Gotye

A sonic mad professor who makes delicate soundscapes in his bedroom using scrap metal and everyday objects as instruments, producer Gotye's emotional electronica was one of the surprise success stories of 2012. Born in Belgium but raised in Australia, Wally De Backer (aka Gotye) became an obsessive record collector in his teens and played in high school band Downstares before making his name locally with indie pop act The Basics. His early solo album Like Drawing Blood (2006) was acclaimed by listeners to Australian radio station Triple J as the record of the year, and single Learnalilgivinanlovin became a cult hit, but it wasn't until the release of single Somebody That I Used To Know that he started to receive international recognition. The collaboration with New Zealand singer Kimbra gained attention when Lily Allen and Ashton Kutcher started tweeting their appreciation, and gradually became a huge worldwide hit, selling over 10 million copies and reaching Number 1 in 10 countries. It even topped the charts in America after being performed on TV shows Glee and American Idol, and sent third album Making Mirrors (2011) into the Top 10 in the UK and US. Admired for his inventive production skills and gentle, honest songwriting, 2012 was capped with three Grammy Awards and a BRIT Award nomination.