NI Music Prize Nominees Announced

2013’s winner, Foy Vance. Photo by Carrie Davenport

By Laura Shields, Arts and Entertainments Editor, @LauraShields86

Last night the twelve nominees for this year’s Northern Irish Music Prize were announced on BBC Radio Ulster’s local music platform, “Across the Line”. The award recognises the best album of 2014 by a Northern Irish Artist. The nominees were selected by an academy of over 70 music and media industry officials. The contenders are:

1. Alana Henderson – Windfall
2. Ed Zealous – Wired
3. Little Matador – Little Matador
4. Malibu Shark Attack – Malibu Shark Attack
5. Mojo Fury – The Difference Between
6. More than Conquers – Everything I’ve Learnt
7. Rams Pocket Radio – Béton
8. Robyn G Shiels – The Blood of The Innocents
9. Slomatics – Estron
10. Sullivan and Gold – For Foes
11. VerseChorusVerse – VerseChorusVerse
12. Wonder Villains – Rocky

The prize was awarded to Foy Vance in 2013 for his album Joy of Nothing. This year’s event will take place in Mandela Hall on November 15^th and see Therapy? perform their 1994 album Troublegum in full. The band are being honoured by the Oh Yeah Legends Award, presented on the same night. The ceremony is to take place during the “Sound of Belfast” programme which will run in a variety of venues from November 12^th-16^th, celebrating and contributing to the future of the city’s music scene.