Meaningless Music Award Announces Nominees

Apparently, it’s been a year since the last incarnation of the Shortlist Prize–formerly called something else, but I forget what, and don’t feel like looking it up–and today the “long list” of Shortlist nominees were announced. Wilco, Spoon, M.I.A., of course, and that Tool sideproject Walmart wouldn’t carry. What seemed most interesting was the list of nominators, which seems to be slipping in quality a bit.

First, what you surely clicked through for, the nominees:

A Fine Frenzy: One Cell in the Sea Against Me!: New Wave Animal Collective: Strawberry Jam Arcade Fire: Neon Bible Bad Religion: New Maps of Hell’ Biffy Clyro: Puzzle Bjork: Volta Blonde Redhead: 23 BrakesBrakesBrakes: The Beatific Visions Burial: Untrue Calvin Harris: I Created Disco Dead Heart Bloom: Chelsea Diaries Digitalism: Idealism Dollyrots: Because I’m Awesome Eddie Vedder: Into the Wild Soundtrack Feist: The Reminder Fionn Regan: The End of History Future of the Left: Curses Gogol Bordello: Super Taranta Grinderman: Grinderman Gui Boratto: Chromaphobia Iron and Wine: The Shepherd’s Dog Jesca Hoop: Kismet Josh Ritter: The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter Juliette and the Licks: Four on the Floor Justice: Cross Keren Ann: Keren Ann Kings of Leon: Because of the Times Klaxons: Myths of the Near Future LCD Soundsystem: Sound of Silver Le Loup: The Throne of the Third Heaven Les Savy Fav: Let’s Stay Friends MIA: Kala Maps: We can Create o’Death: Head Home Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? Parts and Labor: Mapmaker Peter Bjorn and John: Writers Block PJ Harvey: White Chalk Puscifer: V is for Vagina Robert Francis: One by One Robert Pollard: Standard Gargoyle Decisions Scout Niblett: This Fool Can Die Now Serj Tankian: Elect the Dead Spoon: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Stars: In Our Bedroom After the War Swizz Beatz: One Man Band Man The Bird and The Bee: The Bird and The Bee The Hives: Black and White Album’ The Thrills: Teenager Underworld: Oblivion with Bells Wheat: Everyday I Said a Prayer Wilco: Sky Blue Sky Working for a Nuclear Free City: Businessmen and Ghosts

Although an article probably could be written just with a 72 point “Huh?” regarding the Juliette and the Licks disc being nominated for anything, it seems the prize might be losing steam based on the list of those contributing. Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol is back for another year, and it’s hard to argue with Chris Douridas’ musical credentials , but the nominating committee which previously featured Chris Martin, ?uestlove, the Neptunes, and Tom Waits as members now has only five contributors and one is an online radio station called Hunnypot? That’s disappointing, for sure, but I’m sure having a guy from the Killers onboard makes up for some of the lost cred, right?

Shortlist nominees announced [NME] The Shortlist Of Music [Official Site]