IRON MAIDEN Members Become 'Album Champions' For U.K.'s National Album Day 2025

National Album Day, which is organized jointly by the BPI — the U.K. association of record companies and independent labels (BRIT Awards and Mercury Prize) — and ERA, the digital entertainment and retail association (Record Store Day),has announces IRON MAIDEN, ARCHITECTS, WOLF ALICE and NOVA TWINS as Album Champions for National Album Day 2025, set to return on Saturday, October 18 and which this year celebrates Rock Music.

The newly appointed Album Champions will take center stage in promoting National Album Day and are set to unveil a series of promotional activities around National Album Day as the day draws nearer.

Presented in association with official broadcast partner BBC Radio 2 and now in its eighth year since launching in 2018, National Album Day sees the music community come together once again to celebrate and promote the art of the album, and will pay tribute to artists who tell their stories behind these significant and influential bodies of work. The event draws support from the artist community and wider music industry, including music bodies AIM and PPL, the Official Charts Company, and album platforms including Classic Album Sundays and Pitchblack Playback.

This year's theme, Rock Music, aims to highlight some of Britain's most influential rock artists and bands. Spanning genres and styles from punk and metal to pop and hip-hop, they have all helped build Britain's varied musical landscape and global reputation for classic and contemporary albums. The new champions of varying genres and styles showcase some of today's great British rock.

From the early days of their coveted, independently released vinyl EP "The Soundhouse Tapes", and the 1980 eponymous EMI debut album that put the band on the map, to the double album packages of their last two studio albums, IRON MAIDEN have always believed in the power of the album. Making each release a spectacle — something worthy of the unveiling of a new Eddie and marked by a tour and instore album signings, the band, who celebrate their 50th anniversary this year, are proud to be champions of National Album Day 2025.

IRON MAIDEN lead singer Bruce Dickinson said: "Albums matter. They always have, not just to MAIDEN but to all of the bandmembers that have done solo projects. None of them have just toured — they have always recorded and released product too, especially me!! The rush of first seeing the vinyl or the CD or back in the day the cassette for the first time never leaves you, and it's great that fans are coming full circle to enjoy the totemistic experience that was lost for a while in this digital era."

IRON MAIDEN manager Rod Smallwood explains the enduring appeal of the album: "Back in the day, and before the Internet made the smallest snippet of conjecture about a band into global news, we had to rely on the release of a new album to do the heavy lifting for us. It would herald new music, of course, but also launch a tour, market the band to a wider audience with the title and the cover and — the bit I always loved — birthed a new Eddie! When things really exploded for MAIDEN back in 1982, with 'The Number Of The Beast', the band were still finishing the album right up to going out on tour to promote it! They were different times and an amazing experience to connect with our fans."

ARCHITECTS are a Brighton-based metalcore band formed in 2004 consisting of Dan Searle (drums),Sam Carter (vocals),Alex Dean (bass) and Adam Christianson (guitar). Albums like "Lost Forever // Lost Together" (2014),"All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us" (2016) and "Holy Hell" (2018) cemented their reputation, while "For Those That Wish To Exist" (2021) and "The Classic Symptoms Of A Broken Spirit" (2022) showcased their fearless evolution. In 2025, they dropped "The Sky, The Earth & All Between", a bold new chapter in their sound. Known for their explosive live shows and genre-defying songwriting, ARCHITECTS continue to push metal's boundaries without losing their edge.

Sam Carter of ARCHITECTS says: "We're really happy to be part of National Album Day this year! There's nothing better than throwing on one of your favorite vinyl records, grabbing a coffee, and just enjoying the full thing. Albums have always been a big deal for us; that's why we've ended up with so many in our back catalog. Each one takes me right back to the time we recorded it whenever I listen to them. I feel like albums soundtrack the most important moments in our lives, and whenever you listen to them, they take you right back. I hope albums always remain as important to music lovers as they are now."

Since its launch in 2018, National Album Day has been supported by a broad range of artist champions.

Photo by: John McMurtrie