Choice Music Prize 2009 shortlist

Drab, drab, drab. Here are the runners and riders for the annual backslapathon that is the Choice Music Prize. Few, if any, surprises there. Nice to see Adrian Crowley get a mention though. If, as I suspect, the Choice Music Prize sets itself up as a hipper alternative to the Meteor Awards, it begs the question why they play it so safe with the nominations. Or perhaps this is the music scene in Ireland right now, and if that's the case and The Duckworth Lewis Method's novelty pop is representative of where we're at right now, why bother celebrating mediocrity? I don't understand the nomination process - perhaps it's not too dissimilar to the UK's Mercury Prize equivalent - but there's a glaring absence in the list where Hunter-Gatherer's record should be. Perhaps it was released too late to make the shortlist, but I'd like to think that record was representative of where we can go or at least aim for in 2010.
EDIT: Just been doing some digging on the eligibility of records for nomination which revealed the following criteria for inclusion.....

In order to be considered for the Choice Music Prize a release must meet all of the following conditions:

1. All albums must have been released for the very first time in Ireland in the previous calendar year. This means that the album must have been made available for purchase by the general public (in shops, at gigs or on websites) for the very first time in Ireland (i.e. Republic of Ireland and/or Northern Ireland) between 1 January and 31 December of that year.
2. Re-issues, multi-artist compilations, live albums and Best Of collections are not eligible
3. The albums can be from any genre imaginable
4. The artist(s) in question must have been born in Ireland (i.e. Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland) and/or hold an Irish passport. Bands are eligible to be nominated if the majority of the band members were born in Ireland (i.e. Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland) and/or hold an Irish passport.
5. For the purposes of the Choice Music Prize, an album must contain six or more tracks and/or be over 33 1/3 minutes in length (33 minutes and 20 seconds).

There is no formal application process for the Choice Music Prize. Once an album meets the above criteria, it is eligible to be considered by the judges for selection.

Ultimately, this means that Hunter-Gatherer's record was up for selection but ignored. Jesus wept. Here we are then, the 10 acts who best represented Irish music in 1989, er 2009.........

And So I Watch You From Afar “And So I Watch You From Afar” (Smalltown America)
Bell X1 “Blue Lights On The Runway” (BellyUp)
Codes “Trees Dream in Algebra” (EMI)
Adrian Crowley “Season of the Sparks” (Chemikal Underground)
Dark Room Notes “We Love You Dark Matter” (Gonzo)
The Duckworth Lewis Method “The Duckworth Lewis Method” (1969/Divine Comedy Records)
Julie Feeney “Pages” (Mittens)
Valerie Francis “Slow Dynamo” (VF)
Laura Izibor “Let The Truth Be Told” (Atlantic)
The Swell Season “Strict Joy” (Plateau)