With the nominations announced, is the Mercury really an alternative?

Tonight the winner of this year’s Mercury Music Prize will be announced, but with eight out of 12 of the nominations going to artists on the five major labels, is the Mercury really still delivering what it set out to achieve: offering a different and original alternative to the industry’s yearly w**k-fest, The BRITS?

The joint favourites are the two heavyweight nominees, Coldplay and Radiohead, who, despite having produced good albums, hardly need the exposure and increase in sales that Mercury nominees are guaranteed with dedicated shelf space in big record shops like HMV and Virgin Megastore. Surely the award should be about bringing greater awareness to new talent like Four Tet, Zongamin or The Kills, who’ve all had excellent albums out this year.

Also nominated are novelty rockers, The Darkness. Now, as entertaining as their debut Permission To Land may be, it’s hardly a classic album that’s going to stand the test of time, merely a very well executed pastiche of music that’s been done to death. I guarantee that you won’t still be listening to it this time next year.

The other worrying aspect is the dominance of major record labels, with only XL Recordings, Dune and Topic flying the independent flag. There are all sorts of conspiracy theories you could read into this. Who, for instance, is judging the award? The identities of the panel always appear shrouded in mystery - try typing “mercury music prize judges” into a search engine and see if you can find a name. Now, I’m not saying that they aren’t truly independent but if they want to appear to be then maybe they should be a little more open with their identity.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s good that there is some alternative to the plastic pop and sensationalism of The BRIT Awards. I just wish that this was more of one. Matt Walton 25 July 03

The Mercury Music Prize award ceremony wiill be shown live on BBC Four on 09 September 03.

Who do you think should have been nominated? Make your suggestion.

useful link: www.mercurymusicprize.com