Considering the amazing array of talent (both established and undiscovered) in the Sky Arts HD bonanza that is Centre Stage, selecting a top five from such a stellar list has proven to be one of our top five hardest things to do. Despite this, we have been able to chose the artists we think are most worth tuning in for from an amazing bunch. It was like trying to choose your five favourite Mr. Men - try it, it’s harder than you think. Chosen on musical merit, showmanship, and raw talent - here, in no particular order, are our pick of the pops:

Neil Hannon

Anyone who mixes the words of Noel Coward to a techno beat (the Divine Comedy’s ‘I’ve Been To A Marvellous Party’) has to have something of the genius about them, and Hannon’s unique sound qualifies him for the top five without argument. The Divine Comedy, much underrated and below the radar, was in our opinion one of the great anthemic producers that fell on deaf ears during the Brit Pop boom, eclipsed by Blur, Oasis, The Manics and others. Emerging now as a respected voice in his own right, Hannon impresses with his range and strength, he glides into the top five as smoothly as his deep chocolatey voice.

Jamie Liddell

Much vaunted on this very site, Liddell is a mystery wrapped in an enigma surrounded by a riddle in a puzzle bubble. Peddling a bizarre brand of ‘digital derangement and deformed R’n’B’, Mr Jamie is a very strange one indeed. Random behaviour and an eclectic mix of media might make for a marvellous live show. He’s in for his arbitrary haphazardness.

Free Blood

Hailing from Brooklyn and listing influences as wide-ranging as George Michael, The Coasters, Grace Jones and The Muppet Show, Free Blood bring something kind of ‘ooh’ to the list. Their track Quick and Painful mixes some (if not all) of these musical persuasions into a tune that you think you shouldn’t like because it’s so weird, but you really, really do. For the instant likeability, they gain their place.

Beck

This guy really does benefit from the excellent production values that From The Basement have secured in the form of Nigel Godrich. He makes brilliant brillianter, if that is at all possible. Another eclectic superstar (a theme developing here, we think) Beck has influences ranging from psychedelic rock to Brazilian Tropicana to English folk. You’d think anything coming from a mixture of those genres is guaranteed to make your ears bleed, but surprisingly it comes together to produce iconic toons. That’s why he’s here on our list.

Laura Marling

The final entrant in the five is Ms. Marling. Also featured earlier on this site, Marling brings to mind the haunting sound of Beth Orton, which in our opinion is a very good thing indeed. Set for world domination (remember where you heard the name first) it won’t be long before she is played on the mainstream radio stations. The music lilts gently, insinuating itself into your conscience so you find yourself humming the melody hours later. For the sheer stickability of her music, she’s in.

So there they are, the top five as voted by the ArtsWom panel. Disagree? Great! Let us know why and who you’d replace, we’d love to hear your opinion. We might not agree with it, but at least we’ll listen.

Thanks go to THE funkyman, thefuturistic, bumpershine, LaughingSquid and Sugicy for the images.