tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5527201696562574191.post1066318498300951155..comments2023-09-26T17:11:25.319+01:00Comments on Legrand Network: PJ Harvey gets her second Mercury prize - Why?Emmanuel Legrandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04561113796068395606noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5527201696562574191.post-69824043065349891902015-05-13T08:36:11.078+01:002015-05-13T08:36:11.078+01:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13066882296629070594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5527201696562574191.post-25387971440903038162011-09-10T15:15:39.664+01:002011-09-10T15:15:39.664+01:00Not sure, personally, that Polly's fine, fine ...Not sure, personally, that Polly's fine, fine album was the best album of the year, but, hey, it'd be a tad boring if we all agreed! I think it's always worth remembering that, regardless of who wins it, the Mercury was largely set up to try and keep album sales bubbling along during the summer... It had, at its core, a very real financial objective, particularly for retailers who generally found the summer to be a fallow period, ahead of the glut of major releases in the Q4. The albums on the shortlist have all - as every year - seen a boost in sales that, for most, would not have happened without the nominations. For my former employers at BARD at the time, that was the primary consideration in launching the award; at its most basic level, it was aimed at coaxing people into record stores during the summer months. So it boosts sales, raises profiles and provokes debate. Job done. And there's always next year for Baxter Dury...Tom Fergusonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5527201696562574191.post-35989492244615643172011-09-08T09:31:53.195+01:002011-09-08T09:31:53.195+01:00It's a common misconception that the Mercury w...It's a common misconception that the Mercury was set up to "put the limelight on ambitious and creative works from artists that might not have received the recognition they deserve." It is nothing of the sort. The brief is to recognise and reward musical excellence without reference to the artist's genre, status or any accompanying record company politics. Your suggestion that PJ shouldn't have won because she won it before is nonsensical. The prize should go to the album that the judging panel decides is the best of those that have been entered in the competition. Let England Shake was clearly that album. Anything else is irrelevant.David Sinclairnoreply@blogger.com