| Brit Award for British Album of the Year | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Achievement in excellence British album |
| Country | United Kingdom (UK) |
| Presented by | British Phonographic Industry (BPI) |
| First awarded | 1977 |
| Currently held by | Raye – My 21st Century Blues (2024) |
| Most awards |
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| Most nominations | Coldplay (6) |
| Website | www |
The Brit Award for British Album of the Year is given annually by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), which represents record companies and artists in the United Kingdom.[1] The accolade is presented at the Brit Awards, an annual celebration of British and international music.[2] Winners and nominees are determined by the Brit Awards voting academy, which has over one thousand members: record labels, publishers, managers, agents, and media, as well as prior winners and nominees.[3] The award was first presented in 1977 as British Album of the Year. In 1983 and 1984, the award was non-competitive and determined by highest album sales. Album of the Year is generally seen as the Brit Awards' most prestigious honour.
The inaugural recipients of the award were The Beatles in 1977 for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The first solo artist to win the award competitively was Phil Collins, who won in 1986 for his third studio album, No Jacket Required, with Annie Lennox becoming the first solo female artist to win in 1993. Adele, Arctic Monkeys, and Coldplay hold the record for most wins in the category with three, with two-time winners Manic Street Preachers being the only other act to win more than once. Radiohead hold the record for most nominations without a win, with five. The current holder of the award is Raye, who won it in 2024 for her album My 21st Century Blues.