BBC Sound Of 2012 List Branded 'Meaningless'

The BBC Sound of 2012 has been branded as 'completely meaningless' by the chairman of the Association of Independent Music (AIM).

The 15-strong list, unveiled today (December 5), has been collated from the votes of more than 160 music industry tastemakers.

It also features Skrillex, Frank Ocean, Azealia Bank A$AP Rocky, Dot Rotten, Dry The River, Flux Pavilion, Friends and Jamie N Commons.

Lianne La Havas, Michael Kiwanuka, Niki & The Dove, Ren Harvieu, Spector and Stooshe complete the list.

However, Alison Wenham, the chairman of the Association of Independent Music (AIM), feels that the inclusion of only one act on an independent label, the band Friends, shows the irrelevance of the annual poll.

"I think it's very inconsequential because, even going back years, this list has not proven to be particularly accurate," she told NME.

"The independents will do what they do, and I'm not all that bothered about these sorts of polls. I don't think it has very much to do with music, to be honest with you. They say 100 tastemakers put it together, but it essentially cannot be that those tastemakers manage to avoid an entire sector."

Wenham also claimed that the list is essentially just "product placements" for the acts on the major labels, but she noted that the unique character of the music industry always keeps things fresh.

"Something [else] will come along out of nowhere," she said. "That's the glory of the unpredictability of our industry - and long may it reign."

In order to qualify, acts must not have had a top-20 UK single or album by November 14 2010. The poll also overlooked artists who are already famous.

The top-5 will be announced from January 2 2012.

Previous winners of the BBC Sound Of... include Jessie J, Adele, Corinne Bailey Rae, Keane and 50 Cent.