As we look back on another year rapidly fading in the rearview mirror, it’s time to cap off our Listmas celebrations with one last round-up of the best that the music world had to offer these past twelve months. Thank you to everyone who has supported the site, and new music in general, this past year, and my utmost love and appreciation goes out to all the artists who have shared their work with us all. With the last few hours of 2025 rapidly ticking away, let’s take a final look at its highlights before we ring in the new year.

Album of the Year: Moron Police – Pachinko

An absurd concept album about a man turning into a sentient pinball machine, and a beautiful eulogy for a fallen friend and bandmate. An intricate and inventive prog rock masterclass, that also happens to be home to some of the most fun and infectious hooks of the year. Pachinko somehow does it all, and more. It’s ambitious, effervescent, deeply moving, and endlessly entertaining from start to finish. (Full Album List)

EP of the Year: Fiona-Lee – Nothing Compares To Nineteen

For a record that delves deep into her fears and insecurities, Fiona-Lee’s debut EP feels like an incredibly assured and confident affair. Her striking voice able to walk a line between vulnerability and ferocity, lending a poignant, confessional feel to even her most energizing and anthemic rockers. She seems to have such a clear picture in mind for the kind of artist she wants to be, and I for one wouldn’t change a thing. (Full EP List) 

Song of the Year: Olivia Dean – Man I Need

Immaculate vibes and a truly timeless feel. Such a sweet and charming number, I genuinely can’t get enough of it. I fall a little deeper in love with ‘Man I Need’ each time that I hear it. I must have watched every single live performance of this track that I can possibly find by this point, and the moment a new one drops you can bet I’ll be right there waiting. (Full Song List)

Video of the Year: OK Go – Love

Let’s be honest; any year in which OK Go releases a new music video, is a year that they win best video. They’re the undisputed masters of the medium. They’ve made it their USP for years now, and to this day they are untouchable when it comes to the sheer, ingenuity, creativity and determination that goes into bringing their hare-brained schemes to life. ‘Love’s mechanised hall of mirrors is another impressive example of the band doing what they do best. (Full Video List)

Soundtrack of the Year: Sinners

Sinners is about a lot of things – gangsters, vampires, race, religion, family, freedom. Yet at its heart, it’s a film about the power of music; how it’s able to transcend time and place, and bring people together. A glorious melting pot of Delta Blues, Irish folk – and even a dash of heavy metal when shit really hits the fan – the Sinners soundtrack was able to unite so many styles that I adore. (Plus, any film with ‘The Rocky Road to Dublin’ on the soundtrack is an automatic win in my book)

The Spotlight! Award for Best New Artist: Ferester

Under his Ferester moniker, Scottish-American singer/songwriter Spencer O’Grady channelled heaps of Noah Kahan style infectious, anthemic folk energy into his latest EP, the brilliant Days Go By. His tracks are able to capture a sense of wanderlust, a longing for adventure, and a desire to know what lies beyond the next mountain. Airy, uplifting, and damn near irresistible, his melodic folk stylings are precisely what the new year ahead needs more of. 

The White Feather Award for Disappointment of the Year: Tame Impala – Deadbeat

The multi-talented Kevin Parker is a name we’ve come to associate with lush, kaleidoscopic soundscapes and infectious grooves, but both are in short supply on Deadbeat. Its grooves are often dull and repetitive, the vibrant psychedelica replaced with uninspired dance beats. Much like its monochrome artwork, the album within also feels drained of all colour. Had I not noted the album down for this award, I might have already forgotten it exists.

Discovery of the Year: Tiny Habits

Since stumbling across their debut album All For Something, which somehow slipped my radar last year, I’ve become more and more enamoured with Tiny Habits’ gorgeous three-part harmonies. There’s a bit of Boygenius in there, just a dash of The Staves too, while also crafting a light and airy sound all their own. They make the kind of music that so completely absorbs you that it’s like the outside world no longer exists. 

The Forgotten Gem Award: The Year of the Hare – It’s a Long Wait, I Suppose

Blending the sweeping, cinematic baroque pop of Bon Iver, with the melodic Midwest emo of American Football, It’s a Long Wait, I Suppose is the kind of record you want to curl up in a quiet, cosy corner with when the world gets too much. I’m torn between wanting to sing its praises from the rooftops and wanting to keep it tucked away somewhere as my own little secret safe haven. I sincerely wish I’d found the time to give this record the proper, detailed review it deserves, but hopefully this well deserved award goes some way to ensuring that more people discover this gorgeous debut. 

Best Male Solo Artist: Sam Fender

From releasing his most consistent, mature and affecting record to date with the superb People Watching, to playing the biggest live shows of his career at London Stadium, Sam has had one hell of a year. Throughout all of his success, he’s never lost sight of the places and people that raised him, remaining grounded and using his platform to support his community and champion causes close to his heart. Beyond simply being a great artist, he’s a great human being, and the industry could use more people like him.  

Best Female Solo Artist: Luvcat

Captivating cabaret, macabre murder ballads, smoky, seductive love songs – Luvcat’s debut Vicious Delicious was a sumptuous banquet of sound. Perhaps even more impressive though, was the carefully crafted, all-encompassing aesthetic that accompanied it. From the wealth of spectacular music videos, to the matching set of artwork attached to every single track, to the way Sophie Morgan so naturally slips into her bewitching stage persona. Luvcat didn’t just release an album, she created a whole world, one whose temptation is impossible to resist. 

Band of the Year: Moron Police

No other band in 2025 has taken me on such an emotional rollercoaster. One moment singing along to playful, euphoric hooks at the top of my lungs, and the next finding myself getting emotional over their beautiful, heartfelt lyricism. Grinning ear-to-ear, to the brink of tears, and swiftly back again. This Norwegian prog outfit have truly poured their hearts and souls into their new record Pachinko, and it’s been far and away the musical highlight of my year.