RTÉ 2fm is sending two listeners to the European Border Breakers Award ceremony in the Netherlands.
The station is running the competition from today as Wicklow’s Hozier was announced as one of the eight winners.
The announcement was made this week by the European Commission and Eurosonic Noorderslag; the European music conference and showcase festival that celebrates the best new pop, rock and dance acts in Europe which have achieved cross-border chart success.
Hozier will join other winners from across Europe such as John Newman (UK) and Milky Chance (Germany) at an awards ceremony hosted by TV personality and musician Jools Holland at the Eurosonic festival in Groningen, The Netherlands, on 14 January 2015.
Ian Wilson, RTE Radio producer and founder-member of Eurosonic and EBBA, says: “2fm has supported EBBA from the start. We have helped James Vincent McMorrow, Kodaline and now Hozier onto the bill over the years and for Ireland to have one of only eight emerging acts from a continent of nearly 800 million people is no mean feat. The EBBA awards are a natural follow-on for acts from the Eurosonic festival and another way for new talent from Ireland to reach a wider audience”
The ceremony will feature performances by all or most of the winning acts. It will be streamed live via YouTube and broadcast by European TV channels and radio stations.
At the ceremony, one of the winners will receive a Public Choice Award based on votes cast on the EBBA website from today, Tuesday 21 October to Friday 19 December. Last year, Kodaline won the Public Choice Award and the year before that James Vincent McMorrow performed at the ceremony.
Of the voters from Ireland, RTÉ 2fm will choose one at random to accompany them to the EBBA ceremony and Eurosonic Festival. The winner will be able to bring a friend and the prize includes their flights, train transfers and accommodation for three nights.
2fm is one of the radio stations, via the EBU Eurosonic Group, that nominates acts for the EBBA ceremony. The station has covered the awards ceremony since the beginning and will be there again in 2015.
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