Jape wins second Choice award

Jape pulled off something of a surprise by becoming the first artist to win two Choice Music Awards for best album.

Nobody was more shocked than the man himself, whose real name is Richie Egan, when his name was read out by David Reid the co-founder of the prize which first started in 2005.

Jape admitted that it was “very strange” that he won again. “This year I didn't think we'd win because the line up is so great. I actually thought that Lisa Hannigan was definitely going to win. To be honest, all of the f**king bands on the list are so good, I'm just actually in shock that we won.

Jape won for Ocean of Frequency, the follow up to his 2008 release Ritual which also won the prize three years ago.

His prize was €10,000 and a specially-commissioned award, courtesy of the Recorded Artists Actors Performers (RAAP). By his own admission, he has not been a commercially successful artist and the win will increase his profile.

Having won before it was expected that the award would go elsewhere, but Jape confounded the received wisdom and the bookies' odds (he was 16/1 beforehand) by winning.

In an interview with The Irish Times last week, Jape said winning the Choice previously had allowed him to continue to make music, pay the rent and buy a pre amp and microphone to help with the recordings.

He admitted that Ritual's success made “some ears prick up around us for a while”

For the first time all 10 nominated bands played last night in front of a full house at the Olympia Theatre and the event was streamed live on the internet and also on Today FM.

Belfast band Cashier No9's To The Death of Fun was the favourite to win with Lisa Hannigan's Passenger also widely tipped, but once again the 11-member judging panel, chaired by music writer with The Irish Times Tony Clayton-Lea, went for an act outside the favourites.

Royseven won the prize for the inaugural Irish Song of the Year for We Should Be Lovers. It was the most played song on Irish radio last year and has international recognition as the soundtrack for a Volkwagen car commercial.

That award was decided by public vote and 10,000 votes were received.