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Irish Album of the Year – Latest Betting Odds on Choice Music Prize 2020
The RTE Choice Music Prize is given on an annual basis to the best album from a band or solo artist who resides in either the Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland.
We take a look at the best betting odds, the main storylines and the latest news surrounding the RTE Choice Music Prize 2020.
Leading UK bookies Paddy Power and Betfair have already presented their list of odds for the show, which is scheduled to take place on March 5, 2020.
- Fontaines D.c.: Dogrel – 1/2 (Betfair)
- Lankum: The Livelong Day – 2/1 (Paddy Power) – WINNER OF RTE CHOICE MUSIC PRIZE 2019
- Girl Band: The Talkies – 5/1 (Paddy Power)
- Soak: Grim Town – 6/1 (Betfair)
- Mick Flannery: Mick Flannery – 12/1 (Paddy Power)
- Daithi: L.O.S.S. – 20/1 (Paddy Power)
- Junior Brother: Pull The Right Rope – 20/1 (Betfair)
- Jafaris: Stride – 33/1 (Betfair)
- Maija Sofia: Bath Time – 33/1 (Paddy Power)
- Sorcha Richardson: First Prize Bravery – 33/1 (Paddy Power)
The Choice Music Prize only awards one artist or band for what is deemed the Irish Album of the Year. Understanding the corresponding odds is therefore very simple: one award and one category with one list of potential winners. The second placed artist or band is not announced in the official ceremony, which also means you can only place outright bets on the event.
Betting Favourites for the Irish Album of the Year
The Irish Album of the Year is chosen by a panel of Irish music professionals and industry experts, and not by a public vote which is often the case for these awards. This can make it difficult to predict the exact winner, but the betting odds offered by Betfair and Paddy Power reveal some clear trends. We have taken a look at some of the main betting favourites for this year’s award.
Fontaines D.C. – Dogrel (1/2 at Betfair)
Since the official shortlist of nominees was announced in early January, Fontaines D.C.’s Dogrel record has appeared as the bookmakers’ clear favourite.
Both Paddy Power and Betfair have priced Dogrel at 1/2, meaning they should have around a 75% chance of actually winning it. Dogrel is the debut album by the Irish post-punk band, and has received almost universal appraise from critics. It was also nominated for the 2019 Mercury Prize, which celebrates the best annual album in the United Kingdom.
Although Fontaines didn’t win it, it was the only Choice Music Prize nominee to receive this nomination as well, which speaks volumes to the strength of the album.
Lankum –The Livelong Day (2/1 at Paddy Power)
Irish folk music has experienced quite a revival in recent years with some critics even mentioning a new ‘Golden Age of Irish Folk Music’. Lankum’s The Livelong Day was released in November 2019 as the group’s third album and received favourable reviews across the board.
Already in 2018, the group was named the Best Folk Group at the Folk Music Awards organised by RTÉ. Lankum is priced at 2/1 with Paddy Power which makes them the most likely candidate to challenge Fontaines D.C.
Girl Band – The Talkies (5/1 at Paddy Power)
With Girl Band’s The Talkies, we are looking at one of the main outsiders to this year’s prize. They are currently priced at 5/1 to win the award with Paddy Power, an odds that has been stable since the nominees were announced.
Girl Band has been around for almost a decade, but The Talkies was their first album release in 4 years. The post-punk/indie rock style often works well with Irish audiences, and we should not dismiss their chances of winning the award.
In fact, the Choice Music Prize has often been awarded to surprising candidates, while a popular band like Snow Patrol has never managed to win it.
The RTE Choice Music Prize Overview
Quick Facts
- The RTE Choice Music Prize nominees were announced on January 8, 2020.
- Both Paddy Power and Betfair are offering odds on the event.
- The 2020 Choice Music Prize is set to take place on March 5, 2020.
- During the award ceremony, all nominated acts give a live performance if they are able to attend.
Punters in the UK might not be familiar with it, but the RTE Choice Music Prize is one of the most hyped annual events in Ireland.
Unlike many other popular award shows, it is exclusively broadcast on radio, although a delayed tv-transmission with all the highlights is in place as well.
One thing is the Irish Album of the Year Award, and the less decorated Irish Song of the Year award, but the show itself if a massive event with live performances from some of Ireland’s leading acts.
The nominees and the winner is exclusively decided by the board of music experts – there is no application process needed by the individual artists. The decision is not made on a defined set of criteria, although certain criteria have to be met to receive a nomination.
Firstly, the album has to be released for the first time in Ireland over the previous year. Secondly, live albums and ‘best of’ collections do not count towards the award. The majority of artists in the band also have to be born in Ireland, or at hold an Irish passport. The albums also need to be longer than 33 minutes and contain at least six tracks.
Choice Music Prize Betting Predictions
Although the Choice Music Prize celebrates the best Irish album of the year, the award has gained a reputation for producing rather surprising winners. The album is decided by a board of twelve music experts rather than a public vote – something we should factor in when looking at possible betting predictions. It might not be the most popular album that wins, which is usually the case in a public vote.
- Lankum’s The Livelong Day to Win the Irish Album of the Year (2/1 at Paddy Power)
Although Fontaines D.C. is the clear betting favourite with the bookmakers, Lankum’s The Livelong Day seems like a decent value bet at 2/1. The album received nothing but praise from critics, and the revival of Folk music on the Irish music scene should position it well for the award. The board of experts is known to not always reward the most obvious winner, so we’ll go for a little outside bet at 2/1 with Paddy Power.
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