Question

Tables are: user_table(user_id, user_name) , votes_table(id,user_id, vote_date, votes)

$sql = SELECT user_id, sum(votes) AS sumvotes, vote_date 
FROM votes_table 
WHERE vote_date > 1279749600 
ORDER BY sumvotes DESC
LIMIT 10

$result = query($sql)

foreach user_id in $result
    $sql = SELECT user_id, username 
                    FROM user_table u
                    WHERE u.user_id = user_id
$result2 = query($sql)
somearray.add($result AND $result2)

Answer 1

SELECT user_id, username 
FROM user_table u, (SELECT user_id, sum(votes) AS sumvotes, vote_date 
                    FROM votes_table 
                    WHERE vote_date > 1279749600 
                    ORDER BY sumvotes DESC
                    LIMIT 10) t
WHERE u.user_id = t.user_id