In 2025, Dominic Harrison, known as Yungblud, marked a breakthrough year with two UK chart-topping releases, three Grammy nominations in rock categories, and acclaim from rock legends. The Doncaster-born artist attributes his success to a fan-focused approach that bypassed traditional industry gatekeepers. Highlights included headlining his own festival and a standout performance at Black Sabbath's farewell show.
Dominic Harrison, the 28-year-old singer-songwriter from Doncaster who performs as Yungblud, experienced a transformative 2025. In June, his fourth studio album, Idols, debuted at number one on the UK charts, outselling its closest rival by 50 percent. That same month, Bludfest, the festival he curates and headlines, attracted 30,000 attendees to the National Bowl in Milton Keynes. Bludfest emerged from necessity, as Harrison notes festivals initially overlooked him due to his genre-blending style—from rap to punk and hard rock. He priced tickets at 45 pounds, far below the 200 to 500 pounds charged elsewhere, fostering a dedicated fanbase called the Black Hearts Club.
July brought another milestone: Harrison performed at Back to the Beginning, Black Sabbath's farewell concert following Ozzy Osbourne's death 17 days later. Amid heavy metal icons like Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Anthrax, and Slayer, his rendition of Black Sabbath's 1972 ballad Changes captivated the 50,000-strong crowd, many older than his typical Gen Z audience. Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, who shared the bill, praised him: “Dom has one of the greatest voices in the history of music, and as grand as that may sound there is no hype in what I’m saying.” Metallica's Kirk Hammett expressed admiration, while Aerosmith's Steven Tyler dubbed him his “brother from another mother” and collaborated on the EP One More Time, released in November. It topped the UK charts and marked Harrison's first US top 10 hit.
November capped the year with three Grammy nominations, making Harrison the first British artist to receive that many in the rock categories. Despite middling reviews since his 2018 debut EP and no solo top 50 single—his biggest, 11 Minutes in 2019, fell short—Harrison built his career via social media. Early videos, like one on Brexit titled King Charles, gained traction in the Netherlands, leading to sold-out gigs and a US deal with Geffen. His 2020 album Weird! and its successor both hit number one in the UK, though the latter left him depressed.
Reflecting from Los Angeles, where he's crafting a new album, Harrison marveled: “What the fuck is going on?” He credits his rise to authenticity on issues like mental health and trans rights, plus a “fearlessness to being laid bare.” Recent accolades include a collaboration on a new Zombie version with Smashing Pumpkins—their first with another artist—and a letter from Robbie Williams. His US tour drew fans from children to septuagenarians. Looking ahead, he eyes 50,000 to 60,000 for Bludfest 2026, calling 2025 “such a beautiful year” with “limitless” potential.
