Competition Prizes

Competition Rules

Competition Rules

1. The lyrics and music must be the original work of the entry composer. There may be more than one person involved in the composition of the song.
2. The competition is open to entries from all genres of music and in any style. 
3. The composer can have another individual or band perform the song on their behalf. 
4. Songs can be entered in any language. Where a language other than English is used a translation to English should be provided.
5. All entries should be submitted on CD or by email as an mp3 attachment to songwriting(0)bcradio.ie. A copy of the lyrics should accompany all entries.
6. No CDs will be returned so all composers should ensure they have a copy of their submission.
7. Entries must be accompanied by a completed entry form, hard copy or digital (online form or email attachment).
8. The entry fee is €25 for the first song and €20 for each additional song. Composers may enter as many songs as they wish.
9. The provisional adjudication will be on the basis of CD and digital submissions, from which 6 finalists will be chosen. 
10. The 6 finalists should ensure their availability for interviews and live performances on BCR 92.6fm as well as proposed concert in August (details TBC). 
11. Postal entries should be sent to Song Writing Competition, Ballyhoura Community Radio, Smiths Lane, Charleville, Co. Cork. 
12. Closing date for entries is Friday 10th August 2012.

Competition Entry

There are two ways to enter this fantastic competition via our website!

• You can enter online by clicking the button below. Note that immediate payment via paypal is required for online registrations.
• You can download the PDF of DOCX below, fill it out and return by post or as email attachment. These files also contain all the information available on this page.

If you have any difficulties with your application or would like more information please email songwriting(0)bcradio.ie or call the office on 063-30033.

Competition Judges

David Reid - Founder and Director of the Choice Music Prize

The Meteor Choice Music Prize is an organisation established to encourage, highlight, showcase and promote Irish music of excellence. The ethos behind the prize is to stimulate debate and interest in Irish artists and in Irish Music and to increase public awareness of music from Ireland annually.

The project was established in 2005 to highlight those albums which deserve some extra time in the spotlight and, ultimately, to select the album which best sums up the year in Irish music. The focus and spotlight is ultimately on the ten annual shortlised artists and their respective albums.

Each year, a panel consisting of 11 media professionals, representing Irish print, radio TV, online and other assembled music professionals select the Meteor Choice Music Prize shortlist. This consists of 10 albums released by Irish acts for the very first time in any given calendar year.

Instead of using sales or airplay as criteria, the Meteor Choice Music Prize judges focus, simply and solely, on the music.

The Meteor Choice Music Prize shortlist is announced in January each year, with the judges meeting in March to select the winning act at the Meteor Choice Music Prize live event.

Kieran Lynch - Internationality renowned Producer, Mixer and Recording Engineer

Kieran runs Small Tone productions and has worked with great artists such as Elvis Costello, U2, The Beautiful South and REM.

Kieran has extensive experience in the recording and production of soundtracks for both film and TV. This includes engineering and programming duties for composers Gavin Friday and Maurice Seezeron the Hollywood block-buster Get Rich or Die Trying and further engineering/production duties on The Tailor of Panama, Ella Enchanted, In America and The Water Giant, as well as Independent Films such as Spin The Bottle, the award winning Kisses and Alarm.

With experience in broadcast post-production and Avid Interplay, Kieran also works freelance as a dubbing engineer for RTE.

Steve Wall - Singer/Songwriter with Irish bands The Stunning & The Walls

Alongside his brother Joe, Steve Wall founded The Stunning in 1987. The band gained recognition in Ireland with singles such as "Brewing Up a Storm", "Half Past Two", "Romeo’s on Fire" and "Everything that Rises". Their debut album, Paradise in the Picturehouse, and their second album Once Around The World, both reached the #1 spot in the Irish Albums Chart.

After The Stunning split in 1994, the brothers went onto form The Walls, Their debut album Hi-Lo was released in May 2000 to brilliant reviews. In 2002 The Walls were invited by U2 to play at their second sold-out Slane Castle show after sending the band copies of their debut album. They played to a massive crowd the same day Ireland beat Holland to qualify for the World Cup.

In 2004 they supported Bob Dylan in Galway to a capacity crowd, playing a storming set that showed there were changes a foot in The Walls sound.

In 2005 their second album 'New Dawn Breaking' went straight into the Irish charts at No.5 and has since reached gold status in Ireland. 'Passing Through' the second single taken from the album was one of the most played tracks on Irish radio that summer. The album also featured the band’s biggest song - 'To the Bright and Shining Sun' – with that infectious guitar riff which helped The Walls become a household name when it was used on a major TV commercial.

The Walls brilliant new album 'Stop the Lights' has just been released and the band are currently on tour to promote it.

Nadine O'Regan - RTE/Phantom/Sunday Business Post

Nadine O’Regan is Books and Arts Editor with the Sunday Business Post and a columnist and feature writer with the same newspaper. She’s also a reporter for The Works, the new arts TV show on RTE 1, and she presents and produces The Kiosk, Dublin indie-rock station Phantom 105.2?s arts and culture show, which airs Saturday mornings at 11am.

She has written for publications including Spin magazine (US), The Irish Times, The Irish Independent, Hot Press, Magill and The Gloss. In the past few years, she has worked as a regular contributor to The Last Word with Matt Cooper on Today FM, The Alison Curtis Show on Today FM and The Dave Fanning Show on RTE Radio 1.

In between her hurtles towards various deadlines, she loves going to gigs, hanging out with friends and reading enormous amounts of fiction. From Skibbereen, Co. Cork originally, she has lived in Dublin since 1999.

Shane Dunne – Managing Director of Curve Music Management

Curve Music was formed in 2008 and is involved mainly in event management as well as tour bookings and artist management.

Curve released Perfect Stranger, the debut album by The Chapters in 2009 while also booking tours for the likes of The Coronas and Delorentos.

Curve Music also promotes the annual INDIEPENDENCE Music & Arts Festival which was named as one of the top ten small festivals in Europe. Other events have included Cork Week in Crosshaven and numerous smaller festivals and events. Shane is also the booker of the 1,000 capacity Savoy Theatre in Cork City.