Heavy Music Awards 2026 Finalists Announced
The finalists have been revealed for the tenth annual Heavy Music Awards, with winners set to be announced on Alex Baker’s Kerrang! Radio show on Saturday 4 July 2026. Vote now to decide the winners at vote.heavymusicawards.com
BEST ALBUM
Architects - The Sky, The Earth & All Between (Epitaph Records / Produced by Jordan Fish)
Deftones - Private Music (Reprise Records / Produced by Nick Raskulinecz & Deftones)
Dayseeker - Creature In The Black Night (Spinefarm Records / Produced by Dan Braunstein, Rory Rodriguez & Cody Quistad)
Sleep Token - Even In Arcadia (RCA / Produced by Carl Bown & Adam 'Nolly' Getgood)
Spiritbox - Tsunami Sea (Rise Records / Produced by Dan Braunstein & Mike Stringer)
Turnstile - Never Enough (Roadrunner Records / Produced by Brendan Yates with Additional Production by Will Yip)
Yungblud - Idols (Capitol Records & Locomotion / Produced by Matt Schwarz)
BEST BREAKTHROUGH ALBUM
Calva Louise - Edge of the Abyss (Mascot Records / Produced by Jessica Allanic, Gareth McGrillen & Mazare)
Die Spitz - Something To Consume (Third Man Records / Produced by Will Yip)
Lambrini Girls - Who Let The Dogs Out (City Slang / Big Scary Monsters / Produced by Joe LaPorta & Lambrini Girls)
PSYCHO-FRAME - Salvation Laughs in the Face of a Grieving Mother (SharpTone Records / Produced by Hunter Young)
Sleep Theory - Afterglow (Epitaph Records / Produced by David Cowell, Zakk Cervini, Julian Gargiulo & Ted Jensen)
Split Chain - motionblur (Epitaph Records / Produced by Kel Pinchin, Matt Janke, Grant Berry & Soren Bryce)
Vianova - Hit It! (Arising Empire / Produced by Leon Schmidt)
BEST UK ARTIST
Architects (Epitaph Records)
Bob Vylan (Ghost Theatre)
Don Broco (Fearless Records)
Enter Shikari (SO Recordings)
Malevolence (Nuclear Blast Records
Sleep Token (RCA Records)
Vukovi (SharpTone Records)
BEST INTERNATIONAL ARTIST
Bilmuri (Columbia Records)
Deftones (Reprise Records)
Ice Nine Kills (Fearless Records)
Knocked Loose (Pure Noise Records)
LANDMVRKS (Arising Empire)
Spiritbox (Rise Records / Pale Chord)
Turnstile (Roadrunner Records)
BEST UK LIVE ARTIST
Architects (Epitaph Records)
Biffy Clyro (Warner Music)
Don Broco (Fearless Records)
Enter Shikari (SO Recordings)
Loathe (SharpTone Records)
Malevolence (Nuclear Blast Records)
Sleep Token (RCA)
BEST INTERNATIONAL LIVE ARTIST
Bad Omens (Sumerian Records)
Deftones (Reprise Records)
Ghost (Loma Vista Recordings)
Ice Nine Kills (Fearless Records)
Spiritbox (Rise Records / Pale Chord)
Thornhill (N/A)
Turnstile (Roadrunner Records)
BEST BREAKTHROUGH LIVE ARTIST
Calva Louise (Mascot Records)
Lambrini Girls (City Slang / Big Scary Monsters)
PRESIDENT (Atlantic Records)
South Arcade (BKM / Atlantic USA)
Split Chain (Epitaph Records)
Unpeople (SharpTone Records)
Vower (Apricity Records)
BEST UK BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
Artio (Slam Dunk Records / Lab Records)
False Reality (Hassle Records)
Lambrini Girls (City Slang / Big Scary Monsters)
Love Is Noise (Blood Blast)
PRESIDENT (Atlantic Records)
Split Chain (Epitaph Records)
Unpeople (SharpTone Records)
BEST INTERNATIONAL BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST
Held. (MNRK Music)
The Pretty Wild (Sumerian Records)
PSYCHO-FRAME (SharpTone Records)
Sace6 (Sumerian Records)
TX2 (Hopeless Records)
Vianova (Arising Empire)
XCOMM (Blowed Out Records)
BEST ALBUM ARTWORK
AFI - Silver Bleeds The Black Sun (Run For Cover Records / Illustration & Design by Don Phury / Art Direction by Davey Havok)
Architects - The Sky, The Earth & All Between (Epitaph Records / Artwork by Frank Maddocks)
Deftones - Private Music (Reprise Records / Artwork by Frank Maddocks)
LANDMVRKS - The Darkest Place I've Ever Been (Arising Empire / Artwork by Guy Mishima)
Malevolence - Where Only The Truth Is Spoken (Nuclear Blast Records / Artwork by Eliran Kantor)
Sleep Token - Even In Arcadia (RCA / Artwork by Luke Penry)
Vukovi - My God Has Got A Gun (SharpTone Records / Artwork by Janine Shilstone)
If you’re interested in discussing sponsorship opportunities for HMA25, drop us an email - team@heavymusicawards.com