2008 release of Another World by Antony and the Johnsons. Angel-voiced transvestite songwriter Antony, backed by his band the Johnsons, garnered both critical praise and a surprising amount of commercial recognition following his 2005 breakthrough I Am a Bird Now. His emotionally stark, soulful ballads are genuinely affecting and have made devoted fans out of Lou Reed and Boy George, among others. Antony took home the U.K.'s esteemed Mercury Prize in 2005.