From this thread I think we can divide Catters into two camps.

1. Those who just know what they like and ignore the rest
2. Those who think that commercial success is evil.

That's a simplistic judgement, and shows how far the thread has drifted. The awards are nothing to do with commercial success or otherwise - and may or may not be a guarantee of future success. They're nothing to do with age or styles of music or geographical area, or professionalism or amateurism - or even a yardstick by which other people should measure themselves. In my view, which I stated originally, they're an arbitrary, showbiz beanfeast which, like other awards, highlight some people while ignoring equally good people - for reasons which I know not. And that's why I don't care for awards ceremonies.

I don't begrudge anyone commercial success or making money from music - any kind of music - in any way they can. It would be hypocritical for me to do so when I've made money myself doing the business over the years. And I don't care what music people choose to play or how old they are, or what their background is. My dears, I don't give a damn - let each person do just what they want to, and each of us will go with what we like.

Some posters here have said that we shouldn't begrudge the performers their moment on radio/TV, etc., and that it's good to hear the music in the media. I absolutely agree with that, but I think the hoo-hah surrounding and awards ceremony, with all the crap that surrounds it, is boring and expensive. What I would really like to see is the money being spent on a series of 30 minute TV programmes, each one allocated to a performer or a group - and I believe Al suggested this back in the thread. That would be real exposure for the music and show much greater commitment to it than a one-off, annual awards bash. But I don't think we'll get that from SmoothOperations, or whatever they call themself. Granted, such a series would also a selective process, but at least there would be an identified series producer with a brief that one could see.

But I might as well spit into the wind...