Sound of... is an annual

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

poll of music critics and industry figures to find the most promising new music talent. It was first conducted by the BBC News website in 2003, and is now widely covered by the corporation's online, radio and TV outlets, as well as other media. A 10-strong longlist is published each December, with a ranked shortlist and annual winner announced the following January.

Winners

2000s

2010s

2020s

Notes

Sound of 2009

More than 130 critics, editors and broadcasters took part in the Sound of 2009 survey, which was won by electro-pop singer

Little Boots Victoria Christina Hesketh (born 4 May 1984), known professionally as Little Boots, is an English singer-songwriter and DJ. She was previously a member of the band Dead Disco. Since performing as a solo artist, she has released four albums: ''H ...

. For the first time, a longlist of 15 acts from the 2009 poll was published by the BBC on 5 December 2008. The other five acts on the longlist were

Frankmusik Vincent James Turner (born 9 October 1985), better known by his stage name Frankmusik ( ) (and between 2011 and 2012, by the name Vincent Did It), is an English synth-pop musician. Since 2010 he is based in Los Angeles as remixer and producer. ...

Master Shortie Theo Jerome Kerlin (born 7 May 1989) is a British MC who is credited by his stage name Master Shortie. He is also a singer and has established his own record label, Odd One Out. He was included in the Sound of 2009 poll. Early life Kerlin i ...

Mumford & Sons Mumford & Sons are a British folk rock band formed in London in 2007. The band consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, drums), Ted Dwane (vocals, double bass, bass guitar), and Ben Lovett (British musician), B ...

The Big Pink The Big Pink are an English electronic rock band from London, consisting of multi-instrumentalists Robertson "Robbie" Furze, Akiko Matsuura and Charlie Barker. Initially a duo, they signed to independent record label 4AD in 2009 and won the ' ...

and

The Temper Trap The Temper Trap are an Australian indie rock band formed in 2005 by , Jonathon Aherne, and Toby Dundas. In 2008, the group relocated from Melbourne to London. The band released their debut album ''Conditions (album), Conditions'' in June 2009 to ...

Sound of 2010

The longlist for the Sound of 2010 poll was revealed on 7 December 2009. The acts nominated were

Daisy Dares You Daisy May Keeley Coburn (born 27 October 1993), is a British singer and songwriter. She previously performed under the stage name Daisy Dares You, a reference to the character of the same name from the 1990s British television show '' ZZZap!''. ...

, Delphic, Devlin,

Ellie Goulding Elena Jane Goulding ( ; born 30 December 1986) is an English singer, songwriter, and activist. Born in Hereford and raised in Lyonshall, Goulding began writing songs at the age of 15. She released her debut single " Under the Sheets" through ...

Everything Everything Everything Everything are an English art rock band from Manchester that formed in late 2007. Noted for their eclectic sound and complex, avant-garde-inspired lyrics, the band has released seven albums to date '' Man Alive (2010),'' '' Arc (2013 ...

, Giggs,

Gold Panda Derwin Schlecker (born Derwin Dicker, 1980), professionally known as Gold Panda, is an English electronic record producer and songwriter. Derwin Dicker also performs house music as DJ Jenifa. Early life Derwin Schlecker was born as Derwin Dicker ...

Hurts Hurts may refer to: * Pain, injury or suffering * Hurts (duo), British musical duo * Hurts (song), "Hurts" (song), by Emeli Sandé, 2016 * "Hurts", a song by Lany from ''LANY (album), LANY'', 2017 * "Hurts", a song by Mika from ''No Place in Heaven ...

, Joy Orbison,

Marina and the Diamonds Marina Lambrini Diamandis ( ; ; born 10 October 1985), known mononymously as Marina (often stylised in all caps) and previously by the stage name Marina and the Diamonds, is a Greek-Welsh singer, songwriter, poet and record producer. Born in ...

Owl City Owl City is an American electronic music project created in 2007 in Owatonna, Minnesota. It is one of several projects by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Adam Young (American musician), Adam Young, who created the project while exp ...

, Rox,

Stornoway Stornoway (; ) is the main town, and by far the largest, of the Outer Hebrides (or Western Isles), and the capital of Lewis and Harris in Scotland. The town's population is around 6,953, making it the third-largest island town in Scotlan ...

The Drums The Drums is an American indie pop band/project from New York City. It was initially formed by Jonathan Pierce and Jacob Graham as Goat Explosion, and later added Adam Kessler and Connor Hanwick. Graham exited the band in 2016. Since then, ...

and

Two Door Cinema Club Two Door Cinema Club are a British rock band formed in Bangor, County Down, Bangor, Northern Ireland in 2007. The band is composed of three members: Alex Trimble (vocals, rhythm guitar, beats, synths), Sam Halliday (lead guitar, backing vocals), ...

. On 8 January 2010, Ellie Goulding was announced as the winner. She has since gone to reach No. 1 with her debut album '' Lights''.

Sound of 2011

The longlist for the Sound of 2011 poll was revealed on 6 December 2010. The acts nominated were

Anna Calvi Anna Margaret Michelle Calvi (born 24 September 1980) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her accolades include three Mercury Prize nominations, one Brit Awards, Brit Award nomination, and a European Border Breakers Award. She has b ...

Clare Maguire Clare Rita Mary Maguire (born 15 September 1988) is an English singer-songwriter. She was signed to Universal Music Group, Polydor Records in 2009. She was rated in fifth place in the BBC Sound of 2011 list of the top 15 most promising new artis ...

Daley Daley, originally an Irish family name derived from the Gaelic Ó Dálaigh, as a surname, may refer to: People Given name * Daley Blind (born 1990), Dutch footballer * Daley Mena (born 1985), Colombian footballer * Daley Ojuederie (born 1985), p ...

Esben and the Witch Esben and the Witch (Danish language: ''Esben og Troldheksen'') is a Danish fairy tale first collected by Jens Kamp.Kamp, Jens. ''Danske Folkeminder, æventyr, Folkesagn, Gaader, Rim Og Folketro''. Odense: R. Nielsen, 1877. pp. 93-102. Andrew ...

, Jai Paul, James Blake, Jamie Woon,

Jessie J Jessica Ellen Cornish (born 27 March 1988), known professionally as Jessie J, is an English singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, she began her career on stage, aged 11, with a role in the West End musical '' Whistle Down the Wind ...

, MONA,

NERO Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus ( ; born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus; 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his ...

The Naked and Famous The Naked and Famous are a New Zealand indie electronic band from Auckland, formed in 2007. The band currently consists of Alisa Xayalith (vocals, keyboards) and Thom Powers (vocals, guitars). The band has released four studio albums: ''Passiv ...

The Vaccines The Vaccines are an English indie rock band, formed in West London in 2010 by Justin Hayward-Young and Freddie Cowan. The band currently consists of Young (lead vocals, guitars), Árni Árnason (bass, vocals), Timothy Lanham (guitars, keys, ...

, Warpaint,

Wretch 32 Jermaine Sinclaire Scott (born 9 March 1985), better known by his stage name Wretch 32, is a British rapper, singer and songwriter from Tottenham, North London. He was a member of the grime collective Combination Chain Gang, before forming The ...

and Yuck. On 7 January 2011, Jessie J was announced as the winner.

Sound of 2012

The longlist for the Sound of 2012 poll was revealed on 5 December 2011. The acts nominated were

ASAP Rocky Rakim Athelaston Mayers (born October 3, 1988), known professionally as ASAP Rocky ( ; stylized as A$AP Rocky), is an American rapper. Born and raised in Harlem, he embarked on his musical career as a member of the hip hop music, hip hop coll ...

Azealia Banks Azealia Amanda Banks ( ; born May 31, 1991) is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. Raised in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City, she began releasing music through Myspace in 2008 before being signed to XL Recordings at age 18. S ...

, Dot Rotten, Dry The River,

Flux Pavilion Joshua Kiekegaard Grant Steele (born 15 January 1989), known professionally as Flux Pavilion, is an English EDM producer, DJ, singer-songwriter and label owner. He started performing in 2008. Flux Pavilion has headlined three US tours, two UK ...

Frank Ocean Frank Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987) is an American singer and songwriter. He has been credited by several music journalism, music critics as a pioneer of the alternative R&B genre. Ocean has won two Grammy Awards and a B ...

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane (producer), David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting List of Friends episodes, ten seasons. With an ensemble cast ...

Jamie N Commons James Nicholas Commons (born 22 October 1988) is a British singer and songwriter, based in New Cross, London. Early life and education Commons was born in Bristol, England, but was raised, in part, in Chicago, Illinois, United States. At age ...

Lianne La Havas Lianne Charlotte Vlahavas (born 23 August 1989), known professionally as Lianne La Havas ( ), is a British singer-songwriter. Her career began after being introduced to various musicians, including singer Paloma Faith, for whom she sang backing ...

Michael Kiwanuka Michael Samuel Kiwanuka (born 3 May 1988) is a British singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is currently signed to Polydor Records. His debut album '' Home Again'' (2012) went gold in the United Kingdom, while his second album ...

, Niki & the Dove, Ren Harvieu,

Skrillex Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, musician, singer. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he began his career in 2004 as the lead vocalist of the ...

, Spector and

Stooshe Stooshe ( ) are a British girl group from London, consisting of three members Alexandra Buggs, Karis Anderson and Courtney Rumbold. Initially signed to Warner Music they released of their first single " Love Me", featuring US rapper Travie McCo ...

. On 6 January 2012, Michael Kiwanuka was announced as the winner.

Sound of 2013

The longlist for the Sound of 2013 poll was revealed on 9 December 2012. The acts nominated were

AlunaGeorge AlunaGeorge are an English electronic music duo from London, consisting of singer-songwriter Aluna Francis and producer George Reid. Since 2020, the duo has been on indefinite hiatus, allowing both members to pursue solo projects. Career 2009 ...

A*M*E Aminata Kabba (born 13 December 1994), also known by her stage name Kabba (stylised as KABBA), formerly A*M*E, is a British singer and songwriter. KABBA was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on 13 December 1994. In 2011, A*M*E was scouted and sig ...

, Angel Haze, Arlissa, CHVRCHΞS,

HAIM Haim can be a first name or surname originating in Hebrew or derived from the Old German name Haimo. Etymology Hebrew Chayyim ( ', Classical Hebrew: , Israeli Hebrew: ), also transcribed ''Haim, Hayim, Chayim'', or ''Chaim'' (English pronunciat ...

King Krule Archy Ivan Marshall (born 24 August 1994), also known by his stage name King Krule, among other names, is an English singer, songwriter, musician, rapper and record producer. He began recording music in 2010 under the moniker Zoo Kid. The foll ...

Kodaline Kodaline () are an Irish rock band. Originally known as 21 Demands, the band adopted their current name in 2012 to coincide with the changing of their music. The group comprises Steve Garrigan, Vincent May, Mark Penderson and Jason Boland. Gar ...

Laura Mvula Laura Mvula ( Douglas; born 23 April 1986) is a British singer. A native of Birmingham, England, Mvula gained experience as a member or leader of a cappella, jazz/ neo-soul and gospel groups and choirs. She was classically trained. In 2012, sh ...

, Little Green Cars, Palma Violets,

Peace Peace is a state of harmony in the absence of hostility and violence, and everything that discusses achieving human welfare through justice and peaceful conditions. In a societal sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (suc ...

, Savages,

the Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (; born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is best known for adding Pop music, pop, electronic music, electronic and hip-hop stylings ...

and

Tom Odell Thomas Peter Odell (born 24 November 1990) is an English singer-songwriter. He released his debut extended play, ''Songs from Another Love'', in 2012. He won the 2013 BRIT Awards, BRITs Critics' Choice Award in early 2013. Odell's debut studio ...

. On 4 January 2013, HAIM were announced as the winners on Radio 1 by Huw Stephens.

Sound of 2014

The longlist for the Sound of 2014 poll was revealed on 2 December 2013. The acts nominated were

Banks A bank is a financial institution that accepts deposits from the public and creates a demand deposit while simultaneously making loans. Lending activities can be directly performed by the bank or indirectly through capital markets. As banks ...

Chance the Rapper Chancelor Johnathan Bennett (born April 16, 1993), known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, he released his debut mixtape '' 10 Day'' (2012) during one of his high school suspension ...

Chlöe Howl Chlöe Howl (born Chlöe Louise Howells; 4 March 1995), is a British singer-songwriter. She was shortlisted for the BBC Sound of 2014 and the 2014 BRIT Awards: Critics Choice Award. Career Early life Chlöe Howl (real name Chlöe Howells) wa ...

Ella Eyre Ella McMahon (born 1 April 1994), known professionally as Ella Eyre, is an English singer and songwriter. She is known for her collaborations with Rudimental on their UK number-one single " Waiting All Night" (2013), which won the 2014 Brit Aw ...

George Ezra George Ezra Barnett (born 7 June 1993) is an English musician. After releasing two EPs, '' Did You Hear the Rain?'' (2013) and '' Cassy O (2014), Ezra rose to prominence with the release of his hit single "Budapest", which reached number one ...

FKA twigs Tahliah Debrett Barnett (born 16 January 1988), known professionally as FKA Twigs (stylized as FKA twigs), is an English singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and dancer. She was a backup dancer for numerous musicians, and made her musica ...

Jungle jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅgala'' ...

Kelela Kelela Mizanekristos (, , ) (born June 4, 1983) is an American singer. She made her debut in the music industry with the release of her 2013 mixtape ''Cut 4 Me.'' In 2015, she released ''Hallucinogen'', an EP which deals with the beginning, m ...

Luke Sital-Singh Luke Sital-Singh is a British singer-songwriter. About He is of Indo-Jamaican descent. His first EP, entitled ''Fail for You'', was released in 2012. On 18 July 2012 Sital-Singh was the featured artist on ''The Guardians "New band of the ...

MNEK Uzoechi Osisioma "Uzo" Emenike (; born 9 November 1994), professionally known by his stage name MNEK ( ; a gramogram of Emenike), is a British singer, songwriter and record producer. He has been nominated for a Grammy and a Brit Award, and ha ...

Nick Mulvey Nick Mulvey (born 4 November 1984) is an English musician, singer and songwriter. He played the hang as a founding member of the band Portico Quartet. In 2011 he started his career as a singer-songwriter releasing the EPs ''The Trellis'' (20 ...

Royal Blood A royal descent is a genealogical line of descent from a past or present monarch. Both geneticists and genealogists have attempted to estimate the percentage of living people with royal descent. From a genetic perspective, the number of unp ...

Sam Smith Samuel Frederick Smith (born 19 May 1992) is an English singer and songwriter. In 2012, they rose to prominence when they featured on Disclosure (band), Disclosure's breakthrough single "Latch (song), Latch", which peaked at number eleven on ...

Sampha Sampha Lahai Sisay (born 16 November 1988) is a British singer, songwriter, musician and record producer from Morden, South London. Sampha has collaborated with Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Frank Ocean, SBTRKT, Jessie Ware, Alicia Keys, Gorillaz, ...

and Say Lou Lou. On 10 January 2014, Sam Smith was announced as the winner on Radio 1 by Nick Grimshaw.

Sound of 2015

The longlist for the Sound of 2015 poll was revealed on 1 December 2014. The acts nominated were George the Poet,

James Bay James Bay (, ; ) is a large body of water located on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. It borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, and is politically part of Nunavut. Its largest island is Akimiski Island. Numerous waterways of the ...

Kwabs Kwabena Sarkodee Adjepong (born 24 April 1990), better known by his stage name Kwabs, is an English singer and songwriter. He is best known for his international hit "Walk". Early life Born in London, Kwabs was raised in Bermondsey, Southwark ...

Låpsley Holly Lapsley Fletcher (born 7 August 1996), known by the stage name Låpsley, is an English singer, songwriter, musician and producer. Her debut album '' Long Way Home'' was released on 4 March 2016. Early life Låpsley was born in York. Her m ...

Novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while other ...

Rae Morris Rachel Anne "Rae" Morris (born 2 September 1992) is an English singer and songwriter. She released her debut album, '' Unguarded'', in 2015. Her second album, '' Someone Out There'', was released in January 2018. Her third album, ''Rachel@Fairyl ...

Raury Raury Deshawn Tullis (born June 10, 1996) is an American singer-songwriter and rapper. He is known for his eclectic sound, mixing the genres of soul, hip hop and folk. Born and raised in Stone Mountain, Georgia, he was the inaugural artist signe ...

, Shamir,

Shura Shura () is the term for collective decision-making in Islam. It can, for example, take the form of a council or a referendum. The Quran encourages Muslims to decide their affairs in consultation with each other. Shura is mentioned as a praise ...

Slaves Slavery is the ownership of a person as property, especially in regards to their labour. Slavery typically involves compulsory work, with the slave's location of work and residence dictated by the party that holds them in bondage. Enslavemen ...

, SOAK,

Stormzy Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr. (born 26 July 1993), known professionally as Stormzy, is an English-Ghanaian rapper, singer, and songwriter. In 2014, he gained attention on the UK underground music scene through his ''Wicked Skengman'' ...

, Sunset Sons,

Wolf Alice Wolf Alice are a Rock music, rock band from London. Formed in 2010 as an acoustic duo made up of singer Ellie Rowsell and guitarist Joff Oddie, Wolf Alice have also featured bassist Theo Ellis and drummer Joel Amey since 2012. Wolf Alice playe ...

and Years & Years. On 9 January 2015, Years & Years were announced as the winners on Radio 1 by Huw Stephens.

Sound of 2016

The longlist for the Sound of 2016 poll was revealed on 30 November 2015. The acts nominated were

Alessia Cara Alessia Caracciolo (born July 11, 1996), known professionally as Alessia Cara (), is a Canadian singer and songwriter. She began posting covers of songs on YouTube at age 13. After uploading acoustic covers of songs such as " Love Yourself" and ...

, Billie Marten,

Blossoms In botany, blossoms are the flowers of stone fruit trees (genus ''Prunus'') and of some other plants with a similar appearance that flower profusely for a period of time in spring. Colloquially, flowers of orange are referred to as such as we ...

Dua Lipa Dua Lipa ( ; born22 August 1995) is an English and Albanian singer, songwriter and actress. List of awards and nominations received by Dua Lipa, Her accolades include seven Brit Awards and three Grammy Awards. Lipa worked as a model before v ...

Frances Frances is an English given name or last name of Latin origin. In Latin the meaning of the name Frances is 'from France' or 'the French.' The male version of the name in English is Francis (given name), Francis. The original Franciscus, meaning "F ...

Izzy Bizu Isobel Bizu Beardshaw (born 28 April 1994), better known as Izzy Bizu, is a British-Ethiopian singer-songwriter previously signed with Epic Records. Bizu has garnered mainstream radio support from BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac and Phil Taggart and ...

Jack Garratt Jack Robert Garratt (born 11 October 1991) is an English singer, songwriter and composer from Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire. He released his debut studio album ''Phase'' on 19 February 2016. At the 2016 Brit Awards he received the Critic ...

J Hus Momodou Lamin Jallow (born 26 October 1996) known professionally as J Hus, is a British rapper and singer who has been credited with pioneering the genre Afroswing. He is currently signed to Black Butter Records. He gained popularity in 2015 f ...

, Loyle Carner,

Mabel Mabel is an English female name derived from the Latin ''amabilis'', "lovable, dear".Reclams Namensbuch, 1987, History Amabilis of Riom (died 475) was a French male saint who logically would have assumed the name Amabilis upon entering the prie ...

Mura Masa Alexander George Edward Crossan (born 5 April 1996), better known by his stage name Mura Masa, is a Guernsey-born electronic record producer and songwriter. Crossan is best known for his 2016 song " Lovesick" (featuring ASAP Rocky), which pea ...

, NAO, RAT BOY, Section Boyz and

WSTRN WSTRN (a disemvoweling of the word Western, which is also pronounced) are a British hip hop/ R&B group from West London consisting of Akelle Charles, Haile (born Ras Haile Alexander), and Louis Rei (born Louis-Rae Beadle). Their debut single, " ...

. On 8 January 2016, Jack Garratt was announced as the winner.

Sound of 2017

The longlist for the Sound of 2017 poll was revealed on 28 November 2016. The acts nominated were

AJ Tracey Ché Wolton Grant (born 4 March 1994), known professionally as AJ Tracey, is a British rapper and record producer from Ladbroke Grove, London. Tracey rose to popularity in 2016 and was listed by ''The Guardian'' in a list of "best new acts to c ...

, Anderson .Paak,

CABBAGE Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of '' Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.& ...

Dave Dave may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver * ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the 1993 film * ''Dave'' (TV series), a 2020 American comedy series * ...

Declan McKenna Declan Benedict McKenna (born 24 December 1998) is an English singer-songwriter. He initially gained recognition for winning the Glastonbury Festival's Emerging Talent Competition in 2015. McKenna self-released the song "Brazil (Declan McKenna s ...

Jorja Smith Jorja Alice Smith (born 11 June 1997) is an English singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Walsall, West Midlands, she has been writing songs since the age of 11. In 2012, Smith's friend uploaded her cover of Labrinth's "Earthquake" to YouT ...

Maggie Rogers Margaret Debay Rogers (born April 25, 1994) is an American singer-songwriter and record producer from Easton, Maryland. After her song "Alaska" was played to artist-in-residence Pharrell Williams during a master class at the Clive Davis Institut ...

Nadia Rose Nadia Rose (born 11 June 1993) is a British rapper and songwriter from Croydon, London. Education Rose studied Music and Music Management at university. Career Rose released her debut EP ''Highly Flammable'' on 13 January 2017 following the su ...

Rag'n'Bone Man Rory Charles Graham (born 29 January 1985), known professionally as Rag'n'Bone Man, is an English singer. He is known for his deep baritone voice. His first hit single, "Human", was released in 2016, and his first album ''Human'' was released ...

, Ray BLK,

Raye Rachel Agatha Keen (born 24 October 1997), known professionally as Raye ( ), is a British singer-songwriter. She first rose to prominence after signing with Polydor Records and subsequently releasing Dance music, dance singles and extended pla ...

Stefflon Don Stephanie Victoria Allen (born 14 December 1991), known professionally as Stefflon Don, is an English rapper. She rose to fame with her 2017 single "Hurtin' Me" (featuring French Montana), which peaked at number seven on the UK singles chart, ...

, The Amazons, The Japanese House and

Tom Grennan Thomas Grennan (born 8 June 1995) is an English singer and songwriter from Bedford. Grennan found fame as the guest vocalist on Chase & Status's "All Goes Wrong" in 2016. His debut album, ''Lighting Matches'', was released in July 2018. The a ...

. On 6 January 2017, Ray BLK was announced as the winner on Radio 1 by Clara Amfo.

Sound of 2018

The longlist for the Sound of 2018 was revealed on 27 November 2017. The acts nominated were

ALMA Alma or ALMA may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Alma'' (film), a 2009 Spanish short animated film * ''Alma'', an upcoming film by Sally Potter * ''Alma'' (Oswald de Andrade novel), 1922 * ''Alma'' (Le Clézio novel), 2017 * ''Alma'' ( ...

Billie Eilish Billie Eilish Pirate Baird O'Connell ( ; born December 18, 2001) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. She first gained public attention in 2015 with her debut single "Ocean Eyes (song), Ocean Eyes", written and produced by her broth ...

, IAMDDB,

Jade Bird Jade Elizabeth Bird (born 1 October 1997) is an English singer, songwriter and musician. Bird's music has been influenced by many folk and Americana artists. The media, when describing Bird's music, have drawn comparisons with pop, American ...

Khalid Khalid (variants include Khaled and Kalid; Arabic: خالد) is a popular Arabic male given name meaning "eternal, everlasting, immortal". It also appears as a surname.

Lewis Capaldi Lewis Marc Capaldi (born 7 October 1996) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and musician. In March 2019, his single "Someone You Loved" (2018) topped the UK Singles Chart where it remained for seven weeks, and in November 2019, it reached number ...

, Nilüfer Yanya,

Not3s Lukman Olanrewaju Odunaike (born 17 April 1998), better known by his stage name Not3s (pronounced Notes), is an English rapper and singer from Hackney, London. His songs include "My Lover" and "Fine Line", both of which are collaborations with ...

Pale Waves Pale Waves are an English Rock music, rock band from Manchester, formed in 2014. Lead singer and guitarist Heather Baron-Gracie met drummer Ciara Doran while attending university in Manchester and they formed a band. Guitarist Hugo Silvani and ...

Rex Orange County Alexander James O'Connor (born 4 May 1998), known professionally as Rex Orange County, is a British singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Grayshott, England. '' NPR Music''s Zoë Jones has described O'Connor's music as "a bright b ...

Sam Fender Samuel Thomas Fender (born 25 April 1994) is an English singer, songwriter, and musician. Born and raised in North Shields (near Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle), Fender discovered his passion for music during his teenage years and released sev ...

Sigrid Sigrid is a Scandinavian given name for women from Old Norse ''Sigríðr'', composed of the elements ''sigr'' "victory" and ''fríðr'' "beautiful". Common short forms include Siri, Sigga, Sig, and Sigi. An Estonian and Finnish variant is Sii ...

Superorganism A superorganism, or supraorganism, is a group of synergetically interacting organisms of the same species. A community of synergetically interacting organisms of different species is called a '' holobiont''. Concept The term superorganism is ...

, Tom Walker, yaeji and

Yxng Bane Larry Cummings Kiala, known professionally as Yxng Bane (pronounced "young bane"), is an English rapper, singer and songwriter. Early and personal life Larry Cummings Kiala grew up in Custom House, an industrial district of East London's Cannin ...

. On 12 January 2018, Sigrid was announced as the winner on Radio 1 by Clara Amfo.

Sound of 2019

The longlist for the Sound of 2019 was revealed on 10 December 2018. The acts nominated were

Dermot Kennedy Dermot Joseph Kennedy (born 13 December 1991) is an Irish singer and songwriter. He is known for his 2019 singles " Outnumbered" and " Power Over Me", his 2020 single " Giants", and his feature on the 2020 Meduza single " Paradise". He is signed ...

Ella Mai Ella Mai Howell (born 3 November 1994) is an English R&B singer and songwriter. Her musical career began at London's British and Irish Modern Music Institute in 2014, during which time she auditioned as part of a trio on the 11th season of ...

, FLOHIO, Grace Carter,

King Princess Mikaela Mullaney Straus (born December 19, 1998), known by her stage name King Princess, is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Brooklyn, New York. She is signed to Mark Ronson's label Zelig Records, an imprint of Colu ...

, Mahalia,

Octavian Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in ...

, ROSALÍA,

Sea Girls Sea Girls are a British indie rock band formed in 2015, comprising four members: Henry Camamile (vocals, guitar), Rory Young (lead guitar), Andrew Dawson (bass), and Oli Khan (drums). The band are known for their indie rock anthems and energet ...

and

slowthai Tyron Kaymone Frampton (born 18 December 1994), better known by his stage name Slowthai (stylised in lowercase), is a British rapper. Raised in Northampton, he rose to popularity in 2019 for his gritty and rough instrumentals and raw, Music and ...

. This is the first longlist since the Sound of 2007 to feature only 10 acts. On 11 January 2019, Octavian was announced as the winner by Annie Mac, making him the first rapper to win the longlist since 50 Cent in 2003. He was also the first winner since 2009 to be signed not with

Universal Music Group Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as Universal Music Group or Universal Music) is a Netherlands, Dutch–United States, American multinational Music industry, music corporation under Law of the Netherlands, ...

, with which all winners of ''Sound of...'' since 2010 were signed at the time of awarding - Octavian is signed with Black Butter, which is partially owned by Universal's competitor,

Sony Music Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...

Sound of 2020

The longlist for the Sound of 2020 was revealed on 12 December 2019. The acts nominated were

Arlo Parks Anaïs Oluwatoyin Estelle Marinho (born 9 August 2000), known professionally as Arlo Parks, is an English singer and songwriter. Her debut studio album, ''Collapsed in Sunbeams'', was released in 2021 to critical acclaim and peaked at number th ...

beabadoobee Beatrice Kristi Ilejay Laus (born 3 June 2000), known professionally as Beabadoobee (; '), is a British singer-songwriter. From 2018 to 2021, she released five extended plays (EPs) under the independent label Dirty Hit: ''Lice'' (2018), ''Patc ...

, Celeste, easy life,

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

Inhaler An inhaler (puffer, asthma pump or allergy spray) is a medical device used for delivering medicines into the lungs through the work of a person's breathing. This allows medicines to be delivered to and absorbed in the lungs, which provides the ...

, Joesef,

Joy Crookes Joy Elizabeth Akther Crookes (born 9 October 1998) "Date of birth: October 1998" "Nationality: Irish" "Country of residence: England" is a British singer-songwriter. She incorporates details about relationships, self-reliance, her culture, her ...

Squid A squid (: squid) is a mollusc with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight cephalopod limb, arms, and two tentacles in the orders Myopsida, Oegopsida, and Bathyteuthida (though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also ...

and

YUNGBLUD Dominic Richard Harrison (born 5 August 1997), known professionally as Yungblud, is an English singer, songwriter and actor. In 2018, he released his debut EP ''Yungblud'', followed by his first full-length album ''21st Century Liability''. In ...

. On 9 January 2020, Celeste was announced as the winner.

Sound of 2021

The longlist for the Sound of 2021 was revealed on 7 December 2020. The acts nominated were

Alfie Templeman Alfie George Templeman (born 26 January 2003) is an English singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. In 2016, he began recording and releasing demos at the age of 13. Templeman made his professional solo debut in 2018, and went on ...

, BERWYN, Bree Runway,

Dutchavelli Stephan Allen (born 11 November 1993), better known by his stage name Dutchavelli, is a British rapper. His name comes in part from the fact that he and his family (including his sister, Stefflon Don, a rapper) spent their formative years in Rot ...

girl in red Marie Ulven Ringheim (born 16 February 1999) known professionally as girl in red (stylised in all lowercase), is a Norwegian singer-songwriter and record producer. Her first EPs ''Chapter 1'' (2018) and ''Chapter 2'' (2019) were recorded in her ...

, Greentea Peng,

Griff Griff may refer to: People * Griff (name), a list of people with the given name or surname * Griff (singer), stage name of English singer and songwriter Sarah Faith Griffiths (born 2001) * Nickname of Guy Griffiths (1915–1999), British Secon ...

, Holly Humberstone, Pa Salieu and The Lathums. On 7 January 2021, Pa Salieu was announced as the winner on Radio 1 by Annie Mac.

Sound of 2022

The longlist for the Sound of 2022 was revealed on 6 December 2021. The acts nominated were Baby Queen,

Central Cee Oakley Neil Caesar-Su (born 4 June 1998), known professionally as Central Cee, is a British rapper from Shepherd's Bush, London. Regarded as a leading figure in UK rap, he rose to prominence in 2020 with the release of his drill singles "Day i ...

, ENNY, Lola Young,

Mimi Webb Amelia Anne "Mimi" Webb (born 23 July 2000), is an English singer and songwriter. In October 2021, she released her debut EP, '' Seven Shades of Heartbreak,'' which peaked at number nine on the UK Albums Chart, and included the single " Good Wi ...

PinkPantheress Victoria Beverley Walker (born 19 April 2001), known professionally as PinkPantheress, is a British singer, songwriter, and record producer. Her music is noted for its various samples and diaristic lyrics. Born in Bath, Somerset, and raised ...

, Priya Ragu,

Tems Temilade Openiyi (born 11 June 1995), known professionally as Tems, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, and record producer. She rose to prominence after being featured on Wizkid's 2020 single "Essence", which peaked at number 9 on the ''Billbo ...

Wet Leg Wet Leg are an English indie rock band from the Isle of Wight, England, founded in 2019 by Rhian Teasdale (vocals, guitar) and Hester Chambers (guitar). The band also includes Josh Mobaraki (guitar, keyboards), Ellis Durand (bass) and Henry Ho ...

, and Yard Act. On 6 January 2022, PinkPantheress was announced as the winner by Jack Saunders.

Sound of 2023

The longlist for the Sound of 2023 was revealed on December 5, 2022. The acts nominated were

Asake Ahmed Ololade (born 13 January 1995), known professionally as Asake, is a Nigerian singer, rapper and songwriter. He was previously signed to YBNL Nation and Empire Distribution. His stage name "Asake" is his mother's name. In September 2022, ...

Biig Piig Jessica Smyth, known by the stage name Biig Piig, is an Irish singer and rapper, who lived in Spain before settling in West London. She performs in English and Spanish and was signed to RCA before moving to parent company Sony Music. Starting ...

, Cat Burns, DYLAN,

FLO Flo or FLO may refer to: People * Flo (name), a list of people with the name Flo * Flo, nickname of LB1, a ''Homo floresiensis'' fossil Places * Flo, Norway, a village near Stryn, Vestland * Flo, Sweden, a historic parish near Grästorp, ...

, Fred again.., Gabriels, Nia Archives, piri & tommy and Rachel Chinouriri. On 5 January 2023, FLO were announced as the winners by Stormzy and Jack Saunders, making them the first female group to win the longlist since HAIM in 2013.

Sound of 2024

The longlist for the Sound of 2024 was revealed on 4 December 2023. The acts nominated were

Ayra Starr Sarah Oyinkansola Aderibigbe (born 14 June 2002), known professionally as Ayra Starr, is a Nigerian singer and songwriter born in Benin Republic. She achieved mainstream international recognition in 2022, with the release of her hit song "Ru ...

, Caity Baser, CMAT, Elmiene, Kenya Grace, Olivia Dean,

Peggy Gou Kim Min-ji (; born 3 July 1991), known as Peggy Gou ( ; ), is a South Korean DJ, singer, songwriter and record producer based in Berlin, Germany. She has released seven Extended play, EPs on record labels including Ninja Tune and The Vinyl Fact ...

, Sekou,

The Last Dinner Party The Last Dinner Party are a British indie rock band from London, formed in 2021. The band consists of Abigail Morris (vocals), Lizzie Mayland (vocals, guitar), Emily Roberts (lead guitar, mandolin, flute), Georgia Davies (bass) and Aurora ...

, and Tyla. On 5 January 2024, The Last Dinner Party were announced as the winners by Florence Welch and Jack Saunders.

Sound of 2025

The longlist for the Sound of 2025 was revealed on 21 November 2024. The acts nominated were Barry Can't Swim,

Chappell Roan Kayleigh Rose Amstutz (born February 19, 1998), known professionally as Chappell Roan ( ), is an American singer and songwriter. She is known for her Camp (style), camp and drag queen–influenced aesthetic. Her debut EP, ''School Nights'' (201 ...

, Confidence Man,

Doechii Jaylah Ji'mya Hickmon (born August 14, 1998), known professionally as Doechii ( ), is an American rapper and singer. Her songs became viral videos on TikTok in 2021 and she signed recording contracts with Top Dawg Entertainment and Capitol Recor ...

, English Teacher,

Ezra Collective Ezra Collective are a British jazz quintet composed of drummer and bandleader Femi Koleoso, bassist TJ Koleoso, keyboardist Joe Armon-Jones, trumpeter Ife Ogunjobi, and tenor saxophonist James Mollison, who met at the jazz youth programme Tomorr ...

, Good Neighbours,

KNEECAP The patella (: patellae or patellas), also known as the kneecap, is a flat, rounded triangular bone which articulates with the femur (thigh bone) and covers and protects the anterior articular surface of the knee joint. The patella is found in m ...

, Mk.gee,

Myles Smith Myles Michael Smith-Thompson (born 3 June 1998) is a British singer and songwriter from Luton, England. He is best known for his 2024 singles " Stargazing" and " Nice to Meet You". In 2025, he was considered as one of the most influential peop ...

, and Pozer. On 10 January 2025, Chappell Roan was announced as the winner.

Criticism

It has been commented upon that the Sound of... survey creates a

self-fulfilling prophecy A self-fulfilling prophecy is a prediction that comes true at least in part as a result of a person's belief or expectation that the prediction would come true. In the phenomena, people tend to act the way they have been expected to in order to mak ...

, because the BBC has a significant amount of control on who becomes a "breakthrough act". And by adding the nominated acts to their radio playlists, they are guaranteeing some level of fame. ''

Guardian Guardian usually refers to: * Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another * ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper (The) Guardian(s) may also refer to: Places * Guardian, West Virginia, Unit ...

'' critic

Kitty Empire Kitty Empire (born 1970) is a British writer and music critic, currently writing for ''The Observer''. Early life Empire says that she was born in Montreal, Quebec, in 1970 and brought up in Canada, Italy and Egypt before arriving in Britain in ...

wrote in December 2007, "Many of us are editors commissioning, and journalists writing, our own ones-to-watch forecasts. In order not to look like idiots, we tend to tip acts with records coming out rather than some lad with a tin whistle we found on

MySpace Myspace (formerly stylized as MySpace, currently myspace; and sometimes my␣, with an elongated Whitespace character#Substitute images, open box symbol) is a social networking service based in the United States. Launched on August 1, 2003, it w ...

." The same issue was again raised in 2011, upon the publication of the longlist for the Sound of 2012. ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...

''s Joe Burgis wrote, "The Sound of 2012 project faces criticism that it is too heavily weighted in favour of mainstream performers." The head of music at

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...

and

1Xtra BBC Radio 1Xtra is a British digital radio in the United Kingdom, digital radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It broadcasts Black music and Urban contemporary music, urban music, including Hip hop music, hip hop and Contemporary R&B, ...

response to the question was "The list will inspire debate for sure, but most importantly, it will lead to discovery of artists and musicians trying to stand out from the ever-expanding crowd, and that can only be a good thing". Upon the publication of the Sound of 2025 longlist, '' Clash''s Robin Murray criticised the longlist that comprises artists who have already achieved success such as festival headliners and

Mercury Prize The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual Music award, music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the Music of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom or Music of Ireland, Ireland. It was cre ...

winners instead of new artists who haven't had a breakthrough. This was due to a change in the eligibility criteria, which states that artists could not have had more than two UK top 10 albums or two UK top 10 singles by 30 September 2024.

References

External links

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Sound Of... BBC music awards BBC New Media Sound of... Awards established in 2003 2003 establishments in the United Kingdom