The British music publication Rock Sound has unveiled the winners of its 2025 Rock Sound Awards, celebrating a year of groundbreaking and chart-dominating music. The coveted Album Of The Year award was presented to the anonymous collective Sleep Token for their critically acclaimed 2025 album, Even In Arcadia.
Swedish occult-rock masters Ghost were honored with The Visionary Artist award. The publication highlighted Tobias Forge’s work on the band’s latest album, Skeletá, noting that Forge “allowed more of his true self to poke through the shiny exterior… lifting the mask and creating some of his most deeply personal work to date.”
In one of the most-watched categories, the mysterious and explosive new band President was named Best New Artist. Rock Sound called the group “the breakout metal success of 2025,” who “emerged in a cloud of mystery to rapturous praise, building an immersive world through their debut musical statement, the King Of Terrors EP.”
Babymetal walked away with Best Live Act, a nod to their “energetic, frenetic and, above all, fun” performances, which included a historic show this summer where they became the first Japanese act to ever headline London’s O2 Arena.
The sister-trio The Warning secured Best International Act, with the publication citing their “12 months of perfecting their live show, ticking things off the bucket list and preparing for their next massive step.”
Key 2025 Rock Sound Award Winners:
- Album Of The Year: Sleep Token – Even In Arcadia
- The Visionary Artist: Ghost
- Best New Artist: President
- Best International Act: The Warning
- Best Live Act: Babymetal
- Breakthrough Artist: James Marriott
- Hall Of Fame: ONE OK ROCK
- The DIY Award: The All-American Rejects
- The Fan Power Award: Xdinary Heroes
- Spirit Of The Scene: Waterparks
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