Fontaines D.C. were named the winner of the Choice Music Prize for Album Of The Year for Romance, at a live awards ceremony in Vicar Street, Dublin.
Currently on tour in Australia, the award came the same week the Dublin quintet won International Group of the Year at the Brit Awards for the second time.
Album Of The Year award on behalf of Fontaines D.C.
Previous AOTY winner, Neil Hannon, made the announcement in Vicar St after the judging panel, made up of Irish music media professionals, and chaired by Choice Music Prize co-founder Jim Carroll, gathered this evening to decide on the winning album.
The event, hosted by RTÉ 2FM's Tracy Clifford and broadcast live on RTÉ 2FM featured performances from several of the Choice Prize nominees, including A Lazarus Soul, Curtisy, Orla Gartland, NewDad, Niamh Regan, Róis, Silverbacks and SPRINTS.
The 20th annual RTÉ Choice Music Prize ceremony once again celebrated the best in Irish recorded music - the prize has become one of the music industry highlights of the year since its inception in 2005.
The winner receives a cheque for €10,000, a prize which has been provided by the Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) and the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA), as well as a specially commissioned award.
It's the fourth time lucky at the Choice Music Prize for Fontaines DC, who had been shortlisted for all four of their albums to date.
The Choice Music Prize Irish Song of the Year prize went to The Spark by the Irish children's hip-hop groups Kabin Crew and Lisdoonvarna Crew, who treated the audience to a lively performance.
In a big night for homegrown hip-hop, Belfast trio Kneecap were named Irish Breakthrough Artist of the Year, while Northern Irish rapper and singer Jordan Adetunji picked up the Irish Artist of the Year prize.
Julie Feeney, the first winner of the RTÉ Choice Music Prize Album of the Year in 2005, welcomed Warner Music MD Priscilla Kotey to the stage to collect Enya's award for the Classic Irish Album, for her celebrated 1998 LP Watermark.
RTÉ2 will broadcast a one-hour TV programme of the RTÉ Choice Music Prize, featuring live performances, along with interviews with the shortlisted artists, on Thursday March 13th at 10.35pm.
Listen to all the albums shortlisted for the Choice Music Prize for Album Of The Year here.
