No Rock And Roll Fun

RETRIEVER BRINGS BACK THE PRIZE: Earlier in the week, the great and the good of the Welsh music scene came together for their national music awards, the winners of which actually included some innovative and spunky bands. Which leads us to wonder how a National regional Awards ceremony can find stuff worth praising, why is the National, Kingdom wide awards ceremony still giving prizes to Dido?

Those winners in full, then:

Best female solo artist - Amy Wadge
Best male solo artist - Martyn Joseph
Best newcomer - Funeral For A Friend
Best single - Super Furry Animals - Golden Retriever
Best album - Funeral For A Friend - Casually Dressed And Deep In Conversation
Best rock act - Lostprophets
Best pop act - Lisa Scott-Lee
Best dance night - Escape, Swansea
Best up-and-coming DJ - Mat Joy
Best DJ - Danny Slade
Best dance act - Goldie Lookin' Chain
Best Welsh language newcomer - Kentucky AFC
Best Welsh language act - Texas Radio Band
Best Welsh language dance act - Pep Le Pew
Best Welsh language release - Kentucky AFC - Bodlon
Best label - Boobytrap
Best producer - High Contrast
Best rock and pop venue - Clwb Ifor Bach, Cardiff
Best dance venue - Escape, Swansea
Best music TV programme - Pop Factory - ITV1
Best radio show - Bethan And Huw - BBC Radio One
Outstanding contribution to Welsh music - Mike Peters

So, it's been a good couple of weeks for Mike Peters, whose stunt that didn't really prove anything has seen him popping up all over the place (although it seems to have taken the national media about a week and a half to cotton on that the Poppyfields were really the Alarm) - he was on BBC One's Breakfast this week, with a clearly excited Bill Turnbill doing the honours ("So, why were there sixty-eight guns?"); Lisa Scott-Lee perhaps would have swapped her prize from the principality for keeping her recording deal, but maybe she should explore becoming a proper welsh artist; the runrig of Wales? The other interesting thing is that, despite the fact they wipe the floor musically with most of the English language acts, the Welsh-language bands only triumphed in their own sector of the contest, none breaking through to be judged the very best out of all Welsh music.