I think this just shows how much the Mercury Prize's standards have fallen in recent years.

Depressingly predictable..we have the acoustic singer-songwriter, the token black rapper, Klaxons and NY Pony Club to show they are down with the NME kids, Amy Winehouse for the Q-reading, 3 albums-a-year crowd and of course Arctic Monkeys cos we can never overlook the Arctics as they are greatest band ever blah blah blah and so on....but there is one gem in there and it's Bat For Lashes' 'Fur & Gold', full of great, haunting songs....hope she doesn't win it though as it will ruin the enigma of her and her music.

Maps. Deadly.

"the token black rapper" - what a silly thing to say, DR's record is amazing. He's not a token anything.

I hope Bat For Lashes wins though. Brilliant album.

Award shows in general seem to become more and more susceptible to dumbing down as each year goes by. They start out as modest and worthy and three years later they've got corporate sponsors, TV exposure, red carpets and all the responsibilities that come with it. It's probably inevitable.
I was flicking through the channels the other night and saw Lorraine Keane reporting from the Mojo Awards red carpet, talking to Alice Cooper. Mojo!?!

I never plan to watch them, though I usually end up seeing bits. NME awards is like car crash telly. They try to strike a balance between glitzy conformity and drunken rebellion and it just comes off as embarrassing.

But, out of all of them, I'd probably watch the Mercury awards. Sure, its probably dumbing down like the rest of them but there's a good few bands on that list that I know very little about, let alone have their album and they ask each band/artist to perform aswell. Which is a great idea. You're probably not going to see New Young Pony Club on telly anytime soon. Bit predictable, sure, but it could be worse.

And congrats to Fionn.

OK, bets anyone? My money says Klaxons.

Jamie f**king T?!?! The housewives Frank Skinner.

My money is on Bat For Lashes - good odds @ 10/1

Winehouse is the fav isnt she?? at least with the papers...

10/1 is good..didnt antony and the johnsons win at 16/1 or something??

Una, let us not fight, I love you! I read your brilliant blog every day....but I stand by my 'tokenism' argument. Go through the list: the token singer-songwriter (Fionn), the token NME bands (NY Pony Club), token band from the latest fad/scene/movement, this year it's 'Nu-Rave' so we have Klaxons, token kooky, Tori Amos/PJ Harvey type (Bat For Lashes), token curveball act that absolutely no-one has heard of (Basquiat Strings), token established act (Arctic Monkeys), token act to keep the Q readers happy (Winehouse), token eccentric/maverick: Jamie T (give me a break!) and so on....there has been a token black or Asian artist every year so this year's it's Dizzee, last year Sway, 2005-M.I.A, 2004-Ty, 2003-Soweto Kinch (nope, me neither) and so on, I never said Dizzee's album is rubbish I just meant they always have to put in a non-white artist just in case the Daily Mail accuses them of racism etc, eventhough their album could well be crap...eg, if Ty and Soweto Kinch were so good for their albums to be included on the list, where are they now?....there are 2 great albums on the list Maps and Bat For Lashes but to be honest I've just never understood giving out awards for music, it's a completely alien concept to me as listening to music is a totally subjective and deeply emotional experience on a personal level, it should never be about competition....

cool beans!

I don't think Klaxons, NYPC or Jamie T should be on the list. Can't speak for Basquiat Strings because I've never heard of them.

Of all the Glasto-telly I saw, I thought Soweto Kinch was one of the highlights (and The Stooges, natch!). He only played one song in the backstage area, but it was a great mix of hip-hop and jazz. But I hadn't heard of the guy beforehand either. Surely winning or being nominated for this award can't do their careers any harm. You're facing an uphill struggle playing hip-hop/jazz anyway.

Have a look for yourselves: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYH0jyIFtjs

Well done Muzak, hope you placed a bet on them...!

No, like an idiot I didn't put my money where my mouth was.