The awards started earlier than I expected today, but it's good to see in the early results that the academy is recognising up and oming youngsters like Peter Frampton (best pop instrumental album) and George Benson (best pop instrumental performance). Tony Bennett and Stevie Wonder (nomination for best pop collaboration with vocals) will surely be a shoe-in.
More comments through the afternoon
"The England boys richly deserve their MBEs and OBEs and I was delighted when I heard on the TV I was going to get my own Sun gong!"- attributed to Gary Pratt, The Sun, 30.12.05
I think it's fabulous how the Blair Government has opened up the honours lists to people who would never have been contemplated in stuffier times. But I think they're going a bit overboard in rewarding national sporting victories. A dangerous precedent was set when England won the 2003 Rugby World Cup, and now we have the 2005 Ashes squad all getting gongs.