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We are of course in the awards season, and today is the turn of the . You can read about the nominations and profiles elsewhere on our website, however, I do wonder about the disconnect between the hoopla surrounding this bloated ceremony and a blindness over an industry in crisis.

This is a party that needs to be crashed. And by someone, somewhere, who will present the with a credible economic model for the music industry's future in the digital age.

There might be 50-odd legal download sites available around the world, but the continuing losses caused in large part by the popularity of illegal filesharing hasn't been addressed head on. To hear Ged Doherty, the chairman of the Brits, better than other countries is extraordinary, considering that the music industry was in recession long before the rest of us. The last remaining British label, EMI is hardly out of the red, despite the success of Coldplay, and is there anyone who cares about the singles chart anymore?

Here's another statistic to hit you with: last year, sales of UK downloads matched those of the single at its peak in the 1970s. The focus may have shifted back to A&R (artists and repertoire), and signing and breaking new bands is still the key, but consider the revolution that is in ether. Since the beginning of online music culture, file sharing, Napster, marketing on etc, to the current, exciting and endless online library , how we consume culture has changed utterly.

Artists too, have learned to think that they can do it all by themselves, and of course, many have. You only have to look at Fleet Foxes - they financed their album by borrowing money on a credit card and have two Brits nominations. But the mainstream is still necessary: a band on the verge of mega fame still need to be nurtured, supported and that takes money. So, where are those lovers of popular music and economics/business experts all rolled into one who want there to be a future worth applauding?