Galway singer/songwriter Adrian Crowley has won the 2009 Choice Music Prize.
An emotional Crowley accepted his award for his album Season of the Spark at the ceremony in Vicar St. in Dublin, and with it the prize money of €10,000, courtesy of the IRMO, and a specially-commissioned trophy that he accidentally left on stage.
Performances on the night came from eight of the nominated performers: Crowley, And So I Watch You From Afar, Codes, Dark Room Notes, the Duckworth Lewis Method, Julie Feeney, Valerie Francis and the Swell Season. Two acts, Bell X1 and Laura Izibor, were unable to attend due to touring commitments in the US.
The Choice Music Prize is modeled on the UK's Mercury Music Prize and Canada's Polaris Music Prize. The winner chosen by a panel of ten independent judges and awarded to one outstanding album from the previous calendar year.
Previous winners include Julie Feeney and Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy (both of whom were nominated again this year), Super Extra Bonus Party and Jape.
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