Two Door Cinema Club scoop best album prize

NORTHERN group Two Door Cinema Club were last night named winner of the Choice Music Prize for best Irish album of the year for Tourist History.

They received a €10,000 cheque and commemorative trophy in a ceremony at Vicar Street, Dublin. Billed as Ireland’s answer to the Mercury Music Prize, the Choice honours the outstanding Irish record of the year, as judged by a panel of media adjudicators, who this year included radio hosts Ray D’Arcy and Dave Fanning. Previous winners include Divine Comedy, Julie Feeney and Adrian Crowley.

Earlier nine of the ten nominated acts performed to a sell-out audience. Striking a blow for high-octane pop music, baby faced Co Down trio Two Door Cinema Club basked in one of the evening’s most enthusiastic welcomes, even if they had swapped their synthesisers for acoustic guitars.