Only 2 per cent of the top 100 songs on Irish radio from June 1st, 2023, to June 1st, 2024, were performed by Irish women artists, and only one of them is alive, according to the latest research from activist group Why Not Her?.
Jazzy and Dolores O’Riordan of The Cranberries were the only two women in the top 100.
The annual data report presents a comprehensive analysis of gender and racial representation within the top 20 most popular songs sung by domestic Irish artists on Irish radio stations from June 1st, 2023, to June 1st, 2024.
It highlights significant disparities in gender and racial representation.
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According to the report, Irish radio stations are more likely to play songs by female artists such as O’Riordan and Sinéad O’Connor on their heavy rotation playlists, along with international modern female pop artists, than modern living female Irish artists.
RTÉ Pulse featured the most diverse playlist with 11 songs by artists of colour. Jazzy was the top played Irish female artist with the highest number of songs in the top 20, appearing multiple times across different stations.
In the 2019-2020 period, there was only one artist of colour (Soulé) in the top 20 heavy rotation airplay charts. By 2024 this grew to 25 per cent representation in some stations.
Artists of colour, while seeing some improvement in representation, still face considerable barriers, with only a few stations making strides towards more inclusive playlists, according to the report.
RTÉ Radio 1 is leading the change at Irish radio, with 50 per cent of its top 20 playlists consisting of women, while RTÉ 2XM follows closely with 45 per cent. RTÉ's Radio 1 has achieved 50 per cent or more female representation in its annual playlists for five consecutive years and is the only radio station in the country to have done so.
Dublin station FM104 had only white male artists in its top 20 for five years in a row from 2016-2021. However, the report acknowledges that from June 2021 onwards, it has increased diversity. Some 20 per cent of its top 20 songs were by Irish female artists from June 2023 to June 2024, and a further 15 per cent were collaborations involving women.
Artists signed with major labels, especially Universal Music, have higher rotation rates on Irish radio, while independent artists struggle for airplay, the report says. Only three independent artists made it into the top 100.
The most played song by an Irish artist on Irish radio so far in 2024 is DNA (Loving You) by Billie Gillies featuring Hannah Boleyn, while Dermot Kennedy, Moncrieff, Jazzy and Cian Ducrot were repeatedly featured.
The report concludes that gender collaborative artists, for example mixed gender bands and collaborations, have higher average plays and impressions, indicating a trend towards popular and widely promoted collaborations.
Linda Coogan Byrne, founder of Why Not Her?, said that despite clear evidence of talent and success among women artists and artists of colour, they remain marginalised in airplay.
“We have also found that independent Irish artists, in general, face immense challenges in gaining airplay. The responsibility also lies with record labels to step up and take the same risks on women artists as they do men,” Coogan Byrne said.
“Labels have a profound influence on who gets heard, and it’s crucial for them to sign and promote more diverse artists. The paradox is evident: these artists struggle to get the necessary airtime to succeed.”
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