National Album Day is set to celebrate music “Icons” in 2026, and winners include PinkPantheress and Max Richter.
The annual event celebrates the “art of the album” and the deep relationships that fans build with the artform. Each year, the day encourages album discovery and listening, and sees the release of exclusive products and record re-releases.
Themes vary from year to year, and previous instalments have included Nineties, Women in Music, Debut Albums, and Great British Groups. Last year, the theme was Rock, and it included vinyl re-released from the likes of Liam Gallagher, Manic Street Preachers, Iggy Pop, Queen, Architects and many more.
In 2026, it has been confirmed that the theme will be ‘Icons’, and encompass legendary, cultural and contemporary artists and recordings.
Artists set to be celebrated range from The Beatles to David Bowie, Oasis to Spice Girls, Jazzie B to Little Simz, and Lola Young to RAYE, and the event will explore how they transcend genres, speak to multiple generations, and help shape popular culture.
The 2026 event will be held on October 17, and the first two artist icons of this year’s campaign have been confirmed as BRIT Award-winner and Grammy-nominated PinkPantheress, and Oscar-nominated composer Max Richter CBE.
“Music is experienced in ways that are unique to every listener,” PinkPantheress said of being selected as a National Album Day 2026 Album Champion. “I love revisiting albums that I discovered at different times in my life, while always keeping an ear out for new sounds. This year, I encourage everyone to do the same for National Album Day.”
Max Richter shared: “Albums allow ideas the time and space to unfold. They invite a different kind of listening, one that allows for a deeper connection between artist and listener. That relationship is something I’ve always valued and why I’m glad to support National Album Day as an Album Champion.”
Other Album Champions selected for the 2026 edition of National Album Day will be announced at a later date.
The annual event launched in 2018 and, as always, the 2026 instalment will be presented in association with BBC Radio 2.
To mark the occasion, the unveiling of last year’s mural competition will take place at Bristol’s legendary Metal Quarter later today. The contest was won by artist and musician Brandon Burch, and his mural has been installed on the side of The Gryphon – one of the city’s most iconic rock venues.
National Album Day is organised by the BPI – the UK association of record companies and independent labels (BRIT Awards and Mercury Prize), and the ERA, which is the digital entertainment and retail association (Record Store Day).
Album Champions in previous years have included Wolf Alice, Iron Maiden, Nova Twins, Travis, Kylie Minogue, Elbow, Lewis Capaldi and many more. The event has also been celebrated with a variety of activities such as listening events, live performances, in-store promotions and more.
Backing the 2026 edition includes Cherry Red Records, DP World, Official Charts, PPL, Proper and Trapeze, and more details about vinyl reissues, live events and more will be shared at a later time.
In a statement, Iain McNay, Founder Cherry Red Records and ERA Retail Champion, highlighted how there has been a growing increase in demand for vinyl in recent years, and praised National Album Day for “increasingly encouraging people to discover this”.
Angela Howard, Vice President at Contract Logistics North Europe, DP World, added: “We are helping listeners across the UK enjoy the music they love in physical formats that are enduringly popular as the vinyl revival continues.
“At DP World Bicester – the UK’s largest physical music distribution site – we are proud to support the artists, labels, retailers and fans who keep album culture alive and National Album Day is a fantastic way for us to celebrate and support its enduring appeal and the musical ‘Icons’ who inspire audiences across generations.”
The involvement of PinkPantheress in this year’s event comes following the former NME Cover star winning the BRIT Award for Producer Of The Year in February, announcing a run of UK and European dates as part of her ‘An Evening With…’ tour, and her song ‘Illegal’ being named as NME’s song of the year at the end of 2025.
When asked by NME why she thought the track had resonated with so many listeners, the producer replied: “I don’t know if it’s anything too deep, other than having a [TikTok] trend for it helped and also the sample is quite timeless. I think the power of the beat itself is what people really like about it.”
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