Sound of the Year awards winner announced

The sound of bearded seals recorded underwater in the Arctic ocean by Mathias Arrignon has won the 2026 Sound of the Year award.

Speaking to Today, Matthew Herbert, Ivor Novello-winning musician and chair of the judges for the Radiophonic Institute’s Sound of the Year competition, called the winning entry an "extraordinary noise" that "changes how you experience the wider world around you".

The runners up include a recording of bombing in Tehran, and the sound of a data centre.

Photo credit: Getty Images