mercury music prize which was the UK's equivalent of this and lost out to Sam Fender. So I do think she will be hard

2:14to beat. Some new names in the mix, as you say, but Seamat likely to be the favorite. If it doesn't go her way, who else is in the frame? I really like what Dove Ellis did with the debut album Blizzard. This is a godwige and singer songwriter. I also think Maria Somerville is a really startling talent. Her album Lustre is one of those slow burn beautiful albums and if anybody got to see my bloody Valentine in Dublin last year, she was on supporting them, a very interesting artist. And actually for people like that, the winning a prize such as the choice would be a huge career leg up pleasant as it is for Seamat to win it. It wouldn't change too much for her. And of course, she already has won this prize. She was a winner back in 2022 for her debut album. And she had an amazing year last year. I mean, she was everywhere. You mentioned her being pipped by Sam Fender at the Mercury Prize. I happen to see her in Belfast supporting

3:16Sam Fender and she is amazing life. Yeah, she's an outstanding life talent. And I suppose like everything, she's no overnight sensation. She has been crafting her art for many, many years. Much of it in bands that never kind of worked out before she went solo. And the other thing about Euro country, her third album, it really transcended music. People might remember the title track and the references to the recession and to Bertie. And much to his irritation because there were all kinds of newspaper think pieces about young people and how they were affected by the economic crash of 2008. And he was coming forward to say, look, it's not all on me. We also have this year a classic album being honored. What's the album? Yeah, it's the tone by Horseslips, 50 plus years ago in 1973. Ah, stop it. Yeah, it is an extraordinary album and hugely influential for the current crop of folk musicians,

4:26including Amble, who have been nominated, but also Langham, who have twice won the choice music prize. I suppose it was a concept album at the time. And it did help usher in a new found appreciation in the 1970s for traditional Irish music. Because I remember back some years ago interviewing John Sheehan of The Dobliners and him talking about how Irish music had really fallen out of favor, you know, a trad was just looked down on by so many people. So a band like Horseslips helped revive it and we see the fruits of that today. John, thank you very much indeed for joining us this afternoon. Music journalist John Marr there. John Marr there.