Derry teenager SOAK has won the 2016 Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year for her debut Before We Forgot How to Dream.
Accepting the €10,000 prize from U2's Adam Clayton on stage at Dublin's Vicar Street on Thursday night, 19-year-old SOAK, real name Bridie Monds-Watson, said: "I don't know where to start; I genuinely didn't see that coming at all. Thank you so much for this - this is genuinely unbelievable. I feel, like, class."
Album of the year... @Soakofficial pic.twitter.com/lETUyFetUE
— U2 (@U2) March 3, 2016
After thanking the people who had helped her to record and promote the album, she added: "This shows that no matter your age, no matter nothing, you can really go out and do anything you want to do. And you should."
Presenting the award, Clayton described SOAK as "one cool lady" and paid tribute to all the artists.
"I'm really glad I wasn't a judge on this one. There was a lot of really great talent," he said. "The musical talent and the breadth of diversity that exists within the Irish music scene is truly exceptional."
Ten Irish acts battled it out on Thursday night in Dublin for the prize, which is now in its 11th year. Previous winners of the award have included Julie Feeney, The Gloaming, The Divine Comedy and two-time winner Jape. The winning album was selected by a judging panel at the live event in Vicar Street, which was broadcast on the Paul McLoone Show on Today FM. Bláthnaid Treacy will present highlights of the award ceremony and the performances on RTÉ2 on Saturday, March 12.
The ten Irish albums in the running were:
Girl Band - Holding Hands with Jamie
SOAK - Before We Forgot How to Dream
Gavin James - Bitter Pill
Róisín Murphy - Hairless Toys
Le Galaxie - Le Club
Villagers - Darling Arithmetic
Ham Sandwich - Stories from the Surface
Jape - This Chemical Sea
Colm Mac Con Iomaire - And Now the Weather
Young Wonder - Birth
Earlier on Thursday night, Gavin James' Bitter Pill was named the Irish Song of the Year at the ceremony.
The Dubliner beat competition from All Tvvins, The Academic, Pleasure Beach, Hozier and others to take the prize, which is voted for by members of the public.
Gavin James
2015 Song of the Year Shortlist:
The Academic - Different (Room 6 Records)
All Tvvins - Thank You (Warner Music)
The Coronas - How This Goes (Universal Music)
Daithi - Mary Keane's Introduction (Self-Released)
Fight Like Apes - Pretty Keen on Centrefolds (Alcopop! Records)
Hozier - Someone New (Universal Music)
Gavin James - Bitter Pill (Warner Music)
Kodaline - Ready (Sony Music)
Otherkin - Ay Ay (Rubyworks)
Pleasure Beach - Go (Faction)
