Other Voices alumni are blazing a trail at tonight's RTÉ Choice Music Prize!

From CMAT and The Murder Capital to Rachael Lavelle and Ezra Williams, the 2023 Album of the Year nominees at the RTÉ Choice Music Prize also dazzled the Other Voices stages last year. Ahead of tonight's ceremony at Vicar Street, we're exploring the relationship of each nominee with OV, from moments in the Church of St James and the Music Trail to the legendary #Courage2020 series and our Welsh edition, Cardigan 🤍

Irish talent is burning brighter than ever before, as we at Other Voices HQ are all too aware! With the RTÉ Choice Music Prize ceremony taking place tonight in Vicar Street, we're diving into the archive and current series to bring you the many links and beautiful connections between this year's pack of competitors fighting to take home the AOTY trophy.

THE MURDER CAPITAL

The Murder Capital will feature in tonight's second episode of Series 22, airing at 11:10pm on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player worldwide. The Dublin rockers first visited Dingle's spiritual Church of St James in 2019, returning in December 2023, 13 months after headlining Other Voices: Home at the Guinness Storehouse. The quintet's setlist features a selection of their biggest tracks from their chart-topping second album Gigi's Recovery, which followed their powerful 2019 debut When I Have Fears. Catch the lads road testing their brand new material at The Grand Social after the RTÉ Choice Music Prize awards.

Last year's Album of the Year winner CMAT featured heavily in our opening episode of Series 22 last week, performing tracks from her RTÉ Choice Music Prize nominated second record Crazymad, for Me and debut album If My Wife New I'd Be Dead. The country-pop sensation, who was nominated for Best International Artist at the recent BRIT Awards, has been all over everyone's radar for her infectious tunes with soaring choruses and witty, observational lyricism. The vibrant pop connoisseur performed in Dingle as part of her former band, later playing The Hillgrove in Series 19. Revisit her interview and acoustic performance in Harrington's chipper:

'I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby!' and 'Stay for Something' have been Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson's breakout hits - will she take home Album of the Year for the second time running? Tune in tonight to Tracey Clifford and Beta Da Silva's live 2FM broadcasts to find out. In the meantime, you can watch CMAT's episode of Other Voices Series 22 on the RTÉ Player until March 30, which also sees enthralling performances from Mick Flannery, The Joy and Lucy McWilliams.

The mesmerising Ezra Williams' debut album Supernumeraries was a mammoth milestone for one of Ireland's most exciting indie sensations. The Greystones native, despite many of the DIY tracks having been penned years ago, weaves a thread between maturity and vulnerability throughout the record. Luckily for us, Cork-based art student Williams performed at our Anam series in May 2023. Live from Castletown House, Ezra's set introduced gems from their catalogue, delivered with a unique style of introverted charm.

Rachael Lavelle's incredible debut album Big Dreams arrived in November to rave reviews from critics. The Dublin born singer and composer is lauded for her ability to captivate any audiences, and she's been a firm favourite of the OV team for years. The otherworldly talent first gained the notice of the industry when she released her 2015 EP Superman, and unveiled her magical single 'Perpetual Party' two years later. Villagers' Conor O'Brien, who features in Episode 6 of Other Voices Series 22 - airing on April 4 this year, noticed Lavelle's ethereal vocals and encouraged Rachael to sing on 'Full Faith in Providence from the band's Choice Music Prize nominated Fever Dreams album in 2021.

Big Dreams eventually started to take shape while Lavelle embarked on an artist residency in Lisbon back in 2017. The results are magic. Other Voices first invited Rachael to perform at Ireland's Edge in Dingle two years ago, wowing the crowd and panellists, before the rising star brought her elegiac tracks to the IMRO Other Room in 2021. Her first Dingle appearance was way back in 2019, while the composer was also brought to Other Voices Cardigan in Wales in 2022. Lavelle could be a dark horse; don't be surprised if the musician walks away tonight with Album of the Year award!

Soda Blonde were a key band chosen to perform at Other Voices Ballina in Co. Mayo three years ago. The festival took place within the ancient walls of St. Michael's Church in February 2020. At the time, Soda Blonde had yet to release their debut album Small Talk, which arrived in July 2021, and were busy curating their sound after the folding of Little Green Cars. Former LGC member Stevie Appleby was an Other Voices Dingle artist in 2021, while Soda Blonde have grown from strength to strength ever since - partially thanks to frontwoman Faye O'Rourke's incredibly strong live vocals.

Never has the quartet's promise been more on show than in their sophomore effort and Choice Prize nominated record, Dream Big. Infusing their loyal synth-pop sound with bolder textures and statements, their confidence boost is primal.

Dublin folk and trad star John Francis Flynn has exploded onto the international 'Ones to Watch' lists since his debut album I Would Not Live Always dropped in July 2021 to glowing reviews and plaudits. The Guardian's Folk Album of the Year winner performed a hauntingly beautiful version of 'My Son Tim' at Other Voices: Home at the Guinness Storehouse in December 2021. One year later, the Cobblestone regular stepped onto the St James' Church stage in Dingle for a hugely memorable set. His second record Look Over The Wall, See The Sky - released on the renowned River Lea label via Rough Trade - effortlessly affirms Flynn's gift for repurposing songs of the past for the contemporary Irish climate and beyond.

An Other Voices OG, Kojaque stormed Dingle's St James' Church stage back in December 2018 for Series 17. At the time, the Cabra rapper, producer and co-founder of Soft Boy Records had released his epic, conceptual debut EP Deli Daydreams earlier in the same year. Featuring his best pal and fellow artist/producer talent Kean Kavanagh, the project meandered through the daydreams of the main protagonist as he contemplates love, life and loneliness in the lead up to the annual work Christmas party. Since then, Kojaque has independently released his seminal debut album Town's Dead before following up with the blistering Phantom of the Afters in 2023. Woozy album track 'WOOF', which taps Biig Piig as a collaborator, is also nominated for Song of the Year at tonight's RTÉ Choice Music Prize.

Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten may have found success as a result of his band's swift rise to fame, but his more acoustic-driven solo record Chaos for the Fly has made an undeniable impact. Inspired to pen the LP after the chords, strings and all, came to him as he walked around the beaches of his Skerries homeland; the songs could have been, he said, recalibrated and brought into the Fontaines fold, but “I didn't want to compromise with these songs in that way”.

‍Fontaines D.C.'s performance at Other Voices Courage during the lockdowns of 2020 are regarded as one of the pivotal moments in their glittering career, bringing their brooding post-punk to the historic Kilmainham Gaol venue. The band went on to receive a Grammy nomination for Best Rock Album (as part of the A Hero's Death campaign) at the 2021 Grammy Awards and released a breathtaking live vinyl version of their performance in the former Dublin prison.

Who could forget The Scratch's Other Voices set on the Dingle Distillery Music Trail back in 2019?  The Dublin folk-metal group' first album Mind Yourself, mingles their raucous performance style and cathartic energy with a softer side to their repertoire.

Last but certainly not least, Lankum have a deep bond with Other Voices. Having made their Other Voices debut in Dingle back in 2017, OV Cardigan in beautiful West Wales was also privileged enough to welcome Lankum to the St Mary's Church stage in 2019. Spine-tingling LP The Livelong Day was named Album of The Year at the Choice Music Prize the following year. In Ireland, the Dublin heroes played a storming show on the Other Voices 'Courage' series, live from Kilkenny Castle in 2020.

The history of Other Voices remains rich with burgeoning and established Irish talent, and we're thrilled to see some of our alumni recognised at this year's RTÉ Choice Music Prize ceremony. If you're lucky enough to have nabbed tickets, expect to see sets from CMAT, Lankum, Kojaque, John Francis Flynn and more tonight at Vicar Street.

A panel of 11 Irish music media professionals and industry experts have selected the album of the year from the shortlist of 10, with the overall winner due to be announced in a live 2FM show broadcast from the Thomas Street venue. The winning act will receive €10,000 while all shortlisted acts will receive a specially commissioned award.

Full Irish Album of the Year shortlist:

• Grian Chatten – Chaos For The Fly (Partisan Records)
• CMAT – Crazymad, For Me (CMATBABY/AWAL)
• John Francis Flynn – Look Over The Wall, See The Sky (River Lea Recordings)
• Kojaque – Phantom of the Afters (Soft Boy Records)
• Lankum – False Lankum (Rough Trade Records)
• Rachael Lavelle – Big Dreams (Rest Energy)
• Soda Blonde – Dream Big (Overbite Records)
• The Murder Capital – Gigi’s Recovery (Human Season Records)
• The Scratch – Mind Yourself (Perrystown Music Limited)
• Ezra Williams – Supernumeraries (Ezra Williams / AWAL)