Album cover designs have always been an interesting design field and, despite the pervasiveness of digital music, still have a place in popular culture.
London-based Art Vinyl launched the Best Art Vinyl search earlier this year, to find the most exciting record sleeves of 2010. The public also have an opportunity to vote for their favourite designs. Art Vinyl and music industry design experts have selected a shortlist of 50 sleeve designs for the award. Here’s a look at some of these.
Previous winners of the award include Hard-Fi’s stark Stars of CCTV in 2005, Thom Yorke’s The Eraser in 2006, The Cribs's Men’s Needs, Woman’s Needs, Whatever in 2007, Fleet Foxes’s eponymous first album and Muse’s psychedelic cover for The Resistance in 2009.
Andrew Heeps, managing director of Art Vinyl, says the search presents “a unique snap shot of popular art and design. The Art Vinyl award is about celebrating the emotional resonance of the best sleeve designs from 2010 and honouring some of those unsung heroes of art and design who provide the visual identity for so many bands and artists”.
Shortlisted designs will be featured in exhibitions across Europe and the UK and will be displayed in the unique Art Vinyl Play and Display Flip Frame. The final winners will be announced early in January 2011.
