Mercury Prize 2010

You may or may not be aware of the annual Mercury Prize. This is a prize given out every year to (according to the panel, consisting of different members of the music industry) the best British album of the previous year. Most of the winners have been hugely influential or popular albums- The Seldom Seen Kid by Elbow, Myths of the Near Future by Klaxons being two of the notable recent winners. The next round of nominations are set to be announced next week, and it's all set me thinking.

The prize dumbfounds me really. It's generally considered quite prestigious, and I often love most of the bands nominated, but the nominees and winners can be plain baffling and offensive some times. Ms Dynamite beating The Coral in 2002? The Darkness nominated in 2003 (I don't mind The Darkness, but it's baffling in the context of the award's general clientele)? M People beating Pulp in 1994 ("M People? Who the fudge?" I know right)? OK Computer losing out in 1997? That one baffles me because I get the impression that the award was, back in the 90s, and still is now, totally officiated by Britpop kids, maybe with an occasional oldie like Nick Kent thrown into the fray. How THAT mix didn't result in OK Computer winning I just do NOT know. Heck, Radiohead have lost out FOUR times, and Kid A wasn't even nominated! Thom Yorke even lost out with his solo album in 2006 (though to be fair, it was to Arctic Monkey's debut)

Last year's winner was a shock all round. Young female rapper Speech Debelle won with her debut Speech Therapy. No one could make head nor tale of it. She was up against The Horrors' Primary Colours, an absolute stunner (and worked out, across all the reviews, to be 2010s most critically acclaimed UK album). It was clear to me that she won because whoever was in charge looked at the last few winners- Elbow, Klaxons, Arctic Monkeys, Antony and the Johnsons, Franz Ferdinand- and the rest of that year's nominations- Kasabian, The Horrors, The Invisible, Friendly Fires, Glasvegas- and though that the trend of white male winners needed to stop. Now I'm all for promoting a diverse range of musicians, but if they're not the best, don;t bloody pick them. The hip-hop winners in the past have, to me, seemed like the white middle class panel trying to seem "down with it" i.e. Dizzee Rascal in 2003. Despite Dizzee not being as mainstream back then, it was a "safe" hip-hop bet. I'd have been far happier if Sway's This is My Demo or M.I.A's Arular had won when they were nominated.

So my predictions for this year?

1. Laura Marling is a dead cert for nomination, and a very likely winner.

2. I'm loathe to say I reckon Muse's last album will be in there.

3. Gorillaz are a tricky one. They requested the nomination for their debut to be removed, so I don't know. Lots of people may expect it to be nominated, I'm not so sure. If it is, it definitely won't win, the big international acts never do.

4. Possibly Crystal Castles, though it's rare to see electronic acts in there. Having said that, Hot Chip were nominated and I reckon will be again this year, but won't win (much as I enjoy them, I'd be outraged if they did)

5. Marina & The Diamonds are very likely and I would probably be quite happy if they won. Incredible pop album!

6. Foals are also certs for nomination I think, but won't win- the trend of hyped NME bands up until last year was too long for another one to pick up the award.

7.Los Campesinos! won't be nominated, but I reckon they would be more than worthy winners.

8. Going out on a limb- Plan B?

9. These New Puritans are also certs.

10. There will be a token jazz act and, seeing as one hasn't won yet, this could be their year if the panel are all for breaking trends.

I'm a bit sad that The Coral's new album Butterfly House just missed the deadline for consideration due to its release date, and it could very well be forgotten about for next year. I reckon they might "do an Elbow" and win it after a decade of consistent awesomeness.

Who knows. At least the awards give an extra boost to some usually brilliant bands and push them into the eyes of the idiotic British public for a a few weeks as the nominated albums are plonked at the front of HMV. I just hope that Lauren Laverne is doing the coverage again...