Irish Youth Music Awards 2017

The Irish Youth Music Awards is an educational programme for young people aimed at creating teamwork and friendship at local level, while providing first contact work experience in a variety of subjects associated with the music business. The initiative brings together some of Ireland’s top music industry personnel directly into contact with young musicians. This initiative has proved hugely successful and has been given a thumbs up from BIMM Dublin, The Thin Air Magazine, Warner Music Ireland, Faction Records, Music Matters, Hot Press Magazine, IRMA and IMRO, all of whom have been directly involved.

The Irish Youth Music Awards is a community based youth music project for teen bands and musicians aged 12-19 year, across the whole island of Ireland. It is a music led music based project which honours the most effective music projects run by groups of young people each year.

The principle aim of IYMA is to give young musicians access to industry professional to benefit from their advice and knowledge. Judging is based on the entire project from the band, to the crew, to the promotion and approach to the competition. The overall champion receives recording time in a studio, and they produce an album of their own. Because the programme is entirely youth-led, the young people involved gain entrepreneurial and leadership skills while doing something they are passionate about.

Last year over 15,000 young people engaged in the initiative and it is still growing.