Community, commitment, and a deep love of music.
The Now Spinning Magazine Awards 2025 marked something genuinely special for us. Not a red-carpet industry event. No algorithms. No streaming charts. Just real music lovers – the Now Spinning community – coming together to celebrate the albums, box sets, labels and artists that truly mattered in 2025.
Joined by Sue Aston, I had the absolute pleasure of revealing the results of our very first awards. These awards are rooted in listening deeply, buying thoughtfully, and living with music. They reflect what people actually played, cherished, and returned to throughout the year – on vinyl, CD, and box set.
What These Awards Represent
These are community-chosen awards, shaped by people who still sit down and listen. People who value artwork, packaging, booklets, liner notes, and the emotional connection that physical music brings.
No hype.
No playlists.
Just music that mattered.
The response to our community voting was overwhelming, and it gave us a fascinating snapshot of just how broad, adventurous, and passionate the Now Spinning audience really is.
Top Ten Albums of 2025 – Community Votes
Top Ten Reissues / Box Sets of 2025 – Community Votes
Community Awards – 2025 Results
🏆 Album of the Year (Community Vote) – The Overview – Steven Wilson
A landslide victory. An album that rewards deep listening and continues to reveal new layers with every play.
🏆 Box Set of the Year
Made in Japan – Deep Purple
A towering release that dominated multiple categories and reaffirmed its legendary status.
🏆 Super Deluxe Edition of the Year
Who Are You – The Who
🏆 Reissue of the Year
Made in Japan – Deep Purple
🏆 Book of the Year
Iron Maiden – Infinite Dreams
A truly monumental music book, voted clear winner by the community.
🏆 Reissue Label of the Year
Cherry Red Records
A label trusted by collectors, celebrated for depth, care, and fearless curation.
🏆 Retailer of the Year (Joint Winners)
HMV
Juno Records
A fascinating tie – blending bricks-and-mortar heritage with modern online excellence.
Editor’s Choice Awards (Phil & Sue)
After revealing the community results, Sue and I shared our Editor’s Choice selections – sometimes aligned, sometimes surprising.
Editors Choice – Top 10 Albums of 2025
Editors Choice – Top 10 Reissues / Box Sets of 2025
Editor’s Album of the Year
The Overview – Steven Wilson
A rare moment where editor and community were completely united.
Editor’s Reissue Label of the Year
Madfish Records
Unrivalled attention to detail, artist involvement, and packaging done by fans, for fans.
🏆 Retailer of the Year – Editors Choice
Burning Shed
Editor’s Book of the Year
Seven Decades of Deep Purple – Martin Popoff
🏆 Box Set of the Year – Editors Choice
🏆 Super Deluxe Edition of the Year – Editors Choice
🏆 Reissue of The Year – Editors Choice
Box Sets We Would Most Like to See in 2026
Sue also highlighted personal favourites including Kathryn Priddy – Live at Union Chapel and the Nick Drake – Five Leaves Left box set, reminding us that emotional connection is just as important as scale and ambition.
Why This Matters
What really shines through these awards is something deeper than rankings – a shared belief that music matters. That it deserves time, attention, and respect. This community listens properly, supports artists directly, and keeps physical music alive.
From all of us at Now Spinning Magazine: thank you for making this first awards year such a success.
What’s Next?
A selection of Community Top 10 lists from Patrons & Members can be enjoyed below
Stevan Karlsson
Lunatic Soul – The World Under Unsun
OAK – The Third Sleep
Avkrvst – Waving At The Sky
Riverside – Live.ID
Echolyn – Time Silent Radio II
Echolyn – Time Silent Radio VII
Paatos – Ligament
IQ – Dominion
O.R.k – Firehose Of Falsehoods
Hedvig Möllestad Trio – Bees In The Bonnet
Glenn Adcook
1. The Who – Live at the Oval 1971
2. Epica – Aspiral
3. Ghost – Skeleta
4. Those Damn Crows – God Shaped Hole
5. Chantel McGregor- The Healing
6.FM – Brotherhood
7. Morgan Way – Kill the Silence
8. Sign of the Wolf – Self Titled
9. Don Airey – Pushed to the Edge
10. Larkin Poe – Bloom
Wayne McAlloon
1. Avantasia – Here Be Dragons
2. Jason Isbell – Foxes In The Snow
3. The Night Flight Orchestra – Bring Us The Moon
4. Testament – Para Bellum
5. Amorphis – Borderland
6. Harakiri For The Sky – Scorched Earth
7. Grima – Nightside
8. Saor – Amidst The Ruins
9. Blackbraid – Blackbraid III
10. Sacrifice – Volume 6
Dean Powell
Bernie Marsden ~ Icons
Larkin Poe ~ Bloom
I’m With Her ~ Wild And Clear And Blue
Neil Young ~ Oceanside Countryside
Buckingham Nicks
Cats In Space ~ Time Machine
Roger Waters This Is Not A Drill
Jason Isbell – Foxes In The Snow
Pink Floyd – Pompeii
Big Wolf Band ~ Live At Joe Joe Jims
Andy Old
When Rivers Meet – Addicted To You
Chosen – Glenn Hughes /
The Damn Truth – Self titled 4th album /
Steve Hackett – The Lamb Stands Up Live at RAH /
Chantel McGregor – The Healing /
Nad Sylvan – Monumentata /
The Adventures – Once More With Feeling /
David Gilmour – The Luck And Strange Concerts /
Robin Trower – Come And Find Me
Chris Harris
1] Lunatic Soul – The World Under Unsun:
2] Steven Wilson – The Overview:
3] The Darkness – Dreams On Toast:
4] Hawkwind – There Is No Space For Us: 5] The Flower Kings – Love:
6] The Cure – Songs Of A Lost World:
7 ] Joe Bonamassa – Breakthrough:
8] The Beatles – Anthology 4:
9] Joanne Shaw Taylor – Black & Gold:
10] Royal Sorrow – Indeeps.
Graham Harvey
1) Midlake – A Bridge To Far
2) Counting Crows – Butter Miracle TheComplete Sweets
3) Causa Sui – In Flux
4) Neil Young – Oceanside Countryside
5) Tedeschi Trucks Band – Mad Dogs & Englishmen Revisited
6) Grateful Dead – Blues For Allah 50th Anniversary
7) Omega Nebula – Future Dubsteppa
8) Florence & The Machine – Everybody Scream
9) Doors – Live In Copenhagen
10) Black Stone Cherry – This Is Black Stone Cherry’s RSD Album The Band Quite Like It1
Pontus
1Brandee Younger: Gadabout Season
2 Steven Wilson: The Overview
3 The Cardiacs: LSD
4 Krokofant: 6
5 Hedvig Mollestad Trio: Bee In The Bonnet
6 Mary Halvorson: About Ghosts
7 Jethro Tull: Curious Ruminant
8 Motorpsycho: Motorpsycho
9 Panzerpappa: Landsbysladder
10 Causa Sui: In Flux
Mike Bruce
The Waterboys Life, Death And Dennis Hopper
Luke Spiller Love Will Kill Me…
The Darkness Dreams On Toast
The Hellacopters Overdriver
Jason Isbell Foxes In The Snow
Samantha Fish Paper Doll
Sparks Mad!
Styx Circling Fron Above
Cheap Trick All Washed Up
Robert Plant Saving Grace
Alice Cooper The Revenge Of Alice Cooper
Nick Clarkson
1 Tokyo Blade – Time is the Fire
2 Amplifier – Gargantuan
3 Honeymoon Suite – Wake Me When the Sun Goes Down
4 Steven Wilson – The Overview
5 Lightspeed – Delta
6 Matt Berry – Heard Noises
7 The Darkness – Dreams on Toast
8 The Cardiacs – LSD
9 Gyasi – Here Comes the Good Part
10 Black Spiders – Cvrsed
Phil Aston | Now Spinning Magazine
