Mercury Music Prize

I have to admit, I'm not really up to speed on the current UK music scene so I watched the Mercury Music Award tonight mentally taking notes and with Amazon.com at the ready.

I have to say, I was very impressed.

The haunting Maps truly did have the much trumpeted fuzzy beats and dreamy vocals, all the more impressive as he penned his CD in his bedroom.

Bat for Lashes, the unofficial stars of the night, played a perfect rendition of one of their songs, weird in a Bjork-like way but overflowing with talent and style.

Amy Winehouse stepped out of the tabloid drudgery to sing a flawless ballad. The audience were stunned into beautiful silence. An awesome talent indeed as backed up by Jools Holland who confessed she truly had one of the best voices he had ever heard. I hope she sticks around for a heck of a lot longer than the few years she's been in the spotlight.

Dizzee Rascal fizzled with lyrical excellence while Fionn Regan won many new fans with his stripped down 'man and a guitar' folk set.

All in all, the viewer was spoiled for choice, so much talent and creativity crammed into an hour and a bit.

And who won? The bloody Radio 1 middle-of-the-road Klaxons.

Gutted.