Ireland’s Classic Hits Radio is continuing its support for Irish musicians and songwriters by backing Irish Music Month 2026.
From Monday, September 14th until Sunday, October 11th, the station will join independent broadcasters across the country in giving additional airtime and exposure to Irish artists as part of the nationwide initiative.
For Ireland’s Classic Hits Radio, the campaign is an opportunity to use the station’s national platform to shine a greater spotlight on emerging Irish talent and introduce new artists to its audience.
The station has supported Irish Music Month since its launch, reflecting its wider commitment to showcasing Irish music alongside the established artists its listeners know and love.
CEO Kevin Branigan said the station was proud to continue its involvement.
“We’re a proud supporter of Irish Music Month and we’ve thrown our full support behind it since its launch several years ago. Supporting Irish music is something that we take very seriously at Ireland’s Classic Hits Radio; there’s so much fantastic Irish music from existing and upcoming bands and we’re proud to be involved in the initiative.”
One of the key elements of this year’s campaign is A New Local Hero, a national talent search designed to give emerging artists a route onto local radio.
Ireland’s Classic Hits Radio will select four shortlisted artists from submissions in its area. The artists will then have the opportunity to perform and be interviewed on air before the station selects its Local Hero to progress to the national shortlist.
The overall winner will receive a €5,000 prize and the opportunity to record and release a single through Rubyworks. The prize also includes recording with Cian Boylan at Camden Recording Studios and mastering by Grammy-winning engineer Ruairi Cushnan of Spéir Mix & Mastering.
The initiative highlights the role independent radio continues to play in supporting the Irish music industry. Participating stations collectively provide thousands of weekly plays to music by Irish artists and songwriters, with Irish Music Month providing an opportunity to increase that exposure further.
With more than €100,000 in support being provided to Irish artists through the initiative, Irish Music Month brings together broadcasters and organisations from across the music industry.
For Ireland’s Classic Hits Radio, the 2026 campaign is another chance to put its national reach behind Irish talent and give emerging artists access to an established radio audience.
