U2 Appears in Hot Press Readers Poll 2020

Original Story (2020-02-23)

Hot Press has recently held their Readers poll, asking not only about the year just passed but also readers favourite artists, songs and music of the past decade. Over 26,000 people participated in voting in the poll. The results were published in the latest issue of the magazine which was released on store shelves on February 18. Hozier, named artist of the decade in the poll features on the cover. (Issue 44-03)

U2 were nominated for four categories for 2020 in “The Hotties 2020.” The nominees were announced on February 6, 2020 and fan voting commenced that week. So how did U2 do?

Best Male:
Bono finished third in this category, behind Hozier and Dermot Kennedy. The list is rounded out by Danny O’Reilly of The Coronas and Damien Dempsey below Bono.

Best Songwriter:
Bono finishes second in this category, being beat out by Hozier. Also on the list were Damien Dempsey, Glen Hansard and Conor J. O’Brien of Villagers.

Best Live Act:
U2 have a win in the category for live performances. They take the top spot over artists Snow Patrol, Versatile, Fontaines DC, and Glen Hansard.

Best Musician:
The Edge wins this category in the readers poll. He takes the category over Michael Quinn, Danny O’Reilly, Colm Mac an Iomaire and Gemma Doherty of Saint Sister.

Most Promising Act:
Although U2 isn’t on the list, Inhaler gets top spot here. Many U2 fans will know the band as Eli Hewson, the lead singer, is Bono’s son.

Although many may have expected U2 to do better, the band has done little in Ireland in 2019. The Experience and Innocence shows were the last time that U2 performed live in Ireland and those concerts would have fallen in last year’s poll. The band also did not release much in Ireland this year, a couple of singles for Record Store Day events, and one new song, “Ahimsa” released at the end of 2019.

U2 also appear in three categories for the decade (featuring releases and artists from 2010 – 2019)

Track of the Decade:
U2 comes in at #4 in this chart with “Every Breaking Wave,” released in 2014. The song is behind Hozier’s “Take Me to Church,” Dermot Kennedy’s “Power Over Me,” Picture This’ “Take My Hand.” Fifth place, behind U2 was Villagers’ “Nothing Arrived.”

Irish Album of the Decade:
U2 finish in top spot here. Songs of Innocence comes in at #1 in the poll. U2’s other album released this decade, Songs of Experience was not an option in the poll. Other albums finishing behind Songs of Innocence on the list are Becoming a Jackal (Villagers), Passenger (Lisa Hannigan), Dogrel (Fontaines DC), Beacon (Two Door Cinema Club).

Artist of the Decade:
Hozier takes the category of “Artist of the Decade” and is featured on the magazine cover. U2 come in at #2 on the list. The Coronas, The Script and Kodaline finish out the list. In the article, Hozier speaks of U2, “I’m constantly bowled over by U2, too – how much they work, and how hard they work.” Hozier recently featured Bono in a discussion on his Cry Power podcast.

More information on the poll can be found at Hot Press where the issue announcing the results can also be purchased.

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