All music, no hype

Ask any music industry person what they like most about the Choice Music Prize, Ireland’s recently established equivalent of the Mercury Music Prize, and the same answer will keep coming to you, steady and sure.

Ultimately, it’s about integrity.

‘‘What I love about the prize is that it steps outside popularity and profile. It’s very much about the music,” says dreadlocked pop indie artist Duke Special, a two-time Choice Music Prize nominee.

‘‘It’s ...