Irish album of year prize 'a great way to finish up' for Cork-based band O Emperor
The swansong of a Cork-based rock band saw them win a major music award immediately after performing for the last time.
O Emperor, which formed in Waterford in 2009, won the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Irish Album of the Year last night for their final record, 'Jason'.
And for @oemperormusic's final act... #RTEChoicePrize pic.twitter.com/o4SruV6lzf
— RTÉ Choice Music (@choiceprize) March 7, 2019
The group told the audience the €10,000 prize and their goodbye performance at the awards show was "a great way to finish up".
"We all need the money," they said.
The band's win has been described as a huge surprise.
The band members will continue working on various individual musical projects.
"Once again 2018 was a terrific year for the quality of Irish albums released, and the judging process reflected this," said chair of the judging panel, Tony Clayton-Lea.
"Of all the years that I have been chairman of the judging panel, this year was the closest in terms of winner and runner-up, with Kojaque's album Deli Daydreams pipped at the post by O Emperor."
Meanwhile, Picture This won the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Song of the Year for their song, 'One Drink'.
Organisers of the awards event said the night "proved again what a healthy state Irish music is in".
Highlights from the RTÉ Choice Music Prize will be broadcast on RTÉ2 on Sunday, March 17 at 11.15pm.
