You know what the music industry needs? Some more awards

I'm all for giving and receiving awards and am delighted to hear that middle week of October, traditionally a period cruelly uncluttered with EMI expenses clerks debating the hire of dinner suits, has at last got an awards ceremony all of its very own: the UK Music Video Awards.

Now, a cynic might suggest that launching an awards ceremony to celebrate the pop video in 2008 is a bit like, say, starting to give prizes for the best cassette box inlay card design, but as the awards organisers would have it:

they are designed
to recognise excellence in music video production by uk individuals and companies, and to highlight the cultural significance of music video as an art form.

Or, probably more honestly, have realised that the MTV Europe Video Awards have precious little to do with pop videos any more.

There are twelve categories - yes, 12:

best pop video
best rock video
best indie / alternative video
best dance video
best urban video
best budget video
best cinematography in a video
best art direction in a video
best styling in a video
best telecine in a video
best editing in a video
best visual effects in a video

Apparently it's up to the entrant to decide which genre award to go for, which is presumably intended to stop the organisers having to draft a ruling about what the difference between indie/alternative and rock is. Although what happens if someone decides to enter a clearly pop track into the urban section, for example, is unclear.

The budget entry form is refusing to load for us, but at £47 an entry, it's clearly aimed at people with too tight a budget.