Dermot Kennedy wins big in the Hot Press Readers' Poll

Dermot Kennedy has emerged as the biggest winner in the Hot Press Readers' Poll 2021. The man from Rathcoole is triumphant in four categories in all, as well as winning the overall title of Best Polling Act. It is akin to being elected President of the United States of America – except more important!

All of the details can be pored over in the new issue of Hot Press, in shops now. The results are also available online. The Hot Press Readers' Poll – otherwise known as The Hotties – attracted a record number of votes this year.

Although his chart-topping Without Fear album came out in 2019, Dermot Kennedy bestrode the poll stage like a latter-day colossus, picking up four category victories before going on to win outright the title of Hot Press Best Polling Act 2021.

His excitement was evident as we caught up with Dermot in Los Angeles for a major cover story interview.

Another of the biggest success stories in this year’s Readers’ Poll is the modern-day Limerick powerhouse, Denise Chaila. Following a remarkable twelve months for the Zambian-born rapper, singer and poet – which included her first Hot Press cover, and the release of her Choice Music Prize-winning debut mixtape, Go Bravely – Denise has emerged triumphant across three categories: Female Artist of the Year; Best Rap/Hip-Hop; and Best Debut Album. That, too, is a remarkable haul.

Highlighting the dazzlingly diverse and vibrant nature of Irish music right now, Belfast rock trio Dea Matrona, selected as a Hot for 2021 artist by Hot Press, have been voted Most Promising Act – coming out on top from a star-studded, genre-spanning shortlist. To say that these three young women have something special is to understate it. But below them, there’s a plethora of major stars in the making: we’ve listed the Top 20 here, but believe us, there were lots of votes for the other nominees.

Having been crowned Artist of the Decade in our last poll, and following a relatively quiet year for him, Hozier polled very well and is back this year as Best Musician.

Best Band, meanwhile, goes to The Coronas – a wonderful endorsement for the hugely popular group, after one of their most testing years yet, following the departure of their guitarist and the arrival of a name-stealing virus. Their True Love Waits album, also did extremely well, landing at No.2…

Released just as the world was being plunged into lockdown, Niall Horan’s powerful second album offered some much needed escapism – so it’s no surprise that Heartbreak Weather has been voted Album of the Year with his famously devout fans piling in, as they did for the Choice Song of the Year. Meanwhile, the brilliant Bicep powered to victory in the Dance/Electronic category...

Also polling well across the categories were multiple Hot Press cover stars, Fontaines D.C., who came agonisingly close to winning Album of the Year (A Hero's Death), Track of the Year, Best Polling Act, Live Stream of the Year and Band of the Year but had to settle for the runners-up spots.

Ditto Pillow Queens, David Keenan, Aisling Bea, Aoife Scott, Allie Sherlock, Imelda May and Lisa Hannigan who so very nearly tasted victory.

On the global front, Taylor Swift has repeated her recent Grammy magic – scooping Best Album (International) for folklore.

The Readers’ Poll results also reflect the unique times we find ourselves in – with Best Livestream becoming a category for the very first time. Elsewhere, the record-breaking global success of Normal People over lockdown is recognised in the TV category, while Tommy Tiernan scores a big hit here too – in at No.2 – while topping the poll for comedians, in considerable style...

Fergal D’Arcy won a fiercely competitive Radio DJ category for the second year running.

Covid vaccine queen Dolly Parton is one step closer to canonisation, as our Hero of the Year.

Sam Smyth became the historic inaugural winner, ahead of SOAK, in the Non-Binary Artist category.

And in Male Artist, there was the remarkable sight of one Elijah Hewson, of Inhaler, landing two places above his dad, Bono (at No.4 and No.6 respectively). It was admittedly a quiet year for U2, but who’d have thunk it possible? And all that’s just for starters.

So, without further ado, it’s time to unveil the Hot Press Readers’ Poll results in full. There’s eating and drinking in it – and lots to celebrate. Here’s to everyone who was voted for – and to the almost 40k readers who voted. Without you, there would be no music industry. Thank you all...

Best Polling Act

1. Dermot Kennedy
2. Denise Chaila
3. Fontaines D.C.
4. The Coronas
5. Hozier

Album of the Year

1. Niall Horan - Heartbreak Weather
2. The Coronas - True Love Waits
3. Fontaines D.C. - A Hero’s Death
4. Denise Chaila - GO Bravely
5. Pillow Queens - In Waiting
6. David Keenan - A Beginner’s Guide To Bravery
7. The Scratch - Couldn’t Give A Rats
8. Hudson Taylor - Loving Everywhere I Go
9. JYellowL - 2020 DIvision
10. Ciaran Lavery - Plz Stay, bb

Debut Album

1. Denise Chaila - GO Bravely
2. Pillow Queens - In Waiting
3. David Keenan - A Beginner’s Guide To Bravery
4. Malaki - Chrysalis
5. The Scratch - Couldn’t Give A Rats
6. Niamh Regan - Hemet
7. Nealo - All The Leaves Are Falling
8. Ailbhe Reddy - Personal History
9. Bitch Falcon - Staring At Clocks
10. Silverback - Fad

Track Of The Year

1. Dermot Kennedy - ‘Giants’
2. Inhaler - ‘We Have To Move On’
3. Denise Chaila - ‘Chaila’
4. Fontaines D.C. - ‘A Hero’s Death’
5. CMAT - ‘I Wanna Be A Cowboy’
6. Emma Langford - ‘Birdsong’
7. Denise Chaila feat. Jafaris – ‘Anseo’
(Single Mix)
8. Gemma Dunleavy – ‘Up De Flats’
9. Malaki - ‘Someone Like You 2’
10. Wild Youth - ‘Through The Phone’

Live Stream of the Year

1. Dermot Kennedy featuring Paul Mescal - London Natural History Museum
2. Lisa Hannigan - National Gallery of Ireland
3. Fontaines D.C. - Live From The Montrose
4. Denise Chaila featuring God Knows - National Gallery of Ireland
5. Allie Sherlock - Instagram
6. CMAT’s Very Nice Christmas
7. Laoise - #Y&Eseries
8. New Secret Weapon - Live at The Button Factory
9. JYellowL - Album Launch, Swords Castle
10. Paul Noonan - National Concert Hall

Band/Artist of The Year

1. The Coronas
2. Fontaines D.C.
3. Picture This
4. Kodaline
5. U2
6. Dea Matrona
7. Pillow Queens
8. Inhaler
9. The Script
10. Snow Patrol

Female Artist of The Year

1. Denise Chaila
2. Imelda May
3. Róisín O
4. Sinéad O’Connor
5. Lisa Hannigan
6. Lyra
7. Róisín Murphy
8. Emma Langford
9. CMAT
10. Gemma Dunleavy

Male Artist of The Year

1. Dermot Kennedy
2. Niall Horan
3. Hozier
4. Elijah Hewson (Inhaler)
5. Danny O’Reilly (The Coronas)
6. Bono (U2)
7. Christy Dignam
8. Kevin Smith (Kojaque)
9. Gavin James
10. Junior Brother

Most Promising Act

1. Dea Matrona
2. Allie Sherlock
3. Saibh Skelly
4. Babylamb
5. CMAT
6. The Florentinas
7. Tolu Makay
8. Gemma Dunleavy
9. Fia Moon
10. JC Stewart
11. Sophie Doyle Ryder
12. Zen Arcade
13. MILK.
14. Lucy McWilliams
15. Megan Burke
16. KK Lewis
17. Eve Belle
18. For Those I Love
19. New Dad
20. Ailsha

Best Dance/Electronic

1. Bicep
2. Daithí
3. King Kong Company
4. Chasing Abbey
5. Caoimhe
6. Shane Codd
7. Or:la
8. John O’Callaghan
9. Marcus Woods
10. Arvo Party

Best Rap/Hip-Hop

1. Denise Chaila
2. Kneecap
3. Malaki
4. Kojaque
5. Versatile
6. God Knows
7. Mango x Mathman
8. Rejjie Snow
9. Nealo
10. JYellowL

Best Folk/Trad

1. Christy Moore
2. Aoife Scott
3. Lankum
4. Hudson Taylor
5. David Keenan
6. Emma Langford
7. Hermitage Green
8. Saint Sister
9. Mary Wallopers
10. Sharon Shannon

Best Songwriter

1. Dermot Kennedy
2. Hozier
3. Bono (U2)
4. Niall Horan
5. Gavin James
6. Denise Chaila
7. Grian Chatten (Fontaines D.C.)
8. Elijah Hewson (Inhaler)
9. Glen Hansard
10. Damien Dempsey

Best Musician

1. Hozier
2. Michael Quinn (Dermot Kennedy)
3. Edge
4. Sharon Shannon
5. Carlos O’Connell (Fontaines D.C.)
6. Martin Hayes
7. Liam Ó Maonlaí
8. Gemma Doherty (Saint Sister)
9. Wallis Bird
10. Colm Mac an Iomaire

Best Non-Binary Artist (Irish and International)
1. Sam Smith
2. SOAK
3. Kae Tempest
4. Kevin Barnes
5. Kitt Philippa
6. Smoothboi Ezra
7. Aja
8. Angel Haze
9. Dorian Electra
10. Jana Hunter

Best Album (International)

1. Taylor Swift - folklore
2. Dua Lipa - Future Nostalgia
3. Bruce Springsteen - Letter To You
4. The Strokes - New Abnormal
5. The 1975 - Notes On A Conditional Form
6. Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
7. Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways
8. Gorillaz Song Machine - Season One Strange Timez
9. Fiona Apple - Fetch The Bolt Cutters
10. Run The Jewels - RTJ4

Comedian

1. Tommy Tiernan
2. Aisling Bea
3. Tony Cantwell
4. Michael Fry
5. Dara Ó Briain
6. PJ Gallagher
7. Alison Spittle
8. Martin Beanz Warde
9. Kevin McGahern
10. Joanne McNally

Best Radio DJ

1. Fergal D’Arcy (Today FM)
2. Jenny Greene (RTÉ 2fm)
3. Annie Mac (BBC Radio 1)
4. John Creedon (RTÉ Radio 1)
5. Dermot Whelan (Today FM)
6. Cillian Murphy (BBC 6)
7. Tara Stewart (RTÉ 2fm)
8. Dave Fanning (RTÉ 2fm)
9. Kayte O’Malley (iRadio)
10. Fiachna O Bhraonain
(RTÉ Radio 1)

Best Film

1. Parasite
2. Soul
3. Tenet
4. Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
5. Dating Amber

Best TV

1. Normal People
2. The Tommy Tiernan Show
3. The Queen’s Gambit
4. The Mandalorian
5. Tiger King

Best Book

1. Donal Ryan - Strange Flowers
2. Mark Tighe & Paul Rowan - Champagne Football
3. Kevin Barry - That Old Country Music
4. Rónán Hession - Leonard And Hungry Paul
5. Doireann Ní Ghríofa – A Ghost In The Throat

Best Game

1. Among Us
2. Chess
3. FIFA
4. Animal Crossing: New Horizons
5. Cyberpunk 2077

Hero of the Year

1. Dolly Parton
2. Adam King
3. Marcus Rashford
4. Greta Thunberg
5. Catherine Corless

Villain of the Year

1. Donald Trump
2. Gemma O’Doherty
3. Boris Johnson
4. Phil Hogan
5. Stephen Donnelly

Best Moment of 2020

1. Adam King on the Toy Show
2. Biden’s election and Trump leaving
3. Paul Mescal’s shorts
4. Liverpool winning the League
5. Ireland beating England in cricket