• Joshua Burnside Scoops Northern Ireland Music Prize 2017

    November 13, 2017 - By 

    With last year’s prize won by Quiet Arch-signed songsmith Ciaran Lavery, Belfast-based experimental folk singer-songwriter Joshua Burnside has been awarded this year’s Northern Ireland Music Prize. The news was announced as part of this year’s event at Belfast’s Mandela on Saturday night. Burnside – whose debut album Ephrata took the prize – saw off competition from a strong cast of competitors in the shortlist, including Our Krypton Son, Gross Net, Malojian and more. Speaking at the event, which also saw Vivian Campbell awarded the Oh Yeah Legend Award, Charlotte Dryden, CEO of Oh Yeah said,  “It’s brilliant that a debut…

  • Shortlist Revealed for Northern Ireland Music Prize 2017

    September 14, 2017 - By 

    The shortlist for this year’s Northern Ireland Music Prize has been revealed. Set to take place at Belfast’s Mandela Hall on Saturday, November 11, the following twelve albums will vie for the annual prize, as voted for by more than 70 people from the Irish music industry and media: Arborist – Home Burial Arvo Party – Arvo Party Bap Kennedy – Reckless Heart The Divine Comedy – Foreverland Gross Net – Quantitative Easing Hannah Peel – Awake But Always Dreaming Invaderband – Invaderband Joshua Burnside – Ephrata Malojian – This Is Nowhere Our Krypton Son – Fleas & Diamonds Robocobra…

  • Northern Ireland Music Prize Shortlist Announced

    September 15, 2016 - By 

    Having been awarded to Foy Vance, Robyn G Shiels and SOAK in the last three years, the shortlist for this year’s Northern Ireland Music Prize has been revealed. With the overall winner set to be announced at a special event at Belfast’s Mandela Hall on Friday, November 11 – a night which will also feature live music from Girls Names, Jealous of the Birds and PORTS – the following shortlist was compiled via an academy of NI music industry and media. The Bonnevilles – Arrow Pierce My Heart Ciaran Lavery – Let Bad In David C Clements – The Longest Day…

  • Ash To Be Awarded Oh Yeah Legend Award

    July 21, 2016 - By 

    With previous recipients including Therapy? and The Divine Comedy, it’s been revealed that Northern Irish alt-rock trio Ash will be awarded this year’s Oh Yeah Legend Award at a special presentation at Belfast’s Mandela Hall on November 11. Followed by a live performance of their classic debut album 1977, the event will be preceded by another award, the NI Music Prize, which aims to celebrate the very best Northern Irish album of the year previous, as selected by an academy of local media and music industry professionals. Charlotte Dryden, CEO the Oh Yeah Music Centre says: “Ash have played a major…

  • Northern Ireland Music Prize 2015 @ Mandela Hall, Belfast

    November 16, 2015 - By 

    “Don’t stop going to silly rock and roll concerts. Don’t stop enjoying silly rock and roll… if we keep going, they can never win. Now let’s go play some silly rock and roll!” Neil Hannon, The Divine Comedy On a night that not once threatened to descend into a sombre affair, there remained a feeling of solidarity within the Mandela Hall in Belfast on Saturday night. Undoubtedly one of the most important dates in the Northern Irish music calendar, in this third instalment of the NI Music Awards we once again saw performances from some of the best acts this…

  • Gary Lightbody releases feature-length statement on NI Music Prize

    November 12, 2013 - By 

    Ahead of its inaugural launch at Belfast’s Mandela Hall tonight as part of this year’s Belfast Music Week, Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody has released a feature-length statement about the NI Music Prize. The Bangor singer-songwriter – also frontman with supergroup Tired Pony, who are vying for the annual album prize – wrote: “Firstly I’m delighted that Tired Pony have been nominated for the Northern Irish Music Prize. I am gutted that I’m not going to be there tonight to see who wins. Now let me make the case for everyone else but us on this fantastic and diverse list….…

  • NI Music Prize 2013

    November 11, 2013 - By 

    Featuring performance from five of the contenders, the inaugural NI Music Prize will take place at Belfast’s Mandella Hall on Tuesday, November 12. An accolade aiming to recognising the best album released by a Northern Irish act over the last twelve months, the bands vying for the prize are as follows: A Plastic Rose – Camera Shutter Life And So I Watch You From Afar – All Hail Bright Futures Anthony Toner – Sing Under The Bridges Axis Of – Finding St Kilda  The Bonnevilles – Folk Art And the Death of Electric Jesus Fighting With Wire – Colonel Blood Foy Vance – Joy Of Nothing  Girls Names – The New Life Jetplane Landing – Don’t Try Le…

  • Smoke And Mirrors: The NI Music Prize

    October 16, 2013 - By 

    Award ceremonies are a strange beast, a curious mixture of the repellently naff and the irresistibly enticing. Regardless of what they might claim, everyone loves a pat on the back, the feeling of being vindicated in front of one’s peers, and the opportunity to revel in a sense of achievement. There ain’t nothing wrong with that, and when someone wins an award, they can be humble and bashful, or belligerently arrogant, but the result is the same – you feel good. On the other hand, if you don’t win, it’s all gravy, you never respected the thing in the first…