As you may have heard, we’ve just launched the Uncut Music Award, to find the most inspiring and richly rewarding album of the last 12 months. We’ll be posting all the latest news about the award here, but first we should explain the details.

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Chosen from a longlist of 25 albums (see the full list below) released between September 1, 2007 and August 31, 2008, a ten-strong industry panel including Peter Hook and Edwyn Collins will choose the winner by ranking their five favourites from the year.

Other industry luminaries on the Uncut Music Award panel are: BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris, producer of Later With Jools Holland Alison Howe, radio presenter and former NME editor Danny Kelly, legendary promoter Vince Power, broadcaster and writer Mark Radcliffe, British folk artist Linda Thompson and chairman of the British Phonographic Industry and former EMI chairman Tony Wadsworth.

Naturally, chairing the judges, will be legendary Uncut editor Allan Jones.

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Once the panel’s votes have been combined, a short list of eight albums will be generated. The panellists will then pick the very best to take the inaugural Uncut Music Award. The winner will be announced in early November.

Editor Allan Jones says: “We are extremely excited about the launch of the Uncut Music Award and the panel of judges we are assembling, whose votes will decide the eventual winner. With so much brilliant music released over the last year to chose from, argue over and champion, I predict only that the judging process will be combative, to say the least.”

The Uncut Music Award long list is as follows. Let us know what you think are the highs and lows of the 25 chosen albums, and to say which you think deserves our first annual prize.

KEVIN AYERS – The Unfairground

JAMES BLACKSHAW – Litany Of Echoes

BON IVER – For Emma, Forever Ago

ISOBEL CAMPBELL & MARK LANEGAN – Sunday At Devil Dirt

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS – Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS – Brighter Than Creation’s Dark

ELBOW – The Seldom-Seen Kid

THE FELICE BROTHERS – The Felice Brothers

FLEET FOXES – Fleet Foxes

PJ HARVEY – White Chalk

THE HOLD STEADY – Stay Positive

HOWLIN RAIN – Magnificent Fiend

JOAN AS POLICE WOMAN – To Survive

STEPHEN MALKMUS & THE JICKS – Real Emotional Trash

ROBERT PLANT & ALISON KRAUSS – Raising Sand

PORTISHEAD – Third

THE RACONTEURS – Consolers Of The Lonely

RADIOHEAD – In Rainbows

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – Magic

RACHEL UNTHANK & THE WINTERSET- The Bairns

VAMPIRE WEEKEND – Vampire Weekend

PAUL WELLER – 22 Dreams

WHITE DENIM – Workout Holiday

WILD BEASTS – Limbo, Panto

ROBERT WYATT – Comicopera