And Our Winners Are...

By Rhett Butler

Radiohead BRITAIN Hailing from Oxford, this art-rock quintet spins futuristic songs about the disillusioned and the disoriented, about aliens and creeps--but often with a glimmer of hope. Key albums: OK Computer, Kid A

U2 IRELAND Two decades after it first formed, the Dublin-based band still hasn't found what it's looking for. It has remained inventive, hungry and committed to social causes. Key albums: The Unforgettable Fire, The Joshua Tree and All That You Can't Leave Behind

Aterciopelados COLOMBIA Singer Andrea Echeverri and guitarist/producer Hector Buitrago blend alt-rock, electronica and Colombian folk. Key albums: Gozo Poderoso, Caribe Atomico

Brilliant Green JAPAN A rock-'n'-roll trio--singer Tomoko Kawase and guitarists Shunsaku Okuda and Ryo Matsui--that creates ambiguously playful music. Key album: Los Angeles

Sigur Ros ICELAND The land of Bjork has produced several notable acts lately, including Emiliana Torrini and Mum. Sigur Ros, with its intoxicatingly eclectic sound, is winning fans worldwide. Key album: Agaetis Byrjun

Portishead BRITAIN Atmospheric, surreal trip-hop music; Geoff Barrow produces, and vocalist Beth Gibbons' hollow voice haunts every track. These songs pull listeners two ways: they make you want to dance and to despair. Key album: Dummy

Tarika MADAGASCAR An upbeat fusion of energetic percussion, traditional instrumentation and socially conscious lyrics. Nearly every song sounds like a celebration of the spirit. Key albums: Soul Makassar, D

Pato Fu BRAZIL Pop rock with a sense of humor and a charge of electronica. Key album: Televisao De Cachorro

Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers JAMAICA Ziggy, Stephen, Sharon and Cedella are keeping reggae's (and their father Bob's) positivity and purpose alive. Key album: Spirit of Music

Orishas CUBA Combines lyrical wizardry with traditional Afro-Cuban rhythms to make cutting-edge hip-hop. Key album: A Lo Cubano

HONORABLE MENTIONS: The Nortec Collective (Mexico) Cheikh Lo's band (Senegal) Cornershop (Britain)