National Album Day 2024 announces new champions including Jeff Wayne and Nova Twins

With National Album Day 2024 fast approaching – it takes place on Saturday 19 October – a swathe of distinguished Album Champions have been announced.

Jeff Wayne, Nova Twins, Jazzie B of Soul II Soul, Liam Fray from Courteeners, Catherine Marks and Travis have all signed up for the ambassadorial role, joining previously announced Album Champions Shed Seven.

Expect to see all of them promoting National Album Day on their socials on and during the run-up to the big day. 

National Album Day 2024 has previously announced the theme of Great British groups, reflecting the impact that guitar bands, girl-groups, club collectives, punk outfits and more have had on UK music over the decades. 

Now in its seventh year, National Album Day sees the music community come together to celebrate and promote the art of the album.

As part of the festivities, fans can purchase a host of exclusive vinyl releases from iconic British bands, including Spice Girls (Spice), The Rolling Stones (Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!), Take That (Everything Changes), Sugababes (Angels With Dirty Faces) and UB40 (Labour of Love).

National Album Day is also partnering with Black Story, an initiative dedicated to celebrating iconic UK Black music and addressing the underrepresentation of Black artists in the industry.

In collaboration with Universal Music Recordings and Warner Music’s Rhino label, the campaign will honour Black artists who have shaped the music landscape but often remain under-appreciated. It highlights artists who laid the foundations of their genres.

As part of the campaign, nine classic Black UK music albums will be re-released on vinyl, including Soul II Soul’s legendary 1989 debut, Club Classics Vol One, which has spent 60 weeks on the Official Albums Chart, peaking at Number 1.

MORE: See the full list of vinyl releases for this year's National Album Day

Nova Twins said of becoming Album Champions: "We’re so excited to be part of National Album Day! Albums have meant everything to us for as long as we can remember. They’re more than just music, they connect you to the artist. Once you fall in love with an album it becomes yours forever. Even in today’s fast-paced, short-attention era, the album is the truest reflection of an artist’s craft. This is why they should be celebrated."

Jeff Wayne added: "When my musical version of The War of The Worlds was released in 1978, I had no idea how it would be received. It was the height of the punk revolution and disco was King of the dance floor, yet I released a double album with no cuts, narrated by a Welsh actor. Amazingly, it charted just days after its release and stayed there for 330 weeks.

"Over the years, it’s inspired many different ‘iterations' including arena tours since 2006. From vinyl to the stage, conducting in front of live audiences has shown me first-hand the exhilaration it offers and how magical it can be. The power of an album is a true art form, enjoyed for generations. As the Martians exclaim ULLA!, big thanks to the BPI for naming me a National Album Day Champion for 2024."