Choice Music Prize yo

The nominations for the fourth Choice Music Prize - sorta Ireland's answer to the Mercury Music Prize - were announced today, good list too from the 180 odd Irish albums released last year, except of course for the inclusion of The Script (you know how we feel about that album), who have immediately been installed as favourites by Paddy Power.

Here's the list:

Fight Like Apes “Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion” (Model Citizen) Mick Flannery “White Lies” (EMI)
Halfset “Another Way of Being There” (Casino Gravity Records)
Lisa Hannigan “Sea Sew” (Own label)
David Holmes “The Holy Pictures” (Canderblinks)
Jape “Ritual” (Co-Op)
Messiah J & The Expert “From The Word Go” (Inaudible)
Oppenheimer “Take The Whole Mid-Range And Boost It” (Fantastic Plastic)
R.S.A.G. “Organic Sampler” (Psychonavigation)
The Script “The Script” (Sony Music)

Not entirely unpredictable - the list includes four of my five Irish albums of the year, which you can see in a previous post here, no Autamata(?) - but that is not necessarily a bad thing. No mention for Colm Mac Con Iomaire's solo debut The Hare's Corner, pity too.

Lisa Hannigan a good bet at 9-2? Better Jape at 5-1, I likes that. Even better is MJEX at 12-1.

There was all sorts of controversy last year when Super Extra Bonus Party won and lots of moany f*ckers gave out about the competition/judges, which was frankly ridiculous as it is was one of the strongest entries on that list. Look forward to this, winner will be announced on March 4 in Vicar Street and most of the acts are expected to perform on the night. Tickets on sale next Monday from Ticketmaster, 29 bucks.