Dundalk duo call on county support in Irish Music Month bursary award

Dundalk music duo Negro Impacto are calling on Louth's support for the Irish Music Month bursary award

The duo comprises vocalist Chi-Chi and producer StrangeLove. The pair joined forces during lockdown, and are fast becoming one of the most exciting, genre-defying acts in the country. After a busy few months, they capped off the year with a new EP featuring reworked versions of their songs.

They’ve since clocked up impressive live performances, and an appearance on All City’s This Way Vol. 1 compilation – with even more big things to come. 

Music fans from Louth can now vote for their local act among the 25 regional finalists, in Wildcard Music Award, with a prize of €2,500 for the winner.

Tickets for the highly anticipated live finale of A New Local Hero 2023, featuring some of the hottest young talents in Ireland, are on sale now. 

Following a phenomenal talent search, featuring a genre-blending selection of acts from right across the country, Hot Press and the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI) say they are thrilled to present the six national finalists for A New Local Hero.

Out of the hugely talented 25 regional finalists, Brad Heidi (Galway Bay FM), Darian June (Red FM), Negro Impacto (LMFM), Temi (FM104), Paddy Keyes (Ocean FM) and Eva Campbell (SPIN 1038) have been chosen to perform at the live finale showcase event at The Academy, in Dublin, on April 25.
 
However, there are still huge opportunities for the 19 artists who didn't make the final six: this year's edition of A New Local Hero also includes a special new element – with all 25 regional finalists still in with a chance to be crowned the winner of the Wild Card Award voted by the public. The Wild Card winner will be awarded a €2,500 bursary. 

Music fans from Louth can cast their vote at irishmusicmonth.ie 

As one of the central features of Irish Music Month, A New Local Hero is a major call to arms for Irish musicians and bands – with all 25 participating radio stations having reached out for submissions as part of the talent search.
 
Every participating radio station selected four finalists each – giving them the chance to play live on air, and paying them for their performance, thanks to the support of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, under its Sound & Vision scheme.
 
From there, the station's four finalists were whittled down to one 'Local Hero' from each – a major honour in itself, which will serve as a huge milestone in the career of the selected 25 artists.
 
MENTORING SESSIONS

All of that has led us here, to the national stage of the journey. From the 25 artists selected locally, an industry judging panel has chosen six acts to go forward to play at the special showcase event in Dublin.
 
“It has been really exciting, hearing the cream of the new artists who are coming through all over Ireland,” Hot Press editor Niall Stokes said. 

“I know that the judges were faced with some enormously difficult calls. But there was also a very strong unanimity in relation to the six that have now been shortlisted, that these are very special acts, with the potential to really flourish in the long run. There can be only one artist selected as A New Local Hero 2023, but it is very clear, from the music that we have been hearing, that we are on the right track here in Ireland at the moment, producing artists of real calibre across all genres. Long may it continue."
 
The A New Local Hero campaign will ultimately see over €100,000 paid directly to Irish artists – and one worthy overall winner selected, who will get to record a single at the prestigious Camden Recording Studios in Dublin, and release the single on the famed Irish independent record label Rubyworks.
 
As already noted, this year's edition will also include a special new element – with all 25 regional finalists still in with a chance to be crowned the Wild Card winner, voted by the public. The Wild Card winner will be awarded a €2,500 bursary. You can cast your vote at irishmusicmonth.ie 
 
All twenty-five A New Local Hero finalists will also be invited to take part in a special series of mentoring sessions and photoshoots on the day of the finale.
 
Irish Music Month is a partnership between Hot Press and the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland. It is supported by the newly established Coimisiún na Mean, which has incorporated the role of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, under the Sound & Vision scheme, and by MCD Productions, IMRO, RAAP, Rubyworks and Camden Recording Studios.
 
The judges for A New Local Hero were Cian Boylan (Camden Recording Studios), Ruth-Anne Cunningham (artist and songwriter), Keith Johnson (IMRO), Roisin O'Reilly (artist and songwriter/ RAAP), Lucy O'Toole (Hot Press) and Roger Quail (Rubyworks).
 
The full list of radio stations participating  in Irish Music Month is: 
 
98FM, Clare FM, Classic Hits, Cork's 96FM, Cork's RedFM, East Coast FM, FM104, Galway Bay FM, Highland Radio, iRadio, KCLR, KFM,  Live95, LMFM, Midlands 103, Midwest Radio, Ocean FM, Radio Kerry, Radio Nova, Shannonside/Northern Sound, South East Radio, SPIN 1038, SPIN South West, Tipp FM, WLR FM

Tickets for the A New Local Hero live event at the Academy on Tuesday, 25 April are now available at https://www.ticketmaster. ie/a-new-local-hero-tickets/ artist/5366306