We are delighted to announce the finalist groups in our second nationwide Waltons World Masters / RTÉ lyric fm Gospel & Soul Competition – this time to support gospel and soul legend Mavis Staples at the National Concert Hall!

Our judging panel had so much difficulty choosing our finalists from the many outstanding and diverse entries we received that they ended up selecting not three but five finalists! They are – in alphabetical order –

A Glór Gospel
B & The Honeyboys
Gardiner Street Gospel Choir
Maynooth Gospel Choir
Tig Linn

See the Gospel & Soul Competetition web page for descriptions of the groups, as well as photographs and videos.

The five finalists' entries have been sent on to Mavis Staples herself for her to decide on the winning group, which will be announced by Marty Whelan on RTÉ lyric fm’s Marty in the Morning show on Friday, 5 October – and perform as support for Mavis and her group on Saturday, 3 November.

To all the great groups who participated in this year's competition – Thank you! And to those groups that weren't chosen as finalists – We wish you the very best in our next competition!