RTÉ Choice Music Prize - Irish Album of the Year 2025 / Shortlist Announcement

20 January 2026 - Press release

Celebrating 21 Years of the RTÉ Choice Music Prize

RTÉ Choice Music Prize

In association with IMRO and IRMA

Irish Album of the Year 2025 - Shortlist Announcement

A Week of Announcements on RTÉ 2FM

Live in Vicar St, Dublin 5^th March - with an exclusive RTÉ 2FM broadcast

Tickets on Sale Now

The shortlist for this year's RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year 2025, in association with IMRO & IRMA, was announced today on RTÉ 2FM’s Tracy Clifford Show.

The shortlist is as follows:

Amble – Reverie

Bricknasty – Black’s Law

Joshua Burnside – Teeth of Time

CMAT – EURO-COUNTRY

Dove Ellis – Blizzard

Junior Brother – The End

Just Mustard – WE WERE JUST HERE 

pôt-pot - Warsaw 480km

Maria Somerville - Luster

SPRINTS – All That Is Over

As part of RTÉ’s continued commitment to promoting Irish music, 2FM celebrates the announcement of the shortlist across its schedule today with All Irish All Day from 6am to Midnight. 2FM’s Tracy Clifford Show will continue to broadcast a week of RTÉ Choice Music Prize announcements and activities, with further details on all of the prizes, including Irish Song of the Year.

Irish Artist of the Year - shortlist Tuesday 20^th Jan

(winner announced 5^th March at Vicar St)

Irish Breakthrough Artist – shortlist Wednesday 21^st Jan

(winner announced 5^th March at Vicar St)

Classic Irish Album – further details Thursday 22^nd Jan

(winner announced ahead of the live event)

Irish Song of the Year 2025 - shortlist Friday 23^rd Jan

(winner announced 5^th March on 2FM daytime)

The public vote for Song of The Year will open on Friday 23^rd January – Sunday 22^nd February.

Dave Reid, Choice Music Prize co-founder, commented – “The breadth and diversity of Irish music right now is astounding, typified by recent Choice Music Prize winners Fontaines D.C., CMAT and more doing so well on the world stage. We look forward to honouring and celebrating the best in Irish music in partnership with RTÉ through our week of shortlist announcements on the Tracy Clifford show beginning on January 19^th and ending with the 21^st edition of the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Live event on Thursday March 5^th at Vicar St”. 

Watch now on the RTÉ Player – Choice Music Prize : 21 Years Live

https://www.rte.ie/player/movie/choice-music-prize-21-years-live-s1-e1/746187816031

“I love this time of year when we get to celebrate the very best in Irish music through this year's RTÉ Choice Music Prize. The albums, the songs and the artists we produce in this country are world class. After another excellent year for Irish artists and their music, there is so much to look forward to right across the categories and as usual, some real gems to discover. Congratulations to all the nominees and I'm really looking forward to welcoming them, and our 2FM listeners to the live event in Vicar Street on Thursday 5th March for what is one of my favourite nights of the year.” - RTÉ 2FM’s Tracy Clifford

The Irish Album of the Year 2025 will be announced live from Vicar St on RTÉ 2FM in a special show 7-11pm on Thursday 5^th March hosted by Beta Da Silva. The show will feature live performances from some of the shortlisted acts, further details on the line-up to be announced soon. Tickets are on sale now via https://www.ticketmaster.ie/choice-music-prize-tickets/artist/1541435

“IRMA is very pleased to continue to support the Choice Music Prize which is now celebrating its 21st year. In 2025 the success of Irish music sales was unparalleled . It is an exciting time for Irish artists across numerous genres, as they soar to the top of the Irish charts and many other Charts around the globe .The Choice music Prize allows us to continue to shine a light on and to celebrate new and emerging talent in all genres. The Shortlists will be announced on this week and I would like to congratulate all the nominees and wish them the best of luck and success” - Willie Kavanagh, IRMA