Twenty-five artists announced this week will be whittled down to five by music industry selectors ahead of a live final at Clwb Ifor Bach in June.

Every year, the Green Man Rising competition – plucked out of thousands of entries – produces a carefully orchestrated list of ‘what’s hot’ in alternative UK music, a list which feels like a fresh alternative to the machinations of the music industry at large. The top five all get slots at the festival this August, while the winner gets the privilege of opening the main Mountain Stage, plus some studio time, a live session recording and a Dinked vinyl pressing.

Hoping to succeed recent victors wing! and The Orchestra (For Now) are a list of long-time Hard of Hearing favourites, some familiar names and some totally new ones (to us at least) plucked from across the UK’s rich talent pool. wing! labelmates Hank Bee and Glasshouse Red Spider Mite, having each released on the excellent Memorials of Distinction, make the list here. The slacker rock sounds of the latter are a regular feature here, also being heard in Form Affinity, in Dublin’s Child of Prague and CABL, or the joyous sounds of Welsh language act CYN CWSG

Some excellent singer/songwriters make the list too, in the Karen Carpenter-leaning sounds of Eva May, in rising experimental-folk star Josephine Illingworth, or new Bella Union signees My Precious Bunny. Manchester favourites The Slow Country and Holly Head also make the final 25, alongside Americana-leaning Wyatt – the project helmed by pyncher’s Harvey O’Toole still yet to release any music. London grassroots risers Frank Lloyd Wleft, Milk Maiden and Ziplock, feature – the latter featuring members of Morgan Noise and Fat Dog. They haven’t released anything either.

As for totally new names to us here, for our sins – Internet Fatigue’s beguiling mixture of touch-tight spoken word and silky liquid beats – courtesy of grassroots tastemakers BWGiBWGAN – have caught our ear. The Foot & Leg Clinic’s colourful Bug-Club-esque punk rock interests us too, as do the barks and brays of the frantic Lacrosse Club.  The synth-pop dark-wave of Spike interests us too – not least when we heard the ghoulish interpolations of ‘Time To Say Goodbye’ on her track ‘Tiquetonne’ – as do the similarly Crystal Castles-inspired Leeds duo Kiosk.

The final five will be chosen by a group of industry selectors, with the final winner being chosen at a free show at Clwb Ifor Bach in Cardiff on 5th June. For now, you can listen to the full list at the official playlist here. We don’t envy them trying to whittle all these down.

Green Man 2026 takes place from 20th to 23rd August.