The panel of 12 judges consisting of Irish music professionals came together last night to chose the Choice Music Prize – Irish Album of the Year 2009 from the shortlist of 10 records.Adrian Crowley was announced as the winner for his album Season Of The Sparks (Chemikal Underground). Adrian received a cheque for €10,000 – a prize which has been provided by IMRO and the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) – as well as a specially-commissioned award, courtesy of the Recorded Artists And Performers Ltd.
The audience were treated to performances by 8 of the 10 shortlisted acts. The event was hosted by DJ Alison Curtis.
The full shortlist of nominated albums was as follows (in alphabetical order):
And So I Watch You From Afar “And So I Watch You From Afar” (Small Town America)
Bell X1 “Blue Lights On The Runway” (BellyUp)
Codes “Trees Dream in Algebra” (EMI)
Adrian Crowley “Season of the Sparks” (Chemikal Underground)
Dark Room Notes “We Love You Dark Matter” (Gonzo)
The Duckworth Lewis Method “The Duckworth Lewis Method” (1969/Divine Comedy Records)
Julie Feeney “Pages” (Mittens)
Valerie Francis “Slow Dynamo” (VF)
Laura Izibor “Let The Truth Be Told” (Atlantic)
The Swell Season “Strict Joy” (Plateau)
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Previous winners of the Choice Music Prize are:
2005: Julie Feeney – “13 Songs”
2006: The Divine Comedy – “Victory For The Comic Muse”
2007: Super Extra Bonus Party – “Super Extra Bonus Party”
2008: Jape – “Ritual”
