Niall Stokes (born 1951 in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

) is a music journalist who has served as editor of the long-running fortnightly Ireland music and political magazine ''

Hot Press ''Hot Press'' is a fortnightly music and politics magazine based in Dublin, Ireland, founded in June 1977. The magazine has been edited since its inception by Niall Stokes. History ''Hot Press'' was founded in June 1977 by Niall Stokes, who co ...

'' based in

. He has edited the magazine since 1977. He has been a longstanding champion of Irish music, most famously U2 in the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. He was involved with The Music Show, an exhibition of the Irish music industry held in the RDS in October 2008. He was Chairman of the Independent Radio and Television Commission (now the BCI) between 1993 and 1998. He has written several books, including ''Into the Heart: The Stories Behind Every U2 Song''. He graduated from

University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 33,284 student ...

with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Whilst in college, Stokes was a member of a band called Eyeless, alongside

Neil Jordan Neil Patrick Jordan (born 25 February 1950) is an Irish film director, screenwriter, novelist and short-story writer. His first book, ''Night in Tunisia (short story collection), Night in Tunisia'', won a Somerset Maugham Award and the Guardian ...

. He was also a freelance writer for outlets such as

The Irish Times ''The Irish Times'' is an Irish daily broadsheet newspaper and online digital publication. It launched on 29 March 1859. The editor is Ruadhán Mac Cormaic. It is published every day except Sundays. ''The Irish Times'' is considered a newspaper ...

before founding ''Hot Press''. He lives with his wife, Mairin Sheehy, in Dublin. On 20 June 2002, he appeared on an episode of '' Rattlebag'' which celebrated the 25th anniversary of ''Hot Press''. In January 2008, he attended the recording sessions of "

The Ballad of Ronnie Drew "The Ballad of Ronnie Drew" is a single by U2, The Dubliners, Kíla and A Band of Bowsies. The single was recorded as a charitable project, with proceeds going to the Irish Cancer Society - owing to Ronnie Drew's cancer condition.

" in

Windmill Lane Studios Windmill Lane Recording Studios (earlier Windmill Lane Studios) is a recording studio in Dublin, Ireland. It was originally opened in 1978 by Brian Masterson and James Morris in premises at 22 Windmill Lane, and it subsequently relocated to its cu ...

. He has appeared on the interactive music series ''

The Raw Sessions ''The Raw Sessions'' (also known as ''The Raw Sessions with Sony Ericsson'') was an Irish interactive music television programme broadcast on RTÉ Two in 2009. The country's first ever rockumentary series, it wad presented by Dez Ryan and follo ...

''. Stokes has also appeared as a panellist on '' Questions and Answers''. On radio he has featured on '' Five Seven Live'', '' This Week'', ''

Morning Ireland ''Morning Ireland'' is the breakfast news programme broadcast by RTÉ Radio 1 in Ireland and is noted as that country's most listened to radio programme. It is broadcast each weekday morning between 07.00 and 09.00 and alternate items are normall ...

'' and '' Drivetime''. In 2007, he pursued a High Court action against high-profile MCD promoter

Denis Desmond Sir Denis Fitzgerald Desmond, KCVO, CBE (born 1943) is a retired British company director and public administrator, who was Lord Lieutenant of County Londonderry from 2000 to 2018. Desmond was born in 1943, the son of an army officer. He served ...

and

Riverdance ''Riverdance'' is a theatrical show that consists mainly of traditional Irish music and dance. With a score composed by Bill Whelan, it originated as an interval act during the Eurovision Song Contest 1994, featuring Irish dancing champions Je ...

Moya Doherty Moya Doherty (born 1957, in Pettigo, County Donegal, Ireland) is a Dublin-raised Irish entrepreneur and the producer and co-founder of ''Riverdance''. Early life Doherty was born in Pettigo, County Donegal, and raised in Dublin. She attended M ...

and John McColgan in the aftermath of the Hot Press Music Hall of Fame Museum's failure. The "substantial" court action was settled.

Awards

Stokes won Editor of the Year at the 2008 PPAI Magazine of the Year Awards. Stokes received an industry award at the

2009 Meteor Awards The 2009 Meteor Music Awards ceremony took place on 17 March 2009 in the RDS, Dublin. It was the ninth edition of Ireland's national music awards. The event was recorded and it aired on RTÉ Two on 18 March 2009. The awards show was hosted by tel ...

. Tributes were paid by Niall Breslin,

Tom Dunne Thomas Dunne is an Irish radio broadcaster with Newstalk, and a singer/songwriter with the band Something Happens. Prior to joining Newstalk, Dunne worked on Today FM, presenting his very successful and hugely popular radio program, "Pet Sou ...

, Snow Patrol, Bono and

The Edge David Howell Evans (born 8 August 1961), better known as the Edge or simply Edge,McCormick (2006), pp. 21, 23–24 is an English-born Irish musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead guitarist, keyboardist, and backing voca ...

. , - , 2008 , , Niall Stokes , , PPAI Magazine of the Year Awards – Editor of the Year , , , - , 2009 , , Niall Stokes , , Metor Music Awards – Industry Award , , , -

Other accolades

Niall Stokes was presented with a lifetime achievement by Magazines Ireland in 2011 8 March 2011: "Niall Stokes founded Hot Press in 1977 and has steered the magazine through over 30 years to be one of Ireland's most successful magazines. Niall launched the career of some of the most prominent journalists in Ireland" – John Mullins, Zahara Publishing & Chairperson of Magazines Ireland. The '' Irish Examiner'' included Stokes in its top fifty list of "most important and influential people in Irish music during 2005".

References

External links

''Hot Press'' website

''Hot Press'' on site at The O₂
feat. Niall Stokes
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Stokes, Niall 1951 births Living people 20th-century Irish people 21st-century Irish people Alumni of University College Dublin Hot Press people Irish magazine editors Irish music journalists People from County Dublin People educated at Synge Street CBS