Hot Press Annual – out now

U2, The National, Kodaline, Queens Of The Stone Age and Nile Rodgers are just some of the big names opening up in the bumper issue.
Having just hit shelves, this year's Hot Press Annual features returning heroes U2 on the front cover.
The extensive – and at times hilarious – interview inside finds the band talking about their relationship with Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid movement in Ireland, their roots in Dublin and the impact of fame on their lives. They top the billion a star studded line-up, which also includes The National, Villagers, Kodaline, Bastille, Queens of the Stone Age, Nile Rodgers, Boyzone, Irish goalkeeper David Forde, Nadia Forde, Harry Hill and the stars of Anchorman 2 and The Hobbit – among many more.

Hot Press critics also vote their Albums of the Year, Films of the Year, Tracks of the Year, Break-Ups and Bust-Ups of the Year – as well as the Golden Giggles Awards for Comedy.

A perfect stocking filler, the Hot Press Annual is a brilliant guide to everything that mattered in 2013. It is an essential purchase for anyone – and everyone – interested in where music and life meet.

Also hitting the stands tomorrow is the Hot Press Yearbook which has been described as The Bible of the Irish Entertainment Industry by experts as diverse Louis Walsh, Dave Fanning, Tom Dunne and Eleanor McEvoy.

It is an essential tool for anyone who wants to get involved at any level in the music, media, entertainment, PR or online worlds. Running to 300 pages, the Yearbook is a fantastic labour of love put together by a dedicated team at Hot Press.

"It is a huge undertaking," Hot Press editor Niall Stokes said, "But there is real satisfaction for everyone at Hot Press in knowing that The Hot Press Yearbook provides an extraordinary volume of knowledge, insights and information that people can dig into and use to further their carers If anyone is serious about being involved in music – at whatever level – then they should have the Hot Press Yearbook beside them at all times. It is as simple as that."