If you're in a band, releasing your own music, and eager to take the next step, we want to hear from you!

Ireland's Classic Hits Radio is proud to support Irish Music Month, running from Monday, 14th September to Sunday, 11th October.

Joining 21 independent radio stations across Ireland in an initiative putting over €100,000 directly into the hands of Irish artists and crews, we are playing more Irish music than ever, and we are officially on the hunt for Ireland’s ‘New Local Hero’.

🏆 The Prizes

• The Local Stage: We are searching for four finalists to perform live on Ireland's Classic Hits Radio. Each of our four chosen station finalists will receive a payment of €875 
• The National Stage: From our four finalists, one overall 'Local Hero' will be put forward by Ireland's Classic Hits Radio for national consideration. A panel of judges will select six acts from across the country to perform at the Grand Finale live event at The Academy in Dublin. Each of these six selected Grand Finale acts will receive a further €1,400 prize.
• The Grand Prize: The overall national winner will earn €5,000 in cash plus €5,000 in support, including: A recording session with Cian Boylan at Camden Recording Studios, mastering by Grammy-winning engineer Ruadhri Cushnan at Spéir Mix & Mastering, a single release through Rubyworks and expert industry mentoring, a PR campaign, and guaranteed radio play across all participating stations nationwide.
• The Wildcard: Even if our 'Local Hero' doesn't make the final six, they remain eligible to win the 'Wildcard Award', which is decided entirely by a public vote and includes an additional €2,500 bursary.

📩 How to Enter

If you’re in a band or a solo artist, email your submission to irishmusicmonth@classichits.ie 

Please include:

• A bit about you: Who you are (artist/group name and members) and your story.
• Your Music: 1 released or studio-produced song and 1 LIVE song (as MP3 files, please). (Note: You must have at least one original song, as this competition is for original music, not cover bands).
• Visuals: A picture and your social media links.

🚨 Last day for entries – Sunday, September 6th at 5pm!

📋 Entry Criteria:

• Artists can be from any genre of music.
• Artists can be well-established or emerging on the music scene.
• There is no limit on age, genre, or gender.
• There is no limit on the number of members in a band.
• Artists/bands should ideally come from or be based within Ireland's Classic Hits Radio’s franchise area (Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Wicklow, Limerick, Clare, Galway &Cork).
• Artists must be available to perform on Ireland's Classic Hits Radio and, if successful, at the National Final Event in Dublin.
• Artists can apply to multiple stations, but can only perform for and be accepted by one station.