2006 Readers Poll

1. Most Valuable Player(s) Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society—Mafia) Daron Malakian (System of a Down—Mezmerize) Mark Morton & Willie Adler (Lamb of God—Ashes of the Wake) Jack White (White Stripes—Get Behind Me Satan) Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day—American Idiot) 2. Best New Talent(s) Claudio Sanchez & Travis Stever (Coheed & Cambria—Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV: Volume 1) Synyster Gates & Zacky Vengeance (Avenged Sevenfold—City of Evil) Bill Kelliher & Brent Hinds (Mastodon—Leviathan) Ray Toro & Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance—Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge) Jeff Loomis (Nevermore—Enemies of Reality) 3. Best Rock Guitar Jack White (White Stripes—Get Behind Me Satan) Keith Richards (Rolling Stones—A Bigger Bang) Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters—In Your Honor) Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day—American Idiot) The Edge (U2—How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb) 4. Best Metal Synyster Gates & Zacky Vengeance (Avenged Sevenfold—City of Evil) Bill Kelliher & Brent Hinds (Mastodon—Leviathan) Mark Morton & Willie Adler (Lamb of God—Ashes of the Wake) Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society—Mafia) Daron Malakian (System of a Down—Mezmerize) 5. Best Alt-Rock Ray Toro & Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance—Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge) Claudio Sanchez & Travis Stever (Coheed & Cambria—Good Apollo, I’m Burning Star IV: Volume 1) Omar Rodriguez-Lopez (The Mars Volta—Frances the Mute) J.T. Woodruff, Micah Carli & Casey Calvert (Hawthorne Heights—The Silence in Black and White) Patrick Stump & Joe Trohman (Fall Out Boy—From Under the Cork Tree) 6. Best Riff Mastodon—“Blood & Thunder” Black Label Society—“Suicide Messiah” Lamb of God —“Ashes of the Wake” White Stripes—“Blue Orchid” The Killers—“Mr. Brightside” 7. Best Shredder(s) Steve Vai (Steve Vai—Real Illusions: Reflections) Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society—Mafia) Yngwie Malmsteen (Yngwie Malmsteen—Unleash the Fury) Lamb of God (Lamb of God—Ashes of the Wake) Jeff Loomis (Nevermore—Enemies of Reality) 8. Snappiest Dresser(s) Ray Toro & Frank Iero (My Chemical Romance) Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society) Omar Rodriguez- Lopez (Mars Volta) Jack White (White Stripes) Billie Joe Armstrong (Green Day) 9. Comeback of the Year Green Day Rolling Stones Yngwie Malmsteen Cream INXS 10. Hall of Fame Jimmy Page Angus Young Jimi Hendrix Keith Richards Tony Iommi 11. Best jam band guitarist Warren Haynes (Allman Bothers Band, Gov't Mule) Derek Trucks (Allman Bothers Band, the Derek Trucks Band) Trey Anastasio Al Schnier and Chuck Garvey (moe.) Jimmy Herring (Phil and Friends)