What is the NME 100?

As the world’s defining voice in music and pop culture, NME has been dedicated to breaking what’s new and what’s next since 1952. The NME 100 is our essential list of emerging artists with the potential to shape the future of music.

Since its first edition in 2017, many artists we’ve spotlighted on the NME 100 have gone on to achieve incredible success on their own terms. From Billie Eilish to Arlo Parks and Fontaines D.C., NME is proud to have championed them at the start of their journeys.

Who is eligible for the NME 100?

Artists cannot have released their debut album by the date of publication, and artists can only be on the NME 100 once.

How is the NME 100 created?

NME creates a pool of hotly tipped emerging artists by tapping on our networks and collating nominations by staff, contributors and members of the music industry.

While narrowing down the list, editors assess artists’ creativity and potential, among other factors – and after much debate, the NME 100 is formed.

How can I check out music by artists on the NME 100?

Stream a playlist of key tracks by all artists on the NME 100 of 2026 on Spotify or on Apple Music.

Words by: Alex Rigotti, Andrew Trendell, Ben Jolley, Cyclone Wehner, David James Young, Erica Campbell, Georgia Evans, Hannah Mylrea, Huw Baines, Ivana E. Morales, Jared Richards, Joe Goggins, Jonathan Garrett, Karen Gwee, Kyann-Sian Williams, Lisa Wright, Mika Chen, Niall Smith, Nick Buckley, Rhian Daly, Rishi Shah, Seth Pereira, Surej Singh and Ziwei Puah.