They’ve been here before, of course...

The biggest winners in this year’s Readers’ Poll are a certain four-piece ensemble, who go by the name of U2. Notwithstanding Bono’s sad personal loss, the band had a marvellous year in 2001, with a series of hit singles, two wonderful Slane shows and a whole lot more besides to show for their efforts. It’s hardly surprising, then, that they emerged again as Best Polling Act overall. But it is the comprehensive nature of their performance that is so impressive. Best Group, Best Live Act, Best Video (‘Elevation’) and Love of the Year, for the group; Best Singer for Bono, Best Musician for the Edge – and Best Songwriter for the two of them together.

All of this was achieved against a background of significantly increased competition at home. This was a good year for Irish rock overall, and The Frames and David Kitt emerged from it with vastly increased strength and enhanced reputations. Both did well here, putting just the right kind of gloss on the year’s labours. For The Frames, the choice of For The Birds as the Best Irish Album of 2001 is a real vindication, especially coming so soon after the album was accorded a similar endorsement in the Hot Press critics' poll.

Juliet Turner also polled extremely well. Let’s face it, Andrea Corr is one of the most popular female stars on planet earth right now. She isn’t going to be outflanked easily – not for as long as The Corrs continue to produce such winning pop magic, at any rate. But the ongoing success of Turner’s Burn The Black Suit album has inspired a very strong and loyal fanbase and this was accurately represented in her elevation to the Number 2 spot. It will be very interesting to watch her star shine in the wider world context, over the next twelve months.

Relish, Altan, David Holmes and Ash all did well too. But in terms of acts coming through with an eye to the future, The Revs, who were voted No.2 Most Promising Act and who sneaked into the top ten bands at No.9, have certainly made an impressive statement of intent.

In the international arena, the scene was certainly stolen by David Gray, for the second year running. Without a new album, he was still a poll topper in three categories, and he was the No.2 Best Polling Act overall, behind only U2. REM also blasted back into the reckoning, winning Best Group and Best Album. And The Strokes emerged as the best of the newcomers by some distance, walking off with Best Debut and Most Promising – not to mention being awarded Best Sleeve for that front cover.

That Hot Press readers are people of discernment and taste is borne out by all of the above – and a whole lot more besides. Dido, Stereophonics, Faithless, Bob Dylan and comedian of the year, Billy Connolly, were the other notable international victors.

All of the top five television programmes were shown during the year by RTE – as a tribute to the programming at the national broadcaster. And the winner overall was one of the best shows that RTE has produced, bar none, the marvellous Bachelor’s Walk.

The DJ category also saw a shake-up of some magnitude. For the first time in as long as Old Hayden himself recalls, Dave Fanning was pipped at the post as the No.1 DJ, by Tom Dunne of Today FM, who has clearly gone from strength to strength over the past couple of years. Donal Dineen of Today FM also polled well.

The epic Lord Of The Rings was Film Of The Year – and there are few who would dispute the title bestowed on this fantastic work (though Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was a thing of great beauty too). And finally, in the Loathe Of The Year, it was a close-run thing between Osama Bin Laden and the well-known ‘folk’ singer, George W.Bush – with the crazy Muslim beating the crazy Christian by a few (somewhat greying) whiskers in the end.

Bush, meanwhile, was heavily supported in the Comedian of the Year category. Which just about says it all. You done good, folks.

...Sorry, I said a bad word.

Click here to read the results...

Best of Irish

Best of International

General Loves and Loathes of the Year