Sound Of Belfast...

The Northern Ireland Music Prize eh... It has stirred a fair bit of controversy already. Well, to be fair, on the night the shortlist was announced one Twitter user – BandsNI – said he would quit if Wonder Villains win the award. I like a man with principles so looking forward to seeing how that plays out.

But, back to the award. We'll skip the pros and cons – better people than us have previously argued their corners on this matter – and stick to the facts.
Twelve albums released between the start of August last year and the end of August this, have been shortlisted for the 2014 Northern Ireland Music Prize. These are (in alphabetical order):
Alana Henderson – Windfall
Ed Zealous – Wired
Little Matador – Little Matador
Malibu Shark Attack - Malibu Shark Attack
Mojo Fury – The Difference Between
More Than Conquerors - Everything I've Learnt
Rams Pocket Radio – Béton
Robyn G Shiels – The Blood Of The Innocents
Slomatics – Estron
Sullivan and Gold – For Foes
VerseChorusVerse – VerseChorusVerse
Wonder Villains – Rocky

Around 70 people – there should be website with all those people listed – were asked to make up the grandly named 'Academy'. Each was asked to chose a top five from the years releases, with those top fives whittled down into the shortlist above. Each person was then subsequently asked to chose one from the twelve: we here at TBL had a real struggle between two albums and still aren't sure we made the right choice.

All of this is leading up to 15 November, when the winner will be showered with love, praise, adoration and an fairly cumbersome-looking award. And if all that isn't enough, motherflipping Therapy? are going to play all of Troublegum!

The band, which formed in Larne in 1989 are also being awarded with the Oh Yeah Legends Award, of which they have said: "It's a great honour to accept this award. Northern Ireland made us the people that we are today and growing up in its musical landscape informed our lives in many different ways. We're very grateful and very proud".

Oh Yeah CEO Stuart Bailie said: "Therapy? fully deserve a Legend Award. They completely transformed our music scene in the Nineties and are respected internationally. They continue to make great records and it will be such a thrill to hear their ‘Troublegum' classic performed in its entirety. It will be the perfect finale to the NI Music Awards and to the entire Sound of Belfast programme."

The NIMP close a week of events under the banner of Sound of Belfast, of which no details have yet been revealed. Keep up to date online at soundofbelfast.com

The Northern Ireland Music Prize 2014 winner is announced on 15 November at Mandela Hall. Therapy? will perform the 1994 clssic, Troublegum. Tickets are £12 and available now. For more info go to ohyeahbelfast.com