A NORTHSIDE man has been recognised for his extensive contribution to the music business.
Irish Music Rights Organisation (IMRO) chief executive Victor Finn and Keith Donald, chairman of IMRO’s board of directors, presented the Midem Gold Pioneer Medal award to Irish music publisher Michael O’Riordan, from Raheny.
Mr O’Riordan, the only Irish person to receive the award, was a major player in the success of Release Records in the late 1960s, when the Irish music scene was mainly dominated by that label and its unrivalled catalogue of showbands, ballad singers and cabaret acts.
Since the advent of Ritz Records he has been an unrelenting campaigner for more use of all types of Irish music on radio and television.
More recently he has concentrated on the publishing side of the business through his Watermill publishing company.
Mr O’Riordan has also devoted much of his time to servicing the music industry. He is both a director and committee member of IMRO and MCPSI, served on the Music Board of Ireland and is currently president of the Music Publishers Association of Ireland.
Midem is the leading business event for the international music industry featuring four days of music conferences, forums, competitions and networking events.