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Northern dominance of
rock scene confirmed
By Kevin Courtney, in Belfast
When the Hot Press Rock Awards moved from its usual
Dublin venue to Belfast this year, the organisers were not just looking
for a change of scenery - they were going straight to the heart of Irish
rock in the 1990s.
Many of us have long suspected that the Republic's music
scene had lost the edge to its Northern Irish counterparts. The proof came
last night when Northern acts Ash, The Divine
Comedy, Brian Kennedy and Van Morrison swept the board.
The ceremony was held at the BBC Blackstaff Studios in Belfast.
In another first for the Heineken-sponsored ceremony, the event will be
televised on BBC1 tonight at 9.30.
Downpatrick trio Ash won two
major awards, Best Irish Band and Best Irish Single for their 1996 Top
Ten hit, Oh Yeah. The three hold the distinction of being the only Irish
act to enter the British charts at Number One with their debut album.
Belfast singer Brian Kennedy won the Best Solo Male award,
beating his mentor, Van Morrison. Van The Man was compensated with an award
for Best Live Performance in Ireland by an Irish act, for his most recent
concert in Dublin's Olympia Theatre.
Fermanagh singer Neil Hannon, who is The Divine Comedy, won
Best Songwriter and Best Irish album for last year's Casanova, which includes
the hit singles Something For The Weekend and The Frog Princess.
It wasn't all disappointment for Dublin musicians, however,
with Boyzone winning Best Pop Act and U2's Larry Mullen arriving to collect
the Rory Gallagher Musician Award.
Dublin band Bawl was presented with the Philip Lynnott New
Band award by the late singer's mother, Philomena Lynnott. Journalist Bill
Graham, who died suddenly last year, was given a special award which was
accepted by his mother, Eileen Graham.
Traditional band Altan won the Roots Award, while Leslie
Dowdall collected the Best Solo Female accolade. Former No Disco presenter
Donal Dineen won the National TV and Radio award, and English band Radiohead
was chosen for Best Live Performance in Ireland by an International Act.
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