Coldplay’s Chris Martin is one repressed, neurotic pop star. But his angst pays off on X&Y.

Vibrant, creative, edgy, demanding (only sometimes!), smart, funny. For this year's awards, we've chosen eleven New Yorkers who not only gave us their best but also brought out the best in New York. From Eliot Spitzer's determined drive to clean up the worst of Wall Street excess to Harvey Fierstein's monumental mom -- with a heart to match, in 'Hairspray' -- not to mention Tina Fey's irrepressibly irreverent humor, we salute their vision and celebrate our luck in being here at the right time and, of course, in the right place.

Nellie McKay, the 19-year-old with one of the winter’s hottest records, writes lyrics like a gonzo Cole Porter, sings like an attitudinal Peggy Lee—and lives with her mother in Harlem. She wouldn’t mind being a sex symbol, but nothing like Britney. “I’ll go the Garbo route,” she says.

When L.A. Reid replaced Clive Davis as head of Arista Records, the industry reeled, artists threatened to walk, and staffers snubbed him. Half a year in, he's kept the key stars and pumped up new ones. And even "Mr. Davis" is working with him.

Dave Attell’s Insomniac kicks off its fourth season this week. A conversation with TV’s funniest fat, bald, booze-loving loner.