Welcome to the 2025 BBC Music Magazine Awards! For the 20th year in succession, we're celebrating the best recordings from the classical music world released over the past year. Across nine categories, we have shortlisted 27 superb recordings that lit up the classical music world during 2024.
We're delighted to present the nominations for the 2025 BBC Music Magazine Awards, in association with Cruise Collective.
And the power is now in your hands. In the list below, you'll find three nominees in each of nine categories from Concerto and Chamber to Orchestral and Opera. You can also listen to samples from all 27 nominated albums.
Vote now for your favourites from the list below!
BBC Classical music magazine shortlist 2025
Orchestral nominees
Fauré • Schoenberg
Schoenberg: Pelleas und Melisande; Fauré: Pelléas et Mélisande
Frankfurt Radio Symphony/Paavo Järvi
This recording of Schoenberg’s symphonic poem set a new benchmark. Our review praised its ‘sheer conviction and intensity.’
Smetana: Má vlast
Czech Philharmonic/Semyon Bychkov
Pentatone PTC 518 7203
This stirring rendition of Smetana’s six-part tribute to his beloved Bohemia was a standout release in the composer’s bicentennial year.
Augusta Read Thomas: Terpsichore’s Box of Dreams
Grossman Ensemble/Tim Weiss
Nimbus NI6445
These vibrant new works from the prodigiously gifted American composer made for a dazzling imaginative display.
Concerto nominees
Beethoven: Triple Concerto
Sheku Kanneh-Mason (cello), Nicola Benedetti (violin), Benjamin Grosvenor (piano); Philharmonia Orchestra/Santtu-Matias Rouvali
From our review: 'A stellar team, bursting with energy and expressive precision.’
Elgar: Violin Concerto
Vilde Frang (violin); Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin/Robin Ticciati
Warner Classics 2173240942
Norwegian violinist Vilde Frang scaled Elgar's mountainous concerto with aplomb, said our five-star review.
Grieg • R Schumann: Piano Concertos
Elisabeth Leonskaja (piano); Lucerne Symphony Orchestra/Michael Sanderling
Warner Classics 5419783783
Approaching her 80th birthday, Elisabeth Leonskaja is making some of her best recordings: this concerto gem stood out.
Newcomer nominees
Chopin: Études, Opp 10 & 25
Yunchan Lim (piano)
Decca 487 0122
South Korean pianist Lim is a dazzling talent, as witness his very impressive studio debut. 'A remarkable feat that demands to be heard,’ said our July 2024 review.
Re-Build: Works by Emily Hall, Ryan Latimer, Alex Paxton et al
Slide Action
NMC NMC D289
Trombone quartet Slide Action are out to push the boundaries of brass repertoire. ‘What a blast!’ said our Christmas review.
Innocence: Works by Hildegard, Palestrina, Purcell, Ravel, Meredith Monk, Shivani Rattan, Howard Skempton et al
Echo Vocal Ensemble
Resonus
'A deeply satisfying, centuries-spanning, thought-provoking debut album,’ we said.
Choral nominees
Mozart: Requiem
Pygmalion/Raphaël Pichon
Harmonia Mundi HMM902729
A fresh and moving interpretation of an oft-recorded work, thrillingly served in all its theatrical grandeur..', said our review.
Gabriela Ortiz: Revolución Diamantina
Los Angeles Master Chorale et al
Platoon LAPHIL02
Gabriela Ortiz's Revolución Diamantina was inspired by Mexico's ‘Glitter Revolution’ against police brutality on women. ‘A thing of wonder,’ said Kate Wakeling's review.
Elgar: The Dream of Gerontius
Nicky Spence et al; Gabrieli Consort and Players/Paul McCreesh
Signum Classics SIGCD785
'Undeniably a great recording of Gerontius, a must-have for every Elgar enthusiast': high praise from our reviewer Terry Blain.
Instrumental nominees
Chopin: Études, Opp 10 & 25
Yunchan Lim (piano)
Decca 487 0122
A second category nomination for Yunchan Lim, whose dazzling interpretations of the Chopin Études featured daring speeds and excitement that pushed their limits.
Marc-André Hamelin: New Piano Works
Marc-André Hamelin (piano)
Hyperion CDA68308
Canadian virtuoso Hamelin gave us a delicious selection box of his own works. ‘Endlessly fascinating, played with style and subtlety,’ said Claire Jackson's review.
La messagère: Works by Demachy, Hersant, Marais, Sainte Colombe et al
Lucile Boulanger (bass de viole)
Alpha Classics ALPHA1070
Boulanger captured 400 years of French viol repertoire with remarkable panache. 'Inspired, compelling,' noted our review.
Premiere nominees
Re-Build: Works by Emily Hall, Ryan Latimer, Alex Paxton et al
Slide Action
NMC NMC D289
Trombone quartet Slide Action make their second appearance with this ‘kaleidoscope of circus tricks and sleights of hand.’
Adrian Sutton: Violin Concerto*; Five Theatre Miniatures; A Fistful of Fives et al
*Fenella Humphreys (violin) et al
Chandos CHAN 20349
A captivating showcase of British composer Sutton’s work. Fenella Humphreys was 'athletic and lyrical' in the Violin Concerto.
Emily Howard: The Anvil*; Elliptics**
*Kate Royal, **Claire Booth et al; BBC Singers; Hallé Choir et al
Delphian DCD34285
Howard’s powerful Peterloo Massacre tribute was searingly performed by the BBC Philharmonic, BBC Singers, and Hallé Choir.
Chamber nominees
C Schumann • R Schumann: Works for Oboe and Piano
Nicholas Daniel (oboe), Julius Drake (piano)
Chandos CHAN20295
'A recording you’ll want to sit down and savour,’ noted Rebecca Franks in her review.
Keel Road: Works by Turlough O’Carolan, Rune Tonsgard Sørensen et al
Danish String Quartet
ECM ECM2785
For this captivating album, the Danish String Quartet wove together the sounds and songs of five northern nations.
Take 3: Works by Bartók, Poulenc, Schoenfield and Nichifor
Patricia Kopatchinskaja, Reto Bieri et al
Alpha Classics ALPHA772
‘The sheer chutzpah of the playing is jaw-dropping,’ said our February review of this whimsical, head-turning album.
Vocal nominees
Close-ups: Works by Hildegard, Strozzi, Pinel, Errollyn Wallen and Héloïse Werner
Héloïse Werner (cello, soprano), Max Baillie (violin, viola, hardanger fiddle) et al
Delphian DCD34312
A luminous showcase of songs from across the centuries, from Héloïse Werner et al.
Robeson: Songs etc by JS Bach, Kern, E Robinson, Rodgers, Davóne Tines et al
Davóne Tines (bass-baritone); The Truth
Nonesuch 7559 789891
American bass-baritone Davóne Tines reimagined the Paul Robeson story through a modern lens in this captivating album.
Rita Strohl: Songs
Elsa Dreisig (soprano), Romain Louveau (piano)
La Boîte à Pépites BAP04-0
This revelatory double album of French songs showcased a fine young label celebrating overlooked women composers.
Opera nominees
Louise Bertin: Fausto
Karine Deshayes et al; Les Talens Lyriques; Flemish Radio Choir/Christophe Rousset
Bru Zane BZ1054
Reviewer George Hall was bowled over by this glowing performance of an opera virtually forgotten since its 1831 premiere.
Kevin Puts: The Hours
Joyce DiDonato, Renée Fleming et al; The Metropolitan Opera/Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Erato 5419791052
Brilliantly cast, thrillingly performed, this opera based on a novel and Oscar-winning film was 'absorbing and harrowing'.
John Adams: Girls of the Golden West
Julia Bullock (soprano), Davóne Tines (bass-baritone) et al; LA Phil/John Adams
Nonesuch 75597900484
John Adams's most personal opera, GotGW traces the stark inequalities of Gold Rush California. Julia Bullock was 'scintillating'.
