JOE Men of the Year Awards 2015: Best Music Act of the Year

The impact of these guys in 2015 has been off the scale. *JOE gets coat*

A year that goes by without Irish artists making a huge impact on the world stage is a rare one and 2015 wasn’t about to upset the natural rhythm. It’s arguably as hard if not harder for artists and bands to make the breakthrough now than it ever was, but Irish acts are not only making people at home stand up and take notice, they’re garnering rave reviews for performances on some of the biggest chat shows in the US too. All of the names below are worthy nominees for the Best Music Act of the Year, but you can only pick one at the bottom of the page. Vote on all JOE Men of the Year categories here.

Gavin James

In his wildest dreams, Gavin James could hardly have imagined how 2015 was going to pan out. He signed to Capitol Records and performed on the roof of the Capitol Records building. He played at JJ Abrams’ Oscar party. He supported Ed Sheeran. He blew James Corden away with a live performance on his US chat show. And he’s deserved everything that came to him because he is clearly a special, special talent.

Kodaline

Kodaline’s star has steadily been rising for the last few years and it showed no sign of slowing down in the last 12 months. Playing massive venues like the 3Arena and Kilmainham is now par for the course for the four-piece, their Irish tour is sold out and they’ve started to make their mark across the pond in the States too. The sky is the limit.

All Tvvins

All Tvvins played their first gig a little over two years ago and since then they’ve supported Arcade Fire and been amongst the main attractions at big Irish festivals like Castlepalooza and Longitude. The fact that band members Lar Kaye and Conor Adams had been around the block with well-regarded outfits Adebisi Shank and The Cast of Cheers respectively before forming All Tvvins helped them on their way. An upcoming support slot on Kodaline’s tour will showcase their talents to an even wider audience.

Hozier

Without actually releasing any new material, Hozier’s status at home and abroad has risen to unprecedented levels in 2015. Singles like ‘Work Song’ and ‘Someone New’ have ensured he’s barely off the radio, while his performance at the Grammys, appearances on pretty much every US TV show and a sold out UK tour in 2016 reflect how much of a global superstar the Wicklow native has become.

Otherkin

"I went to see them play in London last night. These guys are the real deal. Honestly man, they got it." The words of Phil Taggart, DJ on BBC Radio One earlier this month. Take it from an expert (Phil, not us), these guys are going to be big.