The White Label Auction in aid of The BRIT Trust returns for 2026

• Just two months to go before the world’s only known auction of “white label” test pressings takes place, hosted by Omega Auctions, on 23^rd June
• The White Label Auction has raised over £200,000 for The BRIT Trust to support causes that draw on the power of music to improve lives, including The BRIT School and Nordoff and Robbins
• Hundreds of white label test pressings to go under the hammer including from Gorillaz, De La Soul, Coldplay, Celeste, Freddie Mercury, Mike Oldfield, Neneh Cherry, Nico, Paul Weller, Rolling Stones, Sex Pistols, Simple Minds, Status Quo, and The Who.
•  Signed test pressings from Olivia Dean, The Cure, Sam Fender, Roxy Music, Erasure, Yungblud and more 

The White Label Auction in Aid of The BRIT Trust – the world’s only known auction of “white label” test pressings, returns for its seventh edition on Tuesday 23^rd June 2026.

The auction of rare and collectable test pressings¹ has to date has generated more than £200,000 for music industry charity, The BRIT Trust, which works to improve lives through the power of music and the creative arts, and supports hundreds of causes across the UK that promote education and wellbeing, including The BRIT School, Nordoff and Robbins, ELAM, Music Support, and Key4Life. 

Last year, the event achieved a total hammer price of £44,200, including a remarkable £8,800 for an original 1975 7” test pressing of Queen’s iconic “Bohemian Rhapsody”.

Full details of the auction items will be announced on the Omega site soon, but organisers can reveal that there will again be hundreds of lots for this year across new, classic and rare pop, rock, soul, jazz, dance and all points in between. These include test pressings from legendary, cultural and contemporary icons Amy McDonald, Celeste, De La Soul, Def Leppard, Derek and the Dominoes, Duran Duran, Ezra Collective, The Fall, Freddie Mercury, Garbage, Gorillaz, Jake Bugg, Lily Allen, Louis Tomlinson, Madness, Neneh Cherry, Nico, Paul Weller, Pete Townshend, Rick Astley, The Rolling Stones, Sex Pistols, Simple Minds, Status Quo, Split Enz, Take That, Tears for Fears, Thin Lizzy, Travis, Westlife, The Who, and Wu-Tang Clan. And many more.

Building on last year’s success with Queen, one of the rare gems to be included in this year’s sale items will be an original double-sided acetate of Roxy Music’s 1973 single Do the Strand b/w Editions of You. Kindly donated by the band’s Phil Manzanera and signed by Phil, Bryan Ferry and Andy Mackay, it was cut at IBC Studios in London’s Portland Place back in 1973.

And there will be a host of star lots of signed test pressings from artists including double BRIT Award and Mercury Prize winner Sam Fender, four-time BRITs winner and global pop superstar Olivia Dean, and new British rock sensation Yungblud. There will be signed items too from The Cure’s Robert Smith – a longtime supporter of the White Label Auction, who has also just overseen a successful inaugural curation of the Teenage Cancer Trust gigs at The Royal Albert Hall – as well as more items from glam pop icons Roxy Music, Eighties electro-pop stars Erasure, Noughties rock band Starsailor, and Soul/R&B rising star Elmiene. 

The White Label Auction is organised annually by Co-Founders, Johnny Chandler and the BPI’s Gennaro Castaldo, with the valued support of BRIT Trust Chair, Tony Wadsworth CBE, and Julian Stockton of JMSPR. It will again be hosted by Newton-Le-Willows-based music memorabilia and vinyl records specialists Omega Auctions.

The event and funds raised are made possible by the generosity of the many artists and their managers and PRs, and the UK record labels who every year donate the rare test pressings. These include Universal Music UK, who lead in contributing to it, and AWAL, Beggars Group, BMG, Cherry Red Records, Domino Recordings, Partisan Records, Sony Music UK, and Warner Music, amongst others.   

White Label Auction Co-Founder and organiser, Johnny Chandler, said:

“Having been introduced to music on vinyl at a very young age, I’m delighted to see its appeal continuing to grow amongst music fans of all ages and of all styles. It’s particularly heartening that younger artists including Olivia Dean, Sam Fender, Elmiene, and Yungblud are supporting the WLA with signed test pressings and joining long -term supporters like The Cure’s Robert Smith and Roxy Music, who’ve given us some exceptional items for this June’s auction. It’s hopefully all adding up to be another memorable event that will support the important work of The BRIT Trust.”

Tony Wadsworth CBE, Chair of The BRIT Trust, said:

“At a time when fundraising is coming under increasing pressure and the charities we support, such as The BRIT School and Nordoff and Robbins, are facing severe funding challenges, the contribution the White Label Auction makes to our finances cannot be overstated. After a remarkable event last year, we are looking forward to another great outcome in June and thank in advance all our valued industry supporters who help to make the White Label Auction the success that it is.”

Dan Muscatelli-Hampson, Director of Operations and Consignments, added:

“The love of vinyl extends from casual fans to the most ardent collectors, and we are now also seeing a new generation of admirers – and collectible artists such as Olivia Dean and Yungblud – coming through, helping the market to stay buoyant. This auction is the only one of its kind in the world, which Omega Auctions is proud to host. It has clearly struck a chord with artists and fans alike, and we invite collectors from around the world to again join us to bid for these rare items.”