The Choice Music Prize has become one of the highlights of the Irish musical calendar since its inception in 2005 and is awarded to the Irish Album of the Year, as chosen from a shortlist of ten releases by a panel of twelve Irish music media professionals and industry experts.

Acts featured in Musos’ Guide who are nominated include; Cult Called Man, Eileen Gogan, I Have A Tribe, King Kong Company, Land Lovers, MINDRIOTmt, Mongrel State, Roisin Murphy, and Super Hyper Giant. Past winners include SOAK, Two Door Cinema Club, The Gloaming, Delorentos, The Divine Comedy, Villagers and Jape.

The winning act will receive €10,000, a prize fund which has been provided by The Irish Music Rights Organisation and The Irish Recorded Music Association. All of the shortlisted acts will receive a specially commissioned award. The shortlist for this year’s RTÉ Choice Music Prize, Irish Album of the Year 2016, in association with IMRO & IRMA, will be announced on Wednesday 11th January, 2017.

The 12th annual RTÉ Choice Music Prize will be awarded on March 9th with coverage on RTE. Tickets for the Choice Music Prize live event will go on sale from Ticketmaster on Friday December 2nd priced €26.50 including booking fee.

The full longlist is available here

Waterford dance act King Kong Company return to Dublin in April. Renowned as one of the most entertaining live acts in the country, the six-piece won the Pure M Best Live Act 2016 and were regarded by many as the highlight of this year’s Electric Picnic.

A week later they signed a European record deal with Caroline International, a subsidiary of Universal Music and played a sold out gig at the Dublin Academy.

KKC originally formed in college in the late ‘90s playing with Underworld, Orbital and Paul Oakenfold. They reformed in 2011 and re-established themselves as a live force. Their debut album came out in September and they have promised some new material for their first major show of 2017.

“The band will be premiering some raucous and raw tunes, bringing the stage antics up a notch or two and inviting a couple of guests along to swing through the rafters with them. This will be a gig not to be missed.”

Tickets on sale Friday November 18 from Ticketmaster

Doors 7.00pm| Over 18s | ID Required