The winner of the first annual Choice Music Prize Classic album award has been announced and it’s quite the classic!
Yes, Sinéad O’Connor’s second record “I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got” has been named the winner of the inaugural award with the ceremony set to take place this Thursday in Dublin’s Vicar Street.
The judges for the prize included Ann Maire Shields (BIMM), Jenny Huston (SiriusXM), Rick O’Shea (RTÉ Gold) and Stuart Clark (Hot Press), while Paul Russell (2FM) was the non-judging chairperson.
Described as a “stunning body of work by an Irish artist, scorching with originality in songs that are as resonant today as they were more than 30 years ago,” by the panel themselves, the award was announced by Tracy Clifford on 2FM on Monday.
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While the broadcaster stated, “Sinéad’s second album is a testament to her extraordinary musical and vocal talent and her determination to stand apart.
“From her take on Thatcher’s Britain in ‘Black Boys On Mopeds’ to the drum-sampled interpretation of the 17th-century poem ‘I Am Stretched On Your Grave’, this is an outstanding Irish album.
“Sinéad’s dominant presence in Irish music, both at home and abroad, spans five decades thanks to her iconic voice and her uncompromising approach to life.”
Sinéad will be present at Vicar Street on Thursday to collect the prize, while five of the ten shortlisted acts for Album of the Year (Anna Mieke, Aoife Nessa Frances, Just Mustard, Pillow Queens and Thumper) will provide the live entertainment on the night.
Meanwhile, the winners of the Irish Album of the Year, Irish Artist of the Year 2022 and Irish Breakthrough of the Year 2022 will all be announced at the live event from Vicar St and on RTÉ 2FM.
Although tickets for the live show are now sold out, the event will be broadcast live on RTÉ 2FM in a special four-hour extended show from 7pm to 11pm with Jenny Greene.
While a TV show of the night will be broadcast on Thursday 16 March at 10.30pm on RTÉ2 presented by Bláthnaid Treacy.
