DUBLIN –
Jesse Sludds, a 19-year-old musician from Wexford, has been named the winner of the inaugural Late Late Show Opening Act, a competition designed to identify new talent within the country music genre.
The initiative by RTÉ integrates televised talent discovery with commercial touring opportunities, providing the winner with high-visibility platforms to establish a professional footprint in the music industry. As Ireland’s national public service broadcaster, RTÉ operates under a mandate set out in the Broadcasting Act 2009, which tasks it with supporting culture and the arts through programming and talent development initiatives (Strategy C).
The selection process utilized a weighted scoring system, combining the results of a public vote, a music industry jury vote, and a specialized country music jury vote. That structure is designed to balance audience appeal with professional assessment, mirroring formats increasingly used by European public broadcasters in live entertainment shows. Sludds secured the victory following a performance of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.”
Our third act up tonight is Jesse Sludds performing Fast Car 🎤🎶 #latelate #openingact pic.twitter.com/66jY8B6LQE
– The Late Late Show (@RTELateLateShow) April 17, 2026
Contractual Prizes and Performance Schedule
The competition prize includes two primary professional engagements that move Sludds directly from televised exposure to major live stages. He is scheduled to open for Shania Twain at Thomond Park in Limerick in July, performing to a stadium-scale audience as part of a commercial tour promoted in partnership with RTÉ and private sector organisers.
Additionally, he will serve as the opening act for The Late Late Show Country Special in October, a flagship themed edition of one of Ireland’s longest-running television franchises. That broadcast slot is expected to give Sludds a second nationwide showcase ahead of what industry figures see as a pivotal year for Irish country artists on streaming platforms and regional radio (Strategy D).
Upon the announcement of the results, Sludds told host Patrick Kielty: “Oh wow, I did not expect that at all. And to think that I wasn’t going to do it (enter the competition) because I didn’t think I was country enough!”
He further noted: “I had seen it online at first and I was like, ‘Nah…’, and then I had so many people talking to me I was like, ‘Ah sure, go on then!’ But, eh, wow!”
The visibly emotional reaction underscored how the competition has been positioned as a gateway for young performers outside Dublin’s traditional music infrastructure, with Sludds representing a new wave of country-leaning artists emerging from rural counties.
Industry Evaluation and Finalists
A professional panel provided studio commentary on the performances. The panel consisted of singers Una Healy and Sandy Kelly, Ben Earle of The Shires, and broadcaster and Something Happens frontman Tom Dunne, bringing perspectives from Irish, British and independent music backgrounds.
The panel members characterized Sludds’s performance using the following terms:
- Una Healy: “very special”
- Sandy Kelly: “an amazing voice”
- Ben Earle: “a star”
- Tom Dunne: “sensational”
Their assessments framed Sludds not only as a strong contestant on the night but as a potential long-term presence in the Irish country and Americana scene, where broadcasters and promoters have been seeking younger acts capable of headlining festival stages and regional venues.
Other finalists appearing in the competition included:
- Paddy Treacy (Fermanagh)
- Caitlin Mackin (Armagh)
- Ryan Phoenix (Cork)
- Midnight in Vegas (Keli-Ann Corcoran, Phoebe Dipple, and Jamie Sullivan)
The geographic spread of the finalists, drawn from counties across the island, reflects RTÉ’s efforts to demonstrate all-island reach in its talent platforms at a time when public broadcasters are under scrutiny to show value to licence-fee payers and younger audiences alike.
Sludds is scheduled to begin his prize engagements in July at Thomond Park, with RTÉ executives expected to track audience response closely as they consider the future of Late Late Show Opening Act as a recurring feature in the broadcaster’s entertainment portfolio.
