Best Art Vinyl is an annual award established in 2005. It celebrates artists and designers of album cover art. The nomination process begins in November, and the winners are announced in January, and exhibited at venues across the United Kingdom and Europe. The 50 shortlisted records and winners are selected by an expert judging panel from the art and music industries and are displayed using Art Vinyl's unique Play & Display Flip Frame.
2025 winners RankMusical artistAlbumCover artist1Self EsteemComplicated WomanPhotography by Scarlett Carlos Clarke2Perfume GeniusGloryPhotography by Cody Critcheloe (SSION)3SmoteSongs from the Free HouseArtwork by Célestin Krier4David ByrneWho Is The Sky?Design by David Byrne, Shira Inbar5Little SimzLotusCover art by Jeremy Ngatho Cole. Cover photography by Marco Grey6LordeVirginPhotography by Heji Shin7Mark Pritchard & Thom YorkeTall TalesArtwork by Jonathan Zawada8Hot ChipJoy In RepetitionArtwork by Peter Blake. Photography by Clive Robinson. Design & layout by Matthew Cooper9SquidCowardsPhotography by Tonje Tielsen. Design by Ben Sifel10Aesop RockBlack Hole SuperetteArtwork and layout by Justin Coro Kaufman
2024 winners RankMusical artistAlbumCover artist1Hiatus KaiyoteLove Heart Cheat CodeCreative Direction by Hiatus Kaiyote & Grey Ghost. Cover art by Rajni Perera. Symbol art by Chloe Biocca. Product Design by Sean Preston2Fontaines D.C.RomanceCover images by Lulu Lin. Design & Art Direction by Texas Maragh & Carlos O’Connell. Photography by Theo Cottle3CarlitaSentimentalCover photography by Louis Browne4Geordie GreepThe New SoundCover artwork by Toshio Saeki. Art Direction Geordie Greep. Layout by Philip Laslett.5Future IslandsPeople Who Aren't There AnymoreCover art by Beedallo. Design & Creative Direction by Nolen Štrāls6Oh HiroshimaAll Things ShiningArtwork by Wilson Trouve7Naima BockBelow A Massive Dark LandArt by Naima Bock8Sam MortonDaffodils & DirtCover image by Nick Waplington9RosaliBite DownCover Photo by Asia Harman10Anna CalviPeaky Blinders: Season 5 & 6 Original ScoreArtwork illustrations by Karl Fitzgerald. Design by Matthew Cooper
2023 winners RankMusical artistAlbumCover artist1PJ HarveyI Inside the Old Year DyingArt Director, design and front cover photography by Michelle Henning. Additional design and typesetting by Rob Crane2GabrielsAngels and Queens Part 2Photography by Melodie McDaniel.3Sub FocusEvolveArt Direction by Mat Maitland from Big Active Design & Nicolaas Douwma. Artificial Intelligence by Claudia Rafael. Design by Mat Maitland - Big Active Design4Roisin MurphyHit ParadeCreative Direction by Róisín Murphy. Art by Beth Frey. Design by Bráulio Amado. Photography by Connor Egan. Production by Object & Animal 5Alison GoldfrappThe Love InventionPhotography and Design by Mat Maitland - Big Active Design6SkrillexQuest For FireArtwork by Alfred Pietroni7OrbitalOptical DelusionArtwork by John Greenwood8Young FathersHeavy HeavyDesign by Hingston Studio9Lonely The BraveWhat We Do To FeelArtwork by True Spilt Milk Design10Oneohtrix Point NeverAgainDesigned by @eccopn & @onlineceramics Sculpture by @ringlund_instat
2022 winners RankMusical artistAlbumCover artist1Black Country, New RoadAnts From Up ThereArtwork by Simon Monk. Design by Ninja Tune2Birds In RowGris KleinArtwork by Bart Balboa.3Richard DawsonThe Ruby CordArtwork by Jake Blanchard Additional Design by Matthew Cooper4Arctic MonkeysThe CarPhotography by Matt Helders. Design by Matthew Cooper and Alex Turner5Black MidiHellfireDesign by David Rudnick6BonoboFragmentsArtwork by Neil Krug. Design by Mat Maitland at Big Active7Dry CleaningStumpworkPhotography and design by Annie Collinge. Creative Direction and styling by Rottingdean Bazaar8Stealing Sheep Wow MachineArtwork by Barbarian Flower9Rammstein ZeitPhotography by Brian Adams10MalevolenceMalicious IntentArtwork by Eliran Kantor
2021 winners RankMusical artistAlbumCover artist1VillagersFever DreamsArtwork by Paul Phillips at True Spilt Milk Designs. Design by Matthew Cooper, assisted by Paul J Street2Duran DuranFuture PastPhotography Daisuke Yokota. Art Direction Rory McCartney3ThunderAll the Right NoisesCover photo by Jason Joyce. Design by Neel Panchal4MogwaiAs the Love ContinuesDesign by DLT5Gruff RhysSeeking New GodsDesign and Art Direction by Mark James6Shire TTomorrow's PeopleArtwork and Design by Alexander Brown7Amyl and the Sniffers Comfort to MeArtwork by Bráulio Amado8Lost HorizonsIn Quiet MomentsCover photography by Jacques-Henri Lartigue9BalthazarSandHomunculus Loxodontus, a statue by Dutch artist Margriet Van Breevoort. Art Director Annelise Keestra10The VaccinesBack in Love CityArtwork by Seerlight
2020 winners RankMusical artistAlbumArtist1IDLESUltra MonoPainting by Russell Oliver2Nick Mason's Saucerful of SecretsLive at the RoundhouseDesign by Chris Peyton for VVVOID3DovesThe Universal WantPhotography by Maria Lax4Tame ImpalaThe Slow RushPhotography and design by Neil Krug. Art concept by Kevin Parker and Neil Krug5CourteenersMore. Again. Forever.Cover art by Laura Fray6BibioSleep On the WingIllustration and linocut print by Chris Wormell7Rick Wakeman (and the English Ensemble) The Red PlanetCover design by Martin Robert Cook8Oneohtrix Point NeverMagicDesign by Robert Beatty9TenderloniousQuarantenaArtwork and design by Theo Ackroyd10Taylor SwiftFolklorePhotography by Beth Garrabrant
2019 winners RankMusical artistAlbumArtistRef.1KloneLe Grand VoyageArtist and Photographer: Francesco Dell'Orto2Nick Cave and the Bad SeedsGhosteenArtist: Tom DuBoisDesigners: Hingston Studio and Nick Cave3EfterklangAltid SammenDesigners and Art Directors: Hvass&Hannibal4XOAWay West5BaronessGold & GreyArtist: John Baizley 6808 State Transmission SuiteArtist: Vasim BhattiPhotographers: Michael England, Richard Brook, and Vasim Bhatti7UltramarineMeditationsArtist: Heretic and Spectral Nation8Vanishing TwinThe Age of ImmunologyArtist: Alex HornsbyPhotographer: Elliott Arndt9StormzyHeavy Is the HeadDesigner: Hales Curtis10Wovoka GentleStart Clanging Cymbals Artist: Olivia Norris
2018 winners RankMusical artistAlbumArtistRef.1EditorsViolence Designer: Rahi Rezvani2Young FathersCocoa Sugar Designer: Tom Hingston3Aphex TwinCollapse EP Designers: The Designers Republic4Sandra Kerr and John FaulknerMusic from Bagpuss OST. Designer: Hannah Alice5Arctic MonkeysTranquility Base Hotel & Casino Designer: Alex Turner6Let's Eat Grandma I'm All Ears Designer: Yanjun Cheng7Thom YorkeSuspiriaDesigners: Stanley Donwood and Dr Tchock8Janelle MonáeDirty ComputerDesigner: Joe Perez9LowDouble NegativeDesigner: Peter Liversidge10Peggy GouOnceDesigner: Jee-ook Choi
2017 winners RankMusical artistNameCover artist1Run the JewelsRun the Jewels 3Art Direction & Photography by Timothy Saccenti Drawing by Nick Gazin
Layout by Troy Hahn2Father John MistyPure ComedyArt Direction by Sasha Barr Illustrations by Ed Steed3VesselsThe Great DistractionDesign by Split4Hannah PeelMary Casio:Journey to CassiopeiaDesign by Jonathan Barnbrook5Lost Horizons OjalaArtwork by Marcus Davies Design by Luke Jarvis6Blanck MassWorld EaterPhotograph by Carli Davidson Layout by Sacred Bones Design7ActressAZDPhotography by Mehdi Lacoste/Jo Di Studio Creative Direction Darren J Cunnighham/Theresa Adebiyi8GorillazHumanzDesign by Jamie Hewlett9Julien BakerTurn Out the LightsDesign by Mike Zimmerman10HaterRed BlindersPhotography by Niklas Wennerstrand Layout by Alex Hornsby & Hater
2016 winners Rank Musical artist Name Cover artist 1 The Last Shadow Puppets Everything You've Come to Expect Design by Matthew Cooper, photography by Jack Robinson 2 David Bowie Blackstar Design by Jonathan Barnbrook 3 Mark Prichard Under the Sun Design by Jonathan Zawada 4 Suede Night Thoughts Art Direction by Paul Khera, Brett Anderson, Mat Osman, Neil Codling and Didz Hammond.
Photography by Lucy Ray 5 White Lies Friends Art Direction & Design by Markus Bagå at Big Active Design 6 Red Hot Chili Peppers The Getaway Artwork by Kevin Peterson 7 Shura Nothing's Real Art Direction and Design Mat Maitland at Big Active
Photography by Andrew Whitton
Illustration by Louise Pomeroy 8 Kula Shaker K 2.0 Artwork by Kate Bayley. Design by Stylorouge 9 Leonard Cohen You Want It Darker Design by Sammy Slabbinck 10 James Blake The Colour in Anything Design by Quentin BlakeSome of the information in this table was obtained from Best album cover art 2016: see the Best Art Vinyl 2016 awards DigitalArtsOnline.co.uk.
2015 winners Rank Musical artist Name Cover artist 1 David Gilmour Rattle that Lock Dave Stansbie and the Creative Corporation, photography by Rupert Truman 2 Drenge Undertow Photography by Donald Milne, design by Matthew Cooper 3 Tame Impala Currents Design by Robert Beatty 4 Everything Everything Get to Heaven Illustrated by Andrew Archer. Design by Jonny Costello, Adult Art Club. 5 Blur The Magic Whip Design by Tony Hung 6 Linden Rest and Be Thankful Artwork by Jim Lambie 7 Jamie xx In Colour Artwork by Jamie Smith & Phil Lee 8 And So I Watch You From Afar Heirs Artwork layout Sonny Kay 9 Blend Mishkin & Roots Evolution Survival of the Fittest Cover design by Ben Menter. Logo Design by QBMix 10 Kate Boy One Digital 3D Design by Lee Griggs Some of the information in this table was obtained from the following referenced article:
2014 winners Rank Musical artist Name Cover artist 1 Royal Blood Royal Blood Dan Hillier and Richard Welland 2 FKA twigs LP1 Jesse Kanda 3 Future Islands Singles Beth Hoeckel and Matt de Jong 4 Foo Fighters Sonic Highways Stephan Martinière 5 Röyksopp & Robyn Do It Again (EP) Kacper Kasprzyk, Sandberg and Timonen 6 Caribou Our Love Matthew Cooper and Jason Evans 7 La Roux Trouble in Paradise Alexander Brown, Elly Jackson, Louie Banks and Roger Deckker 8 SBTRKT Wonder Where We Land SBTRKT & A Hidden Place 9 Bombay Bicycle Club So Long, See You Tomorrow La Boca 10 Sohn Tremors Allison Fielding and SohnSome of the information in this table was obtained from
2013 winners Rank Musical artist Name Cover artist 1 White Lies Big TV Michael Kagan, Gerard Saint and Markus Karlsson 2 dan le sac Vs Scroobius Pip Repent Replenish Repeat Paul Jackson 3 Bonobo The North Borders Leif Podhajsky 4 Washed Out Paracosm Sara Cwynar 5 Braids Flourish // Perish Marc Rimmer 6 Atoms For Peace Judge, Jury and Executioner Stanley Donwood 7 !!! Thr!!!er Chase Jarvis, !!! and James Burton 8 Daft Punk Get Lucky Thomas Bangalter, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, Cédric Hervet, Paul Hahn, and Warren Fu 9 Boards of Canada Tomorrow's Harvest Boards of Canada 10 Paul McCartney New Rebecca and Mike, YES, Ben Ib.Some of the information in this table was obtained from
2012 winners Rank Musical artist Name Cover artist 1 The Temper Trap The Temper Trap Alberto Seveso and Boat Studios 2 Keane Strangeland Alex Lake and Tourist 3 Muse The 2nd Law Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, UCLA and Travis Shinn 4 Mark Lanegan Band Blues Funeral Alison Fielding 5 White Lung Sorry Justin Gradin 6 Enter Shikari A Flash Flood of Colour Ian Johnsen, Paul Blundell and Dave Thomas 7 Saint Etienne Words and Music Dorothy 8 Richard Hawley Standing at the Sky's Edge Nick Phillips and Richard Tailby 9 Jack White Blunderbuss Animal Rummy and Jo McCaughey 10 The Hives Lex Hives Henrik Walse
Some of the information in this table was obtained from
2011 winners Rank Musical artist Name Cover artist 1 Bright Eyes The People's Key Zack Nipper 2 Cults Cults Dave Bett and Jeannette Kaczorowski 3 Bon Iver Bon Iver Gregory Euclide 4 Washed Out Within and Without Ernest Greene, Jeff Kleinsmith and Martien Mulder 5 Kasabian Velociraptor! Aitor Throup at A.T. Studio 6 The Strokes Angles Guy Pouppez 7 Fleet Foxes Helplessness Blues Toby Liebowitz, Sean Pecknold and Dusty Summers 8 Cut Copy Zonoscope ALTER 9 Coldplay Mylo Xyloto Tappin Gofton 10 The Pains of Being Pure at Heart Belong Winston Chmielinski
Some of the information in this table was obtained from
2010 winners