Fans before awards for Prodigy

The Prodigy insist that they regard writing songs and performing for fans as the most important elements of their career and are unconcerned with record sales or awards.

Frontman Keith Flint said: "I think what's more important to The Prodigy is that, whatever number your album goes in at, or the single, or however many plays it gets, or doesn't get, or awards you get, or don't get; our reward, as a band, is to write the best album we can and then go to Download festival and rip it to pieces."

Keith's comments came after bandmate Liam Howlett blasted the Barclaycard Mercury Prize for ignoring fans' wishes.

He said: "It's got nothing to do with the public. (It's) to do with a panel of people that always opt for the most obscure thing.

"I think we should have been nominated this year. We never mull it over in our minds.

"I think rock and dance should be better represented. Why not? Why shouldn't it be? Because that's the type of music that stirs up the emotion. It's what kids listen to."

In 1994, The Prodigy's album 'Music for the Jilted Generation' was nominated for the honour, but missed out in favour of M People's 'Elegant Slumming'.