Find-joy, the rising North County Dublin band, has earned a place among Radio Nova's finalists for Irish Music Month 2026.
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The band began as a duo, Tadhg Kelly (vocals) and Mark Allidine (guitar), who started creating music together in a home studio while Mark was studying for a degree in Creative Music Production.
A collaboration with vocalist Colleen Conlon lead to immediate chemistry between the musicians. Since those early beginnings, find-joy have expanded into a six-piece, developing a dynamic sound that blends alternative and indie influences with infectious energy and heartfelt songwriting.
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Their growing following has been reflected in a series of sold-out headline shows, including performances at The Workman's Cellar and two sold-out gigs Upstairs at Whelan's.
The band's rise has also seen them share stages with acts including Tebi Rex and Post-Party.
As one of Radio Nova's four selected finalists, find-joy will be on The Nova Guestlist with Kieran McGuinness, joining fellow emerging artists in the race to become Radio Nova's Local Hero for Irish Music Month 2026.
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Each finalist receives €875 for their live performance, with one overall winner progressing to represent Radio Nova at the national stage of the competition.
The national winner will receive a cash prize and a further €5,000 worth of industry support, including a recording session with Cian Boylan at Camden Recording Studios, mastering by Grammy-winning engineer Ruadhri Cushnan, a single release through Rubyworks, expert mentoring, a national PR campaign and guaranteed radio airplay across all participating stations nationwide.
Even if Radio Nova's Local Hero does not advance to the final six, they remain eligible for the Wildcard Award, which is determined by public vote and carries an additional €2,500 bursary.
