Irish Music Association Announces 2010 Awards for 'Best of Best' in Irish Music

WESTON, Mo., Feb. 2, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Irish Music Association (IMA) announced the official results of its global website voting process for the "best of the best" in Irish music in 18 categories for 2010 during last week's Third Annual Irish Music Awards Presentation at the historic O'Malley's Pub in Weston, Mo.  The list was made public today. http://www.irishmusicassociation.com/

The award recipients were determined through an online voting process with over 20,000 votes cast on the IMA's website, which started in Dec. 2010 and continued through Jan. 12, 2011.   The presentation ceremony took place at 7 p.m. on Jan. 26.

"The IMA is honored to recognize the many distinguished Irish musicians and groups nominated for all of the categories," said R.T. Reeder, the organization's founder and executive director.  

"We're also very pleased to have such a strong outpouring of support in terms of online polling for the 2010 awards which reflects the public's growing appreciation and love for the music of Ireland," Reeder said.  

Reeder said this year's award recipients include some of the Irish music industry's most accomplished artists and performing groups, including top group Cara, top Celtic rock band Beltaine, female vocalist Mary Black and top Irish tenor, Tommy Flemming.

In total, 18 awards were announced from "Best Solo Performer in a Concert Venue" to "Top Celtic Rock Band Worldwide" to a "Lifetime Achievement Award" for dedication to Irish music.  The winners were selected from a total of 69 nominees for this year's awards.

The 2010 award categories and recipients are as follows:

• Top Solo Performer in Concert – Christy Moore
• Top Solo Performer in a Pub Venue – Stevie Dunne
• Top Duo in a Pub, Festival, Concert – Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill
• Top Group – Cara
• Best Female Vocalist – Mary Black 
• Best New Irish Music Artist – Siobhan Owen
• Top Celtic Rock Band – Beltaine
• Top Irish Tenor – Tommy Fleming
• Best Sean-nos Singer – Roisin  Elsafty
• Best New Irish CD – John McSherry (for his CD Soma)
• Top Traditional Performance Show – The Chieftains 
• Top Traditional Group - In Festival, Pub & Concert – Qristina and Quinn Bachand
• Tommy Makem Award – Andy Irvine
• Top Uilleann Piper (US, IRE, EU) – Paddy Keenan
• Top Fiddle (US, IRE, EU, UK) – Liz Carroll
• Top Harpist – Siobhan Owen
• Top Button Accordion (US, IRE, EU, UK) – Dermot Byrne
• Lifetime Achievement Award – Arty McGlenn

Reeder, who founded the organization in 2003, said the mission of the IMA is to promote, produce, and perpetuate Irish music worldwide.  This is accomplished by producing shows, sponsoring festivals, and producing the annual Irish Music Association Awards Presentation Night, he said.

This year's recipients were recognized at the Third Annual Irish Music Awards Presentation Night at O'Malley's Pub, host of the annual Weston Irish Festival.  Located just outside of Kansas City, the pub is home to the Weston Brewing Company and the American Bowman Restaurant.   Promoted as the "oldest brewery West of the Hudson," the brewery is the first place lager beer was brewed in the United States. http://www.westonirish.com/OMALLEYS.html

To join the Irish Music Association go to: http://www.irishmusicassociation.com

For more information, contact R. T. Reeder at [email protected] or by phone at 816.699.9950.

SOURCE Kirsten Fedewa for Irish Music Association