Best Music Poll 2010 :: BOSTON

Local and national winners, and the shape of things to come
We often talk about the "fragmentation" of the music world — the splintering of audiences into sub-subgenres. There's no clearer indication of that splintered universe than in this year's Best Music Poll, our 22nd annual edition. At the national level, you could say this was Lady Gaga's year, or MGMT's year, but in fact, 2010 included the fewest number of multiple-category winners in memory. And there were very few repeat winners from last year, on either the national or the local ballot. So peruse our winners' profiles, our chat with Best Local Music act Mean Creek, and our attempts to find some kind of emerging "trend" in the local and national scenes. In truth, the only trend you're likely to find is a music world in which genre matters less and less — and that's good for everyone.