The Mercury Prize seems to have changed beyond all recognition this year. It’s mid-September and no short list has been announced, and no word of any Award Show. I gather it’s now being controlled by the BPI in conjunction with the BBC. But it seems to have lost all relevance since it moved to Channel 4 three or four years ago, and being back at the BBC doesn't seem to have returned it to its former glory.

The Mercury’s needs to get back to its roots. The Short List should be announced late June/Early July, (when big new release albums are thin on the ground). That gives retailers, (physical and digital), something to promote at the quieter time of year, and through the summer holiday period. Then the final should be held in the first full week of September. (I.e. NOT the week that contains the August Bank Holiday, but the one after). That allows the whole thing to be wrapped up once everyone is back from their holidays and before the big autumn/Q4 titles are released. Whoever decided to move the event right into the busiest time of the year may have had their reasons, (probably TV and/or sponsor pressure), but they got it wrong. The whole idea was to have something to promote at a quiet time of year.

Secondly, the Short List has contained a mix of albums by established well known artists, with a smattering of debut albums by little known performers. Then one year a rank-outsider who nobody had heard of (before being short-listed) won. Each subsequent year the mix of titles on the short list changed to be virtually exclusively “unknown debuts”. But an “unknown” winning against a list that includes loads of well received albums has a value. An “unknown” winning against a bunch of “unknowns” has little media value.

Any music industry people got any views on this?

Has anybody viewed my post? (JK - do you have the figures).
Can I assume nobody has the slightest interest in the Mercury's anymore?

Shame, but understandable, if that is the case.

Indeed Dixie, very few people even read the post. I fear the thread passes most people by. If titled Elderly Comedian Accused Of Abuse the view count would be in the thousands. A sad indictment into what interests music lovers these days. They will give the NME away free one of these days (oops).