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First acts confirmed for BBC Music Awards

By | Published on Monday 27 October 2014

BBC Music Awards

Remember back in June, when the BBC launched its big fat music strategy, part of which was the launch of a new music awards show hosted by Fearne Cotton and Chris Evans?

Well, anyone out there thinking that bosses at the cash-strapped BBC might see sense over the summer months, and realise that this was the absolute last thing British music – let alone British television – needs, were sadly deluded.

Yep, the whole thing is going ahead regardless, because why spend money on unique and world-beating specialist radio shows when you can gather together the same popstars that every other media network in the world is after and get them to record yet another shitty one-line-each cover version or perform at the UK’s 38th music awards show of the year? (And that’s an actual figure – if you want the list click here).

But hey, the BBC Music Awards, I bet they’ll be championing the sorts of artists that only get championed, and that can only exist, because of the support of a media organisation uniquely funded by a form of special taxation like the British Broadcasting Corporation’s magnificent licence fee. Acts like, erm, Ed Sheeran, Coldplay and Calvin Harris. Oh, and One Direction of course, a pop act whose very existence would have been impossible without, well, the BBC’s primary competitor for 60 years, ITV.

Oh well, on the upside, this whole money-draining utterly-pointless exercise gives those Tories who hate the BBC further ammunition to have the whole thing dismantled and thrown into the North Sea. So, at least someone’s getting something out of all this.

And here’s host Evans getting very excited about that very prospect (well, about the Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Calvin Harris and One Direction-featuring awards show): “Every year is a marvellous year for music in the UK and 2014 has been no exception. The inaugural BBC Music Awards will be the new icing on an ever mouth watering end-of-term cake. We shall gratefully be tipping our hats to those whose lights have shone brightest and whose music has helped water the inner flowers of our souls, hearts and minds over the last twelve months. Call it a review with prizes, or a show full of surprises, I cannot wait. Get your ears on, the BBC Music Awards is coming to get you”.

Tickets went on sale for the Earls Court show on Friday priced £25 to £45, because if the BBC is going to saddle the labels with the costs of funding all the hoo and the haa that inevitably surrounds glitzy awards shows, it’s only fair to screw over the promoters too by pulling a load of cash out of the London live sector to fund a pointless backslapping party for BBC executives.

TLDR: I don’t think the BBC should be doing a music awards show.



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