Bell X1, Duckworth Lewis Method and Julie Feeney are among the acts to have been shortlisted for the Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year 2009.
The shortlist, which was announced this afternoon, also includes former Choice nominee Adrian Crowley for his latest album Season of the Sparks. In addition, former Oscar winners Swell Season - Frames lead singer Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová - are shortlisted for their second album Strict Joy.
Neil Hannon, a former winner of the Choice Music Prize as The Divine Comedy, is nominated as a member of Duckworth Lewis Method along with bandmate Thomas Walsh for their cricket-themed album while another former winner Julie Feeney, who won the inaugural Choice Prize for her first album 13 Songs, is also shortlisted for Pages.
Codes, Dark Room Notes, Laura Izibor, Valerie Francis, And So I Watch You From Afar Make up the other acts to be included on the shortlist.
The shortlist consists of 10 albums released by Irish acts for the very first time in any given calendar year. Instead of using sales or airplay as criteria, the Choice Music Prize judges focus, simply and solely, on the music.
Previous winners of the award, which was established in 2005, include Jape, Super Extra Bonus Party, The Divine Comedy and Julie Feeney
The overall winner will be announced in March.
Choice Music Prize 2009 Album of the Year Award shortlist:
And So I Watch You From Afar - And So I Watch You From Afar
Bell X1 - Blue Lights On the Runway
Codes - Trees Dream in Algebra
Adrian Crowley - Season of the Sparks
Darkroom Notes - We Love you Dark Matter
Duckworth Lewis Method - Duckworth Lewis Method
Julie Feeney - Pages
Valerie Francis - Slow Dynamo
Laura Izibor - Let the Truth Be Told
The Swell Season - Strict Joy
