http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8183133.stm

The Prodigy have criticised the prestigious Mercury Prize, accusing it of being too industry-based.

Speaking at the Kerrang! awards in London, the dance band said the prize ignored fans' wishes.

"It's got nothing to do with the public," said Liam Howlett. "It's to do with a panel of people that always opt for the most obscure thing."

The Prodigy were nominated in 1994 for Music for the Jilted Generation, the year pop act M People won the award.

Founding member Howlett laughed as he told BBC 6 Music, "I think we should have been nominated this year", for the band's fifth album, Invaders Must Die.

'Rip it to pieces'

He added that the Mercury Prize should make more effort to include dance music in its shortlist "because that's the type of music that stirs up the emotion".

"It's what kids listen to."

Frontman Keith Flint was less forthcoming with his comments.

"There's a few things that I'm thinking of that I could try and get controversial with, but I'm not going to give that the time," he said.

"I think what's more important to The Prodigy is that, whatever number your album goes in at, or the single, or however many plays it gets, or doesn't get, or awards you get, or don't get; our reward, as a band, is to write the best album we can and then go to Download [festival] and rip it to pieces," he explained.

One album, out of a 12-strong shortlist, is awarded with the Mercury Prize each year.

Last year Elbow were crowned victors with their album, The Seldom Seen Kid.

Dizzee, Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, Roni Size all very obscure.

They're talking bollocks.

Jealous much

Found on foldsfive.blogspot.com

highlight!

wow,it's war.

ha ha, funny blokes at the mercury!

They showed they had a good sense of humour back in 1994 by giving M People the prize. That 'reply' from the Mercury people is made up though isn't it? It's on a blog and nothing official.

Don't know why The Prodigy bothered commenting on the Mercury Awards. It is an industry award decided by a panel of music industry people. It is purely designed to push album sales.

that's fucking hillarious!

they were ask their opinion on it at the Kerrang awards.

the Mercury Music panel are full of shit, i think what the prodigy meant was there are not enough "hard" sounding bands, too much folk and easy listening

This is the biggest load of bullshit I've ever read, the same album? I don't care who wrote it, what a crock of shit. Then again Liam's comments were a bit stupid too, but not that stupid...

this is just off some blog anyway, who says its true or from a reliable source?....the fucking klaxons won this utterly shite and pointless award so who gives a fuck? it isnt an important award or any reflection of popular culture, just a set of wannabe smart arses who like to sit around drinking G and T's and thinking who is the most obscure shite we can give this award to...liam had a go at the judges in 97 when fat of the land was in the shortlist, coz some fucking fat bastard judge who was a nobody, some fucking radio dj or something had a go at the album....god the day anybody gives a fuck about that is a sad day, the boys aint bothered they got a valid point in wot they say, it isnt sour grapes its needed criticism!

fair play my man! The thing is, I thought one of the major purposes of the mercurey prize was too give up and comming bands a plus point on their CV (dizzee rascal etc). But last year Elbow won it...... A band with about 8 albums and a lead singer who looks like ricky gervais after a 10 day binge at burger king. Not only that but bands like radiohead were nominated.

I just don't get the actual point of the award? Is it album of the year? Most unique album of the year? What? I don't fucking get it? What does the award merit?

who gives a fuck, its not a grammy, theres no bragging rights attached to it.

It's about who the critics think has made the most exceptional album, jeez where's the frickin problem in that, most other awards are voted for by the public. It is not just industry bigwigs, the panel is made up of journalists and music artists too, whittling down from nearly two hundred albums to twelve.

These nominated bands do get recognised more and album sales increase from people (like most of you here it seems unfortunately) who may not have heard of the artist/album otherwise.

It would have been great if they were nominated and then I'm sure they would have just kept quiet but they weren't so, whatever. They managed to sell a shitload of albums anyway.

Oh and just to let some of you know, the letter is made up and not in fact from The Mercury Prize dudes. It's just meant to be funny, which I thought it was.