Rolling Stone has released a collection of standout images from 2025, capturing moments from music performances, interviews, and cultural events. The gallery features prominent figures like Lady Gaga and Sabrina Carpenter, alongside emerging talents and global stories. Published on December 25, it highlights the year's vibrant artistic scenes.
Rolling Stone's annual roundup of the best photos from 2025 offers a visual chronicle of the year's cultural highlights, spanning music, film, and social issues. The collection, released on December 25, showcases intimate portraits and live-action shots that defined the period.
Lady Gaga appears in a reflective pose tied to her album Mayhem, where she described the creative process as "months and months and months of rediscovering everything that I’d lost." Similarly, Sabrina Carpenter features from the magazine's summer double issue, captured during a London spa visit. Other musicians like Florence Welch, who launched a revamped interview format, and Turnstile, energizing crowds in Nashville, illustrate the diversity of performances documented.
The photos extend beyond entertainment to broader narratives, including Ukrainian teenagers navigating life amid ongoing conflict in Kyiv, where 17-year-old Anna Donets photographs protests for prisoner releases. In Haiti, images depict vigilantes amid state instability, while a Greenland feature addresses geopolitical tensions from external threats.
Actors and comedians also shine, with Paul Mescal discussing his emotional roles in London and Sarah Silverman reflecting on comedy's role: "Comedy is the relief valve." Benny Safdie's directorial debut The Smashing Machine, starring Dwayne Johnson, gets a nod alongside TV standouts like Justine Lupe in Nobody Wants This.
Events range from massive concerts, such as Zach Bryan's record 112,408-attendee show at Michigan Stadium, to intimate gatherings like the All-American Rejects' pop-up parties. The gallery underscores resilience and creativity, from trans artist Jenni Rose's personal story to protest singer Jesse Welles at a Kentucky benefit.
Overall, these images encapsulate a year of triumphs, struggles, and artistic evolution, providing a snapshot of 2025's pulse.
