Here's the stars who left their own indelible mark on 2026

The Rolling Stone UK Awards 2026 is only weeks way, and we’re hugely excited to kick things off with our nominees for The Breakthrough Award, supported by the Roundhouse.

Our annual shindig returns to the Roundhouse on 19 November and will include four stellar live music performances and the induction of 13 very special award winners into the Rolling Stone UK Hall of Fame, all overseen by our brilliant returning host Danny Dyer.

And now, it’s time to kick off the nominations. The Breakthrough Award recognises six acts that have left an indeliblemark on 2026 and arrived on the scene with tunes which prove that British and Irish music has the brightest of futures ahead of it. There’s a folk band dissecting the truths of their nation with incredible skill, a hotly tipped rapper and a DJ who lit up Ibiza all summer long. And that’s just for starters. Here are the nominees for The Breakthrough Award.