Shortlist Announced In New Local Hero Search As Part Of Irish Music Month

A final shortlist of six artists has been announced in the search for A New Local Hero – the unique music award, which has been created as part of Irish Music Month. 

The artists, listed here in alphabetical order, with the radio stations they represent, will play a special showcase at the Academy in Dublin on Tuesday 15th of October at the end of which one will be crowned as Ireland’s New Local Hero for 2024:

Callum Agnew (LMFM)

Bobbi Arlo (FM104)

Asophonics (KCLR FM)

Mia Black (Shannonside / Northern Sound)

Jessica Brett (Tipp FM)

Projective (Cork's 96FM)

The six artists, who are among the country’s brightest young music hopes, were selected from a long list of 20 – each of whom was selected as a Local Hero by twenty independent stations all over Ireland, covering every blade of grass in the country.  

The 'A New Local Hero' award caries an extraordinary prize for the final recipient, which includes: 

– €5,000 in cash 

– €1, 400 for their live performance at the final

– The release of a single via the RubyWorks label (home of Hozier) inclusive of studio recording time and mixing & mastering of the studio session.

– A guaranteed 30 plays on all 20 stations, adding up to a minimum of 600 in total 

– National exposure via an interview in Hot Press 

– A full PR campaign around the release of the single including full photo shoot, with pix to use for future promo
- Industry Mentoring

All in it’s a prize package of circa 10K and will provide a huge boost to a young band on the rise

And that’s not all. On the night of the final anyone of the 20 finalists are still in line to be announced as the Wildcard winner. The Wildcard winner is based exclusively on public votes and the winner will receive a cash bursary of €2,500 to further boost their career. This is additional to the money they will have already received for being a part of the Irish Music Month experience.

Irish Music Month is an initiative of Hot Press and Independent Broadcasters of Ireland and is funded by Coimisiún na Meán, under its Sound & Vision scheme.