From Sean: The first three earned my votes because in my opinion they are honestly the most creative and original albums of 2006; bright spots in a year of mostly 'ho-hum' releases from the usual suspects, and very few, if any, new artists who caught or held my attention for very long. Switchfoot takes top honors for me this year. The CD doesn't release until the day after Christmas (why did they do that???), but I had the privilege of receiving the prerelease in early November, and I just cannot get it out of my CD player. The album has so much musical originality and lyrical depth that I hear something different each time, and that is a rare quality these days. Jonny Lang's album was a pleasant surprise.  A little surge of blues now and then is refreshing.  I had the opportunity to see him in concert when he came to Nashville, and I can honestly say it was one of the best live music experiences I've had in a long time, and I've had a bunch.  He is a true virtuoso.  I praise God that he is a believer now. Everyone has heard the hype about the Jars of Clay album, and the best thing I can say is that it lives up to it. I love how those guys continue to reinvent themselves, and do it first class every time.

Audio Adrenaline makes the list because of what they have contributed to Christian music over the past 15 years. Musically innovative and spiritually sold out, I love that band and what they have given to us during their lengthy career. The album is a great retrospective of their work and should definitely be in your collection. Plumb brings up the rear in my Top 5, but not by much. There are few writers who write from such a deep part of their soul. That quality combined with the alternative rock edginess of her music, solid hooks and the emotional depth of her vocals make her stand out above the crowd.

From brenten: A lot of noteable albums released this past year and just like the previous year, my final picks were up in the air until the last release week of the year. However, as I initially expected, the top spot was locked in early on and it held firm throughout the year. The date was May 2nd and the world shook - first from the collective sigh of relief that Pro*Pain had finally hit the shelves legitimately, then from the communal uprising of those sweet sweet songs. 533 days after its intended release date, the album still has the potency and impact, proving once again why Mars Ill is one of the finest duos in hip hop today.

Though the top spot was pretty clear, the rest of the top five shifted quite a bit, but when the dust settled, Fair took second place with one of the richest albums of the year - an album that seems to endlessly grow on listeners as the plays rack up. Mute Math managed to stay in the headlines for much of the year with their lawsuit and despite times when I was completely fed up with hearing about them, there's simply no denying the beauty behind their self-titled debut, not to mention that their live show is untouchable. Another May 2nd release, The Chess Hotel marked the return of The Elms and moreso, the return of bare-knuckle rock and roll. Brilliant album that's just dang fun to listen to. Rounding out the pack and sneaking in at the last minute, Switchfoot comes in fifth with their latest, proving once again that artistry can also be accessible. A challenging album that is easily digestible, Oh! Gravity gave the year a nice punch at the closing bell.

In the way of honorable mentions, there were the obvious (Jars of Clay, Jonny Lang) and the fairly obscure (Surreal and DJ Balance, Matthew Wertz), the fringe (MeWithoutYou, Sivion) and the mainstream (Leigh Nash, Chris Tomlin). It's sad, I know, but only so many albums (generally five) fit in the top five. Thus, Matisyahu, Pigeon John, Norma Jean, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Cookbook and Uno Mas, Judd & Maggie, Playdough, Edison Glass, downhere, Playdough, Sandra McCracken, Leeland, The Lonely Hearts, Family Force 5, Kierra Kiki Sheard, Smokie Norful, etc, etc, etc... are staring through the window.

From Holly: After several years of waiting, 2006 brought some fresh tunes which did not disappoint from my favorite Canadian rockers, downhere. I've been told by others in the music industry that they are "one of the most underrated bands around" and I definitely agree. Like Sean, I too was lucky enough to get an early edition of the new Switchfoot album and it really reminds me of some of the band's earlier work, which I loved. Bebo's album happened to end up in the CD changer of my car and ended up getting immense play there because it was just too hard to turn off... every song is great! Leeland has undoubtedly been the most talked about new artist of the year and I expect to see a presence from them this year at the Dove Awards. Hyper Static Union's album blew me away when I first listened to it last spring... I couldn't take it off of repeat for weeks! Honorable Mentions are "The Best Worst-Case Scenario" from Fair (which didn't make it only because I don't have a copy of the entire CD) and Starfield's "Beauty in the Broken."

From Yo: 2006 was the year of the honest album. Artist after artist seemed to say that their latest album was their most honest album; one in which they went deep and wrote songs that expressed what God was doing in their lives. I loved how when I was interviewing Jars of Clay they said that they hoped this was a trend that would continue. The albums I've chosen are in not particular order. Red was perhaps the strongest debut of band since Third Day. Todd Agnew put together an amazing Christmas album; one that was thought provoking, beautiful and can be listened to any time of the year. Sanctus Real truly broke the mold with their honest album; it's heart felt, sincere, and not radio friendly (for the most part), which really makes it stand out for me. Skillet sounded different but the same; not easy to do. And Jeremy Camp, well his one of the few albums from a well-known, well-established artist this year that I didn't feel was a major let down.

As for my movie selections; there wasn't a more powerful movie that I saw than United 93,. The Nativity Story is a beautiful film about the most important event in history, and I wasn't as psyched or entertained more by any film than Casino Royale.

Gaming wise; it was interesting year. New consoles with the Nintendo Wii and PS3 - other than Zelda, no real standouts for either system debut - and the Xbox 360 really hit its stride with Gears of War; the best looking, most intense, and when played with a friend, the most fun game I've played in '06.

From Lindsay: Few albums released this year stayed in my CD player for more than 45 minutes. Mute Math stayed in my player for weeks. Their debut as fresh and creative as their stellar live show. Noticed, Typical and Chaos are so inspired, it's hard not to get chills, even after the 100th playback. This is a band who has already reached near-perfection. Sufjan Stevens's compositions are out-of-this-world, complicated yet simple all at the same time. He seems to create a world somewhere between ours and that of another realm through his music. The Avalanche contains outtakes from 2005's Illinois, but they are such intelligently crafted songs you'd never know it. Mat Kearney's Nothing Left To Lose is one of those albums whose songs become the soundtracks to peoples' lives. The tone of the album is consistent, solemnly addressing a variety of themes that people can empathize with, if not relate to. A lot of new bands came out this year with an emo/indie sound, but Edison Glass stands out. They are a complete package: good vocals, good compositions, talented instrumentalists and originality. Underoath rounds out the list. They do the push and pull of melody and screaming so well, and the lyrics and instrumental core are engaging. They are great live, too.