We spent days considering the best in 2025 and the most anticipated in 2026, but we think we have an incredible list this time! We hope you enjoy this list and maybe find a new artist to enjoy!
Full disclosure, I’m in the band King of Cups and Sugar Shaun, so they won’t be included in this award post. However, if you like this article, then you could hear King of Cups here:
We also have a podcast!
If your band or your favorite artist didn’t make the list, do understand that we’re doing the best we can to find as many musical artists as we can in our scene. If you aren’t here, then we probably don’t know about you! Follow us on Instagram, and be sure to submit your tracks to our playlists!
Band of the Year of 2025
We love Scotty and his project Seven Times Driven. He constantly puts out some of the best and coolest Skate Punk tracks you would hear anywhere! His latest track called “Flux Capacitor” is incredible and helped solidify him on this list. We think you should check out his full catalog. “Non-Fiction” is our favorite and the track that started it all! Keep it up, Scotty!
Best Alternative Rock Song of 2025
BryGuy – “Lost in the Void featuring Red Monz”
BryGuy always impresses us. From well-crafted riffs and melodies to songs that make you feel like you’re lost in space, BryGuy can do it all! “Lost in the Void” features longtime friend, Red Monz and we have to say, it’s a match made in heaven. “Lost in the Void” will have you singing the track all day long!
Most Best Indie/Alternative Song of 2025
Red Monz – “Not Enough”
“Not Enough” was such a surprise for 2025! It’s an instant Indie classic from the guy who created the incredible Generation Aside album from the early 2000s. You need to hear this track now!
Best Alternative Rock Song
Exhale – “Playground”
Exhale is back after about 20 years away from the scene. Well, they’re back and we’re so glad they are! We love their new track “Playground,” recorded at One Eleven Studio; it’s their best work yet! We look forward to hearing more from them in the future! Give them a listen!
Best Punk/Alternative Rock Album
Burro – Burro
We waited for ten years to hear Burro’s self-titled album. Why did it sit on the reels for so long? We have no idea. Maybe, the world wasn’t ready for such a masterpiece? Either way, it’s a masterpiece!
Best Early 2000s inspired Pop Punk EP of 2025
Hey Slugger – I Don’t Recall Saying Good Luck
Hey Slugger‘s I Don’t Recall Saying Good Luck was our last year’s most anticipated Early 2000s Inspired Pop-Punk EP and guess what? We were right. It won this award because it captures the early 2000s in sonic form. Read R.Varty’s review on it! It’s incredible!
Best East Coast Pop-Punk Album of 2025
Free Friends – Life After You
Free Friends killed it with the Sweet Nothing EP and now their Life After You album killed it in the afterlife, because it’s so good, you can’t escape it! That’s why Free Friends wins award after award from us!
Best Pop-Punk EP of 2025
Always Grounded – Always Grounded
Always Grounded was our most anticipated Pop-Punk EP for 2025, and we called it! These guys are the real deal! You want banger after banger? Listen to their self-titled EP now!
Best Holiday Song of 2025
Homecoming UK – “Big Red”
This song came out of nowhere and we’re so happy for it! As you know, the boy in King of Cups loves the holiday music, so this delighted us. Homecoming UK‘s “Big Red” is a big Christmas win!
Best Pop-Punk Song of the Year 2025
Number One Sons – “Dumb”
Our Top Band for 2023, win award after award from us for a reason. Number One Sons always release the most incredible Pop-Punk music the industry has ever seen. These guys are a few EPs away from being a huge Pop-Punk band. Their track “Dumb” is anything but “Dumb,” but is kind of a scary prophecy is you look at reading competency scores for kids currently in grade school.
Best Album of Short Songs of 2025
Zypmouth – Short N’ Sweet
Who doesn’t love Punk Rock’s fast-paced style? We love us some super fast, short, and fun songs. Each track clocks in just over three minutes or less! What more can we say about Zypmouth‘s Short N’ Sweet other than it’s amazing and true to its name!
Best UK Pop Punk Song of 2025
Say It Anyway – “Freakin’ Lovesick”
Say It Anyway are an awesome band from UK. We loved “Mascara Mess” and we love “Freakin’ Lovesick!” Do you best to keep these tracks out of your head. I promise you won’t be able to!
Best New Writer of 2025
What more can we say about R.Varty that we haven’t already said? He’s a phenomenal writer and Moosic Entertainment is lucky to have him. He generally writes multiple articles a week and every single one is fantastic! We are so glad to have him on the team! Bands and artists that have articles written by R.Varty should be honored. We’re honored to have R.Varty on our writing team!
R.Varty’s Top 5 of 2025:
Choosing a Top 5 of 2025 is a daunting task as so many great releases graced this year. Taking so much into consideration, the following are the albums and EPs that I spent the most time listening to throughout the year. I hope 2026 brings more incredible music and I will start my campaign for a Top 100.
That being said, here are my Top 5 Albums and EPs of 2025 in no particular order:
Mappe Of – Afterglades
The third LP from multi-instrumantalist Tom Meikle, Afterglades incorporates elements of folk, post-rock, and electronica to weave its story of a world ending event. In the face of the apocalypse, Mappe Of considers the complexities of certain doom, but surrounded by the ones you love most. The sprawling and complex arrangements are provocative while remaining deeply human.
Slewfoot – Built For War EP
Since their debut release in 2024, Baytown Hardcore outfit Slewfoot have been crushing stages and rallying a diehard community with their percussive fury. Expanding on their already impossibly heavy sound, Built For War brings blast beats and elements of metalcore that are unabashedly groovy. My favourite element is the addition of fellow artists as collaborators, making the EP feel more deliberate and inclusive.
Chinese Medicine – The Trans Agenda
One of my most anticipated releases of the year, The Trans Agenda did not disappoint. Focusing on timely societal issues including systemic corruption, the importance of visibility, and the fostering of the queer community, Chinese Medicine creates impactful music that stands up to the harshities of reality. Their blend of post-punk, hardcore, and classic garage grit make The Trans Agenda an exciting listen and a perfect vehicle to elicit change.
Absolutely You – a fleeting sense of urgency
As nonchalant as Absolutely You present themselves, their work continues to defy boundaries and their latest EP exemplifies the band’s growing prowess of producing poignant music. Artful looping, layering and building to imaginative heights, a fleeting sense of urgency reveals more and more with every listen. Absolutely You take time to fine tune every release and, as much as I hate to wait, it is always worth it.
Midnight Peg – Skinning
Skinning is a post-hardcore gem that utilizes powerful riffs and dynamic structure to share stories of what follows the bloodshed of war. The lyrics are a biting manifesto that demand countless listens and the instrumentation never falls into complacency. Digging deep and sharing tales of trauma caused by senseless strife, Midnight Peg have created an authentic expression of struggle, survival, and cathartic release.
Most Anticipated Album of 2026
BryGuy
BryGuy has worked with some awesome bands, like Promise Game, Always Grounded, and Red Monz. He’s worked on something out of this world all through 2024 and 2025 giving us a cosmic experience with his last few releases. He recently released some of his older songs under the Familiar Ghosts EP and they were definitely a blast from the past! We’re looking forward from singles and possibly and album from BryGuy coming in 2026. We’ve heard some demos and they’re bangers!
Most Anticipated Post-Hardcore Rerelease of 2026
If Looks Could Kill – North Wind Runaway EP
There’s been talks about Red Monz, BuyGuy, and Sugar Shaun to get back together and rerecord tracks from the North Wind Runaway EP and rerecord unreleased tracks from them. We’re hoping we could at least get a few singles! We’ve got our fingers crossed!
Most Anticipated Indie Album
Honyock – Good Music LP
I got to hear a few tracks early and let’s just say we can’t believe these tracks sat on the reels for as long as they did. Why do bands do this? Their fans want their music and they already have them on the reels! Put Good Music out! It’s the best name I could think of for that album. We really look forward to more Honyock!
Most Anticipated Orange County Pop-Punk Single of 2026
Aim for the Heart – “Wish You Were Here” Re-Release
Aim for the Heart has been on our most anticipated list for years. That’s because we’ve heard the “Wish You Were Here” demo and fell in love. Finally, it’s here! It wasn’t on our radar, but here it is! It’s by far Aim for the Heart‘s best song and we adore it. Thank you for getting it done, Aim for the Heart! We look forward to more catchy tracks just like it in the future!
Most Anticipated Emo Track of 2026
Tokyo Rose – “Something Sweeter”
Our minds are blown that Tokyo Rose is making a comeback! It’s been about 21 years since their last release, and we’re more than happy to hear them back in the game. We love their sound, and “Something Sweeter” is nothing but sweetness! We are so glad they’re back!
Most Anticipated Pop-Punk Album of 2026
The Filthy Kids – Unknown Title
We hear word The Filthy Kids are dropping a new album very soon! We’ve been told this is their most Punk album to date! I heard a track where they collaborate with Scotty from Seven Times Driven. Needless to say, we’re hyped about this one!
Most Anticipated Cover Song of 2026
The Spacing Effect – Unknown Track
Rumor has it that The Spacing Effect are coming back with some new tracks! We’re really excited to hear what these guys got going for us, because we’ve heard some great stuff from them in 2024!
Most Anticipated Christian Pop-Punk Album of 2026
Derek Morris – ADONAI
Derek Morris is an incredible person who is a very supportive member of the community. That’s how we noticed him. Then we heard his music, and we stuck around to listen! His ADONAI is incredible! We are lucky we didn’t have to wait long in 2026 to hear it!
Most Anticipated Metalcore/Post-Hardcore Collaborative Artist of the Year 2026
Coe Hill – “Feel Alive”
Coe Hill was our Metalcore/Post-Hardcore Collaborative Artist of 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024. Sadly, we didn’t get anything from Coe Hill in 2025, but we were hopeful for something coming out in 2026 and our hopes have been met! “Feel Alive” truly makes the metal head in you come alive! Check it out now!
R.Varty’s Most Anticipated of 2026
Tiger Really – mayfly daydream
Emo-Jazz project from Lian Shao, Tiger Really blends emotional and vulnerable introspection with dazzling arrangements that create a genuinely unique listening experience. 2024’s debut Swan Sting was one of the best of the year and gives me very high hopes for mayfly daydream. Scheduled to release February 27, mayfly daydream takes inspiration from American folklore, horror stories, and will include collaborations with Samuel Uribe Botero of Racing Mount Pleasant, Carson Bassett from daysormay, idialedyournumber, and Jia.
Other releases that I cannot wait to hear this year are from Metric’s Romanticize the Dive, Broken Social Scene’s Remember the Humans, and Prison’s Such Great Hunger.
Best Audio Engineer 2025
Tonality Studio has been top-rated with us year after year, and there is a reason for that. Tonality Studio constantly comes out with crystal-clear mixes and always seeks to improve. His latest mixes have even leveled up. We didn’t know that was even possible! If you’re looking for the best bang for your buck for a mixing and mastering engineer, then book a session with Tonality Studio. We think he’s wholly undervalued and is worth far more than he’s asking. Give him a shot! You’ll be pleasantly surprised! We’ve always been blown away by everything coming out of Tonality Studio!
Best Lessons and Audio Engineer of the Year 2025
Be sure to follow Kevin on TikTok to get involved with his TikTok Lives!
Drummer101 and 111 Studio have provided phenomenal services in the Sacramento area. With Drummer101.com, you have drum lessons at your fingertips from a master drummer! He also provides virtual and in-person lessons! 111 Studio includes recording, mixing, and session musicians for your musical projects. 111 Studio also provides many in-person lessons for several instruments. We are very impressed with the services! Why isn’t this more popular? We’re so confused why he doesn’t constantly have people trying to obtain his services!
Best Painter/Visual Artist of the Year 2025
Michelle Dahl has delighted us and intrigued us with her art style! From oil paintings to mixed media, Michelle Dahl is a true master of her craft. Have you seen her latest works? Every single one of them are more impressive than the last. How’s that even possible? Follow her Instagram and buy a painting from her. You’ll be so glad you did!
Best Rock, Metal, Punk, and More Music Video Posts and Podcast of the Year 2025
Signal Chords, year after year, has been providing smaller artists a spotlight. It’s hard for small artists to even get noticed, but BrAd really knows how to give them the leg up they need! Thank you, Signal Chords! He also has an incredible podcast!
Coolest Characters, Podcast, and Best Music Promotion of 2025
Bad Club Media showcases multiple bands a day. How do they have the time? Either way, we’re so glad they’re doing it. Bands appreciate the hard work and dedication these guys put in their platform. Thank you!
Best Pop-Punk Promotions of 2025
Unsigned Pop-Punk has been around for a while and is the cornerstone of the online Pop-Punk community. Sadly, it was announced that they will be stepping away for a while. That’s a devastating lost for the community as they’ve been propping up the Pop-Punk scene for years. We can’t be mad. The people running UPP are people and all that they do is time consuming. We’ll miss you Unsigned Pop-Punk!
Best Podcast hosted by Two Elder Emos of 2025
JamxP
JamXP is a fantastic Podcast hosted by the amazing Chris and Jess! They have fun and witty banter with their guess and sometimes strange challenges like eating a banana with mustard. They are great people and we love their podcast!
Best Podcast for the Alternative Music Scene of 2025
OurSpace with Matt Vettese
OurSpace is hosted by Matt Vettese who is a former radio host. From what we know of Matt is that he’s a real nice guy and drips with charisma. The OurSpace podcast is top notch for discovering new music!
Best Podcast featuring Multiple Genres of 2025
Good Noise Podcast
Good Noise Podcast is incredible. The conversations feel so natural and easy, you’d think the host knew the artists long before they were on the show. We love the Good Noise Podcast!
Best Music Promotion of 2025
Amp Revolution is a fantastic promotion company that shouts out bands and gets them heard! They also offer consultations and will give you the best advice any band could ask for. Amp Revolution is amazing!
Best East Coast Publicity Company 2025
Knyvet is by far the best on the East Coast. I think Michael has even expanded his services beyond the East Coast. You’ll have to email him and ask! He’s knowledgeable and friendly!
Daddiest Promotion Company/Best Scene Memes 2025
Scene Daddy always has us rolling with their scene memes. They’re not only hilarious, but they’re relatable too! If you’re in a band and need help promoting, Scene Daddy has you covered! Do you need press coverage? Done. Do you need influencer shoutouts? Done. Do you need reaction videos? Done. Scene Daddy does it all!
Best Record Label of 2025
We love Affiant Records! Their artists are incredible and we have had an excellent time chatting with the people running the record label. They are such wonderful people!
Best Promotion of Musical Artists 2025
V13 is an awesome service that knows how to promote their customers. Their expert team of writer ensure that their artists get the attention they deserve!
Best Music Blog of 2025
The Mic is fantastic! We love everything we read from Stefani. They even sent us a Christmas card! How thoughtful! We love their writing and we think The Mic is incredible!
Best Music Articles of 2025
Music Crowns has some of the most fantastic writers. We love what we read from them! Music Crowns knows what they’re doing when it comes to writing about music!
Best Brazilian Music Publication of 2025
Gazeta 24 Horas is an incredible Brazilian publication that covers music and many other things. We love Peterson Baestero’s writing and we think he’s a great guy! We truly appreciate Peterson!
Best Video Game In Development of the Year 2025
Sanctuary: The Shattered Sun looks amazing with its destructible maps and dynamic weather systems! Have you seen their T4 and T5 units yet? They look incredible! Word has it that they got the beginning of their multiplayer service working! Sanctuary: Shattered Sun is inspired by RTS greats like Total Annihilation and the Supreme Commander series. We can’t wait to see what happens with their development in 2026!
Previous Bands of the Year:
2024: Mixed Kid Fridays
Best of Moosic Entertainment 2024
2023: Number One Sons
Best of Moosic Entertainment 2023
2022: Protect Your Heart
Best of Moosic Entertainment 2022
2021: Promise Game
Best of Moosic Entertainment 2021
