The nominations have been unveiled for this year's IMRO Live Music Venue of the Year Awards – ahead of the live ceremony, taking place at The Sugar Club in Dublin on Tuesday, March 5.

As IMRO – the Irish Music Rights Organisation – states on its website, the awards "recognise Irish venues that deliver the very best standards in live music entertainment."

Over 20,000 IMRO members were asked to nominate their top choices – with venues judged on their "ambience, staging, sound/lighting facilities, diversity of music programming, accessibility for people with disabilities, venue staff and management and the work they undertake in promoting the venue and its programme of music events."

The ceremony will feature performances from Big Sleep, Qbanaa, EFÉ and DJ Maria Lawlor, while Paul McLoone will be stepping up as MC.

In addition to the overall award for National Live Music Venue of the Year – plus awards for regional venues, festivals and the tech crew of the year –  the ceremony will also see one venue presented with the special Hot Press Live Music Venue of the Year award, as selected by the Hot Press Readers' Poll.

Hot Press Live Music Venue of the Year winner 3Olympia Theatre at Imro Venue Awards 2023. Copyright Miguel Ruiz.

The public can also get involved by voting for their favourite venue on the IMRO Live Music Venue of the Year shortlist here – with voting closing on March 3.

See the rest of the nominees below:

Dublin
Vicar Street
The Grand Social
3Olympia Theatre
The Button Factory
Bord Gáis Energy Theatre

Rest of Leinster
The Set Theatre, Kilkenny
Bob’s Hideout, Durrow, Co. Laois
Mermaid Arts Centre, Bray, Co. Wicklow
Watergate Theatre, Kilkenny
The Chambers Bar, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath

Ulster
The Chasin’ Bull, Bundoran, Co. Donegal
McCafferty’s Bar, Donegal
The Imperial, Cavan
McGinley’s Bar, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal
Joyce’s of Carndonagh, Inishowen, Co. Donegal

Munster
Dolan’s, Limerick
Coughlan’s, Cork
Theatre Royal, Waterford
Crane Lane Theatre, Cork
Glór, Ennis, Co. Clare

Connacht
Hawk’s Well Theatre, Sligo
The Quays Bar, Galway
Gracie’s Bar, Sligo
Taylor’s Bar, Galway
Tigh Chólí, Galway

IMRO Small Music Festival of the Year Award
Beyond the Pale
Other Voices
Another Love Story
Féile Na Gréine
Kaleidoscope Festival
Sligo Live
Dublin Bowie Festival
Life Festival
Rockathon
Earagail Arts Festival

IMRO Music Festival of the Year Award
All Together Now
Electric Picnic
Body & Soul
Sea Sessions
Longitude
Fairview Park Concert Series
Forbidden Fruit
Galway International Arts Festival
Trinity Summer Series
St. Patrick’s Festival

IMRO Tech Crew of the Year Award
Vicar Street
The Button Factory
The Grand Social
Electric Picnic
3Olympia Theatre
Beyond The Pale
Sea Church
The Academy
National Concert Hall
The Civic Theatre