Macy Gray, the Douglas Fir, Ginny Weaver, the Sheila Divine, Tree, the Fully Celebrated Orchestra, Mango Blue -- those are just a few of the first-time winners in the 12th annual Phoenix/FNX Best Music Poll. And if you look at the runners-up in our 32 categories of national and local acts, you'll find that there's even more news bubbling in the music scene. This year our number of voters again surged, thanks in large part to increased use of our Web sites (www.bostonphoenix.com and www.wfnx.net). By keeping your ears open and by voting, you -- our readers and listeners -- have kept us up with what's going on. The music scene may be in a state of economic, corporate, and technological upheaval, but in terms of sheer creativity (as Carly Carioli points out in his local-music round-up) that freshly turned soil is letting up a lot of new buds.

-- Jon Garelick
Associate Arts Editor

Meet the winners

From Beck and Macy Gray to the Sheila Divine and Tree, we give you the lowdown on the winners and runners-up in the 1999-2000 BMP.
by the Phoenix staff

Sweet oddity

BMP voters break the trends with Beck
by Matt Ashare

Local round-up 2000

High tide and green grass
by Carly Carioli

Perrino and Weaver

Jonathan Perry talks to this year's Best Local Male Vocalist, and Brett Milano queries the Best Local Female Vocalist

Winner's gallery

A comprehensive list of all the winners since the Music Poll began in, yikes, 1989.