15 Rising U.K. and Ireland Acts to Watch in 2025

Ding! The chaos of year-end list season is finally over, fresh albums are being unveiled to the world once more and festival line-ups are gradually being announced. The music industry has opened up for 2025, and with that comes a wealth of critics’ picks as to the new names primed for a huge year.

There’s plenty to look forward to in British and Irish music over the next 12 months, particularly as we gear up towards festival season – a prime opportunity for emerging artists to demonstrate their talents to potential new fans, bookers and label scouts. For many of us, it’s in a live setting where it becomes clear just how deeply new music can thrill and surprise at every turn.

Crucially, last year, only two British artists – both already established names – reached the summit on the U.K.’s Official Singles Chart: Charli XCX (“Guess” featuring Billie Eilish) and Chase & Status (on the Stormzy team-up “Backbone”). Ireland’s Hozier, meanwhile, hit the top spot for two weeks with “Too Sweet.”

A mere few days into 2025, however, and we’re already seeing major wins on the same chart, most of which can be attributed to releases from rising talent. As of this week (Jan. 8), six months on from its initial release, Lola Young’s bold, vulnerable pop anthem “Messy” is already at No. 3; viral hits from the likes of Ceechynaa (“Peggy”) and Myles Smith (“Nice To Meet Ya”) can be found inching closer to the top 10 by the day.

It’s a promising start to the new year, one that’s bound to see many more acts develop sounds that could define major trends of the future. Here are 15 new musicians from the U.K. and Ireland to look out for in 2025, presented in alphabetical order.