Irish Music Month will return in September 2026, with 22 independent radio stations across Ireland committing to increased support for emerging Irish artists.
The nationwide initiative, launched in 2021 by Hot Press in partnership with the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI), aims to increase the amount of Irish music played on local radio and provide a platform for new and developing talent. The project is funded by Coimisiún na Meán through its Sound and Vision scheme.
Irish Music Month will run from Monday 14 September until Sunday 11 October, with participating stations across the country dedicating additional airtime to Irish musicians and songwriters.
The initiative has received support from President Catherine Connolly, who praised the role of broadcasters in supporting Irish artists.
“It is vitally important that our broadcasters support our local Irish artists,” President Connolly said, adding that she was pleased the initiative would once again include the Irish-language songwriting competition Amhrán na Laoch.
President Catherine Connolly. Photo credit Maxwells
A key part of Irish Music Month is the return of A New Local Hero, a national talent search giving emerging artists the opportunity to showcase their music through local radio.
Each participating station will select four shortlisted artists from submissions in their area. Those artists will then perform and be interviewed on air before each station chooses its own Local Hero to progress to the national shortlist.
The overall winner will receive a €5,000 prize, along with the opportunity to record and release a single through Rubyworks. The prize package also includes recording with Cian Boylan at Camden Recording Studios and mastering by Grammy-winning engineer Ruairi Cushnan of Spéir Mix & Mastering.
Previous winners of A New Local Hero include Calum Agnew, whose winning track led to further festival appearances and the release of his debut EP, as well as Brad Heidi and Chameleon, who have continued to build successful music careers.
Hot Press editor Niall Stokes said the initiative was more important than ever as artists face increasing challenges within the music industry:
“It is absolutely vital to support Irish musicians and songwriters in every way we possibly can.”
He said radio had an important role to play in discovering and supporting new talent, adding that Ireland had the potential to become “one of the great international centres of music.”
Michael Kelly, Chief Executive of the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland, said Irish Music Month highlighted the public service role played by local radio stations.
“Ireland’s independent stations give thousands of on-air plays per week to music by Irish artists or by Irish songwriters,” he said. “Irish Music Month is a chance to further spotlight up-and-coming music artists and to expand the number of plays.”
The initiative is supported by organisations including IMRO, RAAP, Live Nation, Ticketmaster, Rubyworks, Camden Recording Studios and Spéir Mix and Master, with the overall value of support for Irish artists exceeding €100,000.
The participating stations include Ireland's Classic Hits Radio, East Coast FM, Radio Nova, FM104, Cork’s 96FM, Galway Bay FM, WLR FM and 16 other independent broadcasters covering communities nationwide.
Artists and bands are encouraged to submit their tracks to their local participating station, with organisers welcoming entries from all genres.
More information on Irish Music Month, A New Local Hero and Amhrán na Laoch will be released through Hot Press and participating radio stations in the coming weeks.
