Geezers need excitement. Well, what is clear from this year’s hotpress Readers’ Poll is that the music is providing it. More votes were cast on this occasion than in any year since the launch of hotpress. Counting them was a mammoth task, but a hugely exciting one. Watching the numbers mount up for artists who barely registered 12 months ago was especially pleasing. In this regard, among the Irish artists, Damien Rice did particularly well.

The battle for Best Album is always a fascinating and telling one. As the votes piled up for O, the message came through loud and clear – this is a major artist in the making. It may be that some fans were not convinced that they could or should vote for a Best Of in this category, and that U2’s tally was less than it might have been on that account. But that is largely irrelevant. Sinéad O’Connor, Ash, JJ72 and David Holmes were among the much more established acts that were left in the Rice slipstream. It was a case of catch me if you can – and no one apart from U2 came close.

In the context, the Best Debut Album he achieved was more or less a foregone conclusion. But taking second place behind The Frames in the Live Act category, and second behind Bono in the Best Male category took things to another level. Overall, Damien was the third best polling act – a remarkable feat in what was, to all intents and purposes, a debut year.

In the international sphere, Avril Lavigne made a similar kind of breakthrough. Her album Let Go recently clambered to the No.1 spot here, and the only possible conclusion that can be drawn from the remarkable level of support she received in the Poll is that a very significant proportion of hotpress readers approve. Lavigne’s single ‘Complicated’ clearly captured the imagination, coming in at No.2, behind Coldplay’s slice of aural and video magic, ‘The Scientist’. But Avril Lavigne also took the Best Debut Album category, as well as Most Promising Act. That this is the view of discerning music fans will doubtless give both strength and sustenance to those who are planning the next step in Lavigne’s career.

Among the other big winners this year is Gemma Hayes, who slipped in ahead of both Sinéad O’Connor and Andrea Corr in the Best Female category. It was a quiet year overall for The Corrs and the voting reflects that fact. But the depth of the impression Gemma Hayes has made is becoming clear. On the one hand she is taken hugely seriously as an artist and a songwriter – her position as No.5 in the latter listing is more than justified by the intelligence and beauty of the material on Night On My Side. But, with appropriate symmetry, she was also voted No.5 in the Love of the Year, suggesting that, as far as fans are concerned, she has a carnal attraction to match her appeal as a songsmith.

Foo Fighters, The Revs – who were very widely and well supported – Pink and Josh Ritter all delivered, in a way that might not have been anticipated a year ago. Indeed the choice of the Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl as Best Musician underlines the extent to which the former Nirvana man has achieved a status of pre-eminence going into 2003. His is some achievement.

hotpress critics may be disappointed that The Streets brilliant debut Original Pirate Material didn’t grab the top spot in any category, and with some justification – it is an astounding achievement, funny, sharp, ambitious, poetic and finely wrought. But it only barely missed out and doubtless Mike Skinner will be in contention again. He’s in it for the long haul.

Sinéad O’Connor can also afford to be well satisfied. She recorded an album of Irish traditional material and turned it into a best-seller, despite the fact that that it was widely seen as uncommercial. She features in six categories, among them the Best Folk/Trad artist, in which she is narrowly beaten for second place by the folk legend, Christy Moore. No matter what she turns her wonderful voice to, Sinéad retains her credibility.

The folk/trad category was deservedly won by the great Kila. They are a phenomenon: a truly committed, deeply exciting and above all brave group of troubadours. In a similar spirit, it is great to see Mundy back in the frame. He has cheated the fates, dragging himself back from the graveyard into which those rejected by major record companies too often have fallen in the past.

Among more established acts, David Gray confirmed his standing, and the respect in which he is held by fans here. His A New Day At Midnight may not be the most immediate album, but it is a strong and moving work, that grows and will still be being played in ten years time.

The Frames didn’t have an album, but they added to their growing legend nonetheless, taking both the Best Group and the Best Live categories – a thrilling achievement that reflects the positively thrilling quality of their music and their live performances in particular. With two new records in the offing in 2003, one of them a live album, they are really shaping up to take the place – maybe even the world – by storm.

When it comes to the Best Polling Act category, there is only one possible winner – or maybe that should be four. U2 didn’t release a new album, and there is never quite the same lustre in a year when they don’t. Their single ‘Electrical Storm’ did however take the top spot, reflecting the fact that they can scarcely put a foot wrong with anything they release. Claiming the No.1 position in the Best Male (Bono), Best Musician (Edge), Music Video (‘Electrical Storm’), and Songwriter (Bono/Edge/U2), they had more than enough to romp home with the overall title of Best Polling Act – the accolade of accolades!

The eminent – not to mention evident – good taste of hotpress readers was reflected in the General categories. Best films: Lord Of The Rings, Bowling For Columbine and (at No.4) Donnie Darko – excellent. Loathe of the Year? George Bush, who else? Love of the Year: Robbie Keane’s goal against Germany, an event which captured the imagination and will live in the collective memory for ever. And behind it, Witnness 2002, certainly the strongest festival bill ever to grace these shores.

In radio, Tom Dunne consolidated his supremacy with a very impressive poll. Dave Fanning did well too, his shift to a magazine style scarcely diminishing the support he enjoys among those who love their music. And slipping in here at No.5 is Jay Ahern – the first U.S. citizen to feature in this category since the inception of the hotpress Readers Poll all of 25 years ago! (Could that be true? Answers on a postcard please!).

Finally there is the small matter of television. Here again, there was a remarkable – and thoroughly justified – home victory. The competition was tough with The Sopranos coming in at No.3 and The Office – what an amazing success that has been – at No.2. But it was Bachelors Walk, which prevailed among hotpress readers, confirming that if it is smart and sassy and entertaining and intelligent – and if it has a great soundtrack to boot – then discerning Irish people will go for it.

Congratulations to one and all. That’s to the thousands who voted, as well as to the artists who came up trumps. Common sense prevailed. Simple common sense. All the way. Well, Mike, almost all the way…

BEST OF IRISH

GROUP
1 The Frames
2 U2
3 The Revs
4 Aslan
5 JJ72
6 Ash
7 Turn
8 The Corrs
9 The Walls
10 The Jimmy Cake

MALE SINGER
1 Bono
2 Damien Rice
3 Mundy
4 Glen Hansard
5 David Kitt
6 Jack L
7 Tim Wheeler
8 Mic Christopher
9 Rory Gallagher
10 John Spillane

FEMALE SINGER
1 Gemma Hayes
2 Sinéad O'Connor
3 Andrea Corr
4 Lisa Hannigan
5 Juliet Turner
6 Nina Hynes
7 Dolores O'Riordan
8 Dawn Kenny
9 Samantha Mumba
10 Cara Dillon

SINGLE
1 U2: ‘Electrical Storm’
2 Mundy: ‘July’
3 The Revs: ‘Loaded’
4 Damien Rice: ‘The Blower's Daughter’
5 The Walls: ‘Bright and Shining Sun’
6 Turn: ‘Another Year Over/Summer Song’
7 The Frames: Headlong EP
8 Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club: ‘True Friends’
9 JJ72: ‘Formulae’
10 Ash: ‘Envy’

ALBUM
1 Damien Rice: O
2 U2: Best Of 1990:2000
3 Gemma Hayes: Night On My Side
4 Mic Christopher: Skylarkin’
5 The Revs: Sonic Tonic
6 Mundy: 24 Star Hotel
7 Sinéad O'Connor: Sean Nos Nua
8 Ash: Intergalactic Sonic 7s
9 JJ72: I To Sky
10 David Holmes presents The Free Association

MOST PROMISING ACT
1 The Revs
2 The Thrills
3 Turn
4 Woodstar
5 Melaton
6 Dawn Kenny
7 Lasairfhiona Ni Chonaola
8 Desert Hearts
9 The Tycho Brahe
10 Creative Controle

LIVE ACT
1 The Frames
2 Damien Rice
3 Aslan
4 Jack L
5 Sinéad O'Connor
6 Ash
7 Mundy
8 The Cranberries
9 Turn
10 The Walls

SONGWRITER
1 Bono/Edge/U2
2 Glen Hansard
3 Damien Rice
4 Mundy
5 Gemma Hayes
6 Rory Gallagher
7 Tim Wheeler
8 Sinéad O'Connor
9 Van Morrison
10 Mark Greaney

FOLK/TRADITIONAL ACT
1 Kila
2 Christy Moore
3 Sinead O'Connor
4 Dervish
5 Altan
6 Cara Dillon
7 Sean Keane
8 Martin Hayes/Denis Cahill
9 Lasairfhiona Ni Chonaola
10 Rodrigo Y Gabriela

DANCE ACT
1 David Holmes
2 DeCal
3 Metisse
4 Creative Controle
5 Phil Kieran
6 Donncha Costello
7 Robbie Butler
8 Autamata
9 Alan Pullen
10 Agnelli & Nelson

COMEDIAN
1 Tommy Tiernan
2 Ed Byrne
3 Pat Shortt
4 Deirdre O'Kane
5 Apres Match
6 Barry Murphy
7 Podge & Rodge
8 Brendan O’Carroll
9 David O’Doherty
10 Dylan Moran

DEBUT ALBUM
1 Damien Rice: O
2 Gemma Hayes: Night On My Side
3 The Revs: Sonic Tonic
4 Mic Christopher: Skylarkin’
5 Jerry Fish & The Mudbug Club: Be Yourself
6 Lasairfhiona Ni Chonaola: An Raicin Alainn
7 Paul Cleary: Crooked Town
8 Dawn Kenny: Through The Loop
9 The Tycho Brahe: This Is…
10 Autamata: My Sanctuary

ALBUM SLEEVE
1 Damien Rice: O
2 U2: Best Of 1990:2000
3 Gemma Hayes: Night On My Side
4 Ash: Intergalactic Sonic 7s
5 Sinéad O'Connor: Sean Nos Nua
6 The Revs: Sonic Tonic
7 Mic Christopher: Skylarkin'
8 JJ72: I To Sky
9 Mundy: 24 Star Hotel
10 Pugwash: Almanac

MUSICIAN
1 Edge
2 Colm Mac Con Iomaire
3 Paul Brady
4 John McIntyre
5 Diarmuid Mac Diarmada
6 Ollie Cole
7 Larry Mullen
8 Ronan O'Snodaigh
9 Caroline Corr
10 Donal Lunny

BEST OF INTERNATIONAL

GROUP
1 Coldplay
2 Foo Fighters
3 REM
4 Red Hot Chili Peppers
5 Queens of the Stone Age

MALE SINGER
1 David Gray
2 Bruce Springsteen
3 Eminem
4 Chris Martin
5 Josh Ritter

FEMALE SINGER
1 Pink
2 PJ Harvey
3 Avril Lavigne
4 Norah Jones
5 Tori Amos

SINGLE
1 Coldplay: ‘The Scientist’
2 Avril Lavigne: ‘Complicated’
3 Queens of the Stone Age: ‘No One Knows’
4 Foo Fighters: ‘All My Life’
5 Red Hot Chili Peppers: ‘By The Way’/Sugababes: ‘Freak Like Me’

ALBUM
1 Coldplay: A Rush of Blood To The Head
2 David Gray: A New Day At Midnight
3 The Streets: Original Pirate Material
4 Queens of The Stone Age: Songs For The Deaf
5 Tenacious D: Tenacious D

MOST PROMISING act
1 Avril Lavigne
2 The Coral
3 Norah Jones
4 The Vines
5 The Streets

LIVE ACT
1 Red Hot Chili Peppers
2 Pink
3 Coldplay
4 David Gray
5 Foo Fighters

SONGWRITER
1 David Gray
2 Bruce Springsteen
3 Chris Martin
4 Ryan Adams
5 Josh Ritter

FOLK/TRADITIONAL ACT
1 Josh Ritter
2 Eva Cassidy
3 Rodrigo Y Gabriela
4 Sigur Ros
5 Johnny Cash

DANCE ACT
1 Moby
2 Eminem
3 Chemical Bros
4 DJ Shadow
5 Underworld/Nelly

COMEDIAN
1 Billy Connolly
2 Ricky Gervais
3 Eddie Izzard
4 Johnny Vegas
5 Ali G

DEBUT ALBUM
1 Avril Lavigne: Let Go
2 The Streets: Original Pirate Material
3 Norah Jones: Come Away With Me
4 Ms Dyamite: Ms Dynamite
5 Tenacious D: Tenacious D

MUSICIAN
1 Dave Grohl
2 Moby
3 Beck
4 David Gray
5 Flea

ALBUM SLEEVE
1 Sigur Ros: ()
2 Coldplay: A Rush of Blood To The Head
3 The Flaming Lips: Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robot
4 Eels: Souljacker
5 DJ Shadow: The Private Press

BEST OF GENERAL

LOVE OF THE YEAR
1 Robbie Keane’s Goal vs Germany
2 Witnness
3 Kylie Minogue’s Arse
4 Roy Keane
5 Gemma Hayes

MUSIC VIDEO
1 U2: Electrical Storm
2 Coldplay: The Scientist
3 The White Stripes:
Fell In Love With A Girl
4 Tenacious D: Tribute
5 Christina Aguilera: Dirrty

RADIO DJ
1 Tom Dunne
2 Dave Fanning
3 Ian Dempsey
4 Donal Dineen
5 Jay Ahern

FILM
1 Lord Of The Rings
2 Bowling for Columbine
3 Minority Report
4 Donnie Darko
5 28 Days Later

TV PROGRAMME
1 Bachelor's Walk
2 The Office
3 The Sopranos
4 No Disco
5 The Simpsons

LOATHE OF THE YEAR
1 George W. Bush
2 Popstars
3 Mick McCarthy
4 Fianna Fail
5 Roy Keane

TOP POLLING ACTS
1 U2
2 David Gray
3 Damien Rice
4 The Frames
5 Gemma Hayes
6 Coldplay
7 Avril Lavigne
8 Foo Fighters
9 The Revs
10 Pink