In Praise Of Corporate Back-Slapping

It's an odd thing, this: at the end of the year, the press (and many blogs like this one) spend ages deciding which music was the best. But it seems that a plaudit isn't worth anything until it's scrawled on the side of a tacky plastic bauble, and so the definitive "best of 2005" is decided at two award shows in February: The Brits and The NME Awards.

The Brit Awards is an industry celebration, rewarding those that have made the industry the most money in the last year. It's not a celebration of new talent, it's more like an AGM. I don't mean this in a derogatory way, I just mean we should take it for what it is, and accept that James Blunt and Katie Melua are just as likely to win as Kaiser Chiefs or Gorillaz. Anyway, it's not like anyone really remembers the winners. In 1998 the Best British Male and Female were that world-beating duo, Finlay Quaye and Shola Ama. Sonique won one in 2001. Go on, try to remember one of her songs. Even perennial underachievers Travis have won three, for Christ's sake.

But the awards are always worth watching just in case something kicks off. You don't need me to remind you of what can happen when rock stars meet free booze on live TV (for an account of the Brits' best disasters, see here). There's also the odd wild card award - like when impossibly fey indie-poppers Belle and Sebastian beat Steps to Best Newcomer, or when Grump-rock obscurities Eels won the international equivalent. It's those instances, when indie cool collides head-on with light entertainment on prime time ITV, that have you cheering at your screens.

The NME awards were initially set up as an alternative to the Brits. The Brats, as they were then known, were literally a one-fingered salute to a record industry that constantly rewarded Robbie Williams and Annie Lennox. These days, however, a look at their nominations reveals little difference between the two. This partly reflects the healthy state of guitar-based rock in today's "scene" (man), as well as the self-conscious "cooling-up" of the Brits. The presence of Babyshambles in the nominations also gives away the fact that these are voted for by the NME readers, and so are subject to fanaticism. Plus, the NME awards will only ever be shown on niche digital channels or at the very most, Channel 4 after midnight. It's difficult to get excited about a specialist music mag celebrating its own.

But if choosing between the two, it really comes down to this: who would you most like to see lose an award - James Blunt or Bloc Party? The Brits may be corporate entertainment, but with a bottle of wine and a few vocal personalities, it's a great evening's viewing.