THE BRITS: DISPELLING THE MYTHS.

Brits chairman Ged Doherty has worked to actively improve the voting academy, dispelling the myth that the awards are decided by the four majors' chairmen. Doherty believes the fruits of the most representative academy yet will be evident at next year's awards on February 18

By Stuart Clarke

Brit Awards chairman Ged Doherty says punters can look forward to one of the most representative awards to date when it returns to Earls Court in 2009. Since his appointment as Brits chairman last year, Doherty, together with the Brits board, has actively sought to improve the voting academy and he believes the fruits of their efforts will be evident in next year's winners.

More than 1,000 people make up the voting academy, a carefully selected bunch of individuals from different sectors of the UK industry. They range from retail to the media; from music producers to the live business. Doherty says he wants to dispel the myth that the awards are just a back-slapping exercise for the major record labels.

"Most consumers and artists think that the Brit awards are decided by the four major chairmen and a couple of henchmen and women, which is, of course, not true," he says. "It's always been the academy, but very few people are aware of that. It's made up of over 1,000 voters and they come from various backgrounds."

In recent years, the return on those 1,000 or so members of the voting academy has hovered around 70%, so in a bid to increase figures, the Brits board has actively monitored those people who did not vote, replacing them with new people in a bid to stimulate a more solid return.

"We're determined to get it back up to 1,000 voters this year," says Doherty. "Also with the make-up of the academy this year there is a far wider voting spectrum of people in terms of tastes than there has been before and I am confident that as a result of that it will offer a more balanced view. Some of the biggest-selling acts are ignored by the Brits, which I think is a mistake."