The Music 2015 Writers' Poll: Cyclone

album of the year

1. Kendrick Lamar — To Pimp A Butterfly
2. The Weeknd — Beauty Behind The Madness
3. Lana Del Rey — Honeymoon
4. Grimes — Art Angels
5. Raury — All We Need
6. Shamir — Ratchet
7. Bryson Tiller — TRAPSOUL
8. Jamie xx — In Colour
9. A$AP Rocky — At.Long.Last.A$AP
10. Dr Dre — Compton

song of the year

1. David Bowie — Blackstar
2. Drake — Hotline Bling
3. Years & Years — King
4. Roger Sanchez ft Stealth — Remember Me
5. Hau — Skip Hop

artist of the year

1. Kendrick Lamar
2. The Weeknd
3. Lana Del Rey
4. Grimes
5. Drake

International artist Performance

1. Nas
2. Future Islands
3. FKA twigs
4. Drake
5. MK

Australian artist Performance

1. Client Liaison
2. Flight Facilities
3. Marlon Williams
4. No Zu
5. Peking Duk

top TV Show

1. The Originals
2. Doctor Who
3. The Beautiful Lie
4. Humans
5. The Vampire Diaries

top Movie

1. Straight Outta Compton
2. Crimson Peak
3. Mad Max: Fury Road
4. Tangerine
5. Amy

top website

1. The Music
2. Twitter
3. The Guardian
4. IMDb
5. YouTube

2015 highlight of the year

Tony Abbott got boned.

prediction for 2016

We'll finally get that new Frank Ocean album — although, if David Bowie's Blackstar is as outré as the single, he may have some unlikely competition for most avant LP of 2016. Kanye West will seek a Bowie collab. More hip hop acts will take a stand on sexism and homophobia as the music assumes a more overtly political stance. EDM will continue to recede and dance music will return to the underground with boutique, club-oriented events and subliminal sounds. Drugs will become passé with Detroit techno-inspired juice bars the new 'in' thing.