Northern Irish Music Awards

Ulster Hall, Belfast Wed 8pm £12 048-90334455

Ulster Hall, Belfast Wed 8pm £12 048-90334455

And not before time. With the support of Belfast City Council, Invest NI and the Northern Irish Tourist Board, Oh Yeah Music Centre and AU (Alternative Ulster) magazine have kickstarted this awards event, hopefully an annual shindig.

Stuart Bailie, CEO of the Oh Yeah (and, back in the day, head honcho with the NME), says that Oh Yeah and AU were both thinking about an awards night at virtually the same time, "so the smart idea was to combine energies. Overall, the awards are proof that Northern Ireland rocks, fantastically well. We have a wonderful spread of talent at the moment and a legacy behind us that we should be very proud of."

Too right. Performances on the night come from the likes of Stiff Little Fingers, Cashier No 9, Japanese Popstars and And So I Watch You From Afar. Factor in gongs and tipsy speeches and it looks like we have a night to really kick back and enjoy. Van Morrison to win the Most Pleasant Music Personality Award, we say!

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Tony Clayton-Lea

Tony Clayton-Lea

Tony Clayton-Lea is a contributor to The Irish Times specialising in popular culture