The Choice Music Prize shortlist has been announced today. The ten best albums as judged by a panel of media professionals including one of the State team is (in alphabetical order):

1. Fight Like Apes – Fight Like Apes and the Mystery of the Golden Medallion (Model Citizen)
2. Mick Flannery – White Lies (EMI)
3. Halfset – Another Way of Being There (Casino Gravity Records)
4. Lisa Hannigan – Sea Sew (Own label)
5. David Holmes – The Holy Pictures (Canderblinks)
6. Jape – Ritual (Co-Op)
7. Messiah J & The Expert – From The Word Go (Inaudible)
8. Oppenheimer Take The Whole Mid-Range And Boost It (Fantastic Plastic)
9. R.S.A.G. – Organic Sampler (Psychonavigation)
10. The Script – The Script (Sony Music)

The judges are:
Niall Byrne (State/Nialler9 blog)
Edel Coffey (Irish Independent)
Ian Dempsey (Today FM)
James Foley (Record of the Day)
Andrew Hamilton (Clare People)
Kieran Hurley (Cork Campus Radio)
Paul Mallon (Irish Daily Star Sunday)
Lauren Murphy (Entertainment.ie)
Sinead Ni Mhorda (Phantom FM)
Ed Power (Freelance)
Rigsy (BBC Northern Ireland¹s Across The Line/ATL TV)
Ian Wilson (2FM)

The Choice Music Prize live event will be held at Vicar Street, Dublin on Wednesday March 4th.