Alongside the honour, it was also announced that his third studio album, ‘Sing When You’re Winning’, will be reissued on vinyl for the first time. Originally released in 2000, the album stands as one of his best-selling records, with over 2.4 million copies sold in the UK. This will also be the record’s first-ever release on coloured vinyl, with a special 2LP red/blue vinyl set available to preorder from his website and participating record stores. The album features hits like ‘Supreme’, ‘Better Man’ and ‘Kids’ featuring Kylie Minogue, as well as the hugely successful ‘Rock DJ’, which has gone on to become a classic for clubs and parties across the country.
It’s no surprise that Williams has been awarded this honour, especially after the release of his last album, ‘BRITPOP’, landed him the record for the most Number 1 albums in UK chart history, bringing him to a total of 16. Surpassing The Beatles, it was a pivotal moment in his career, reminding us of his place as one of the biggest UK solo artists. Despite his international success, however, the US remains one market he has struggled to break.
In late 2024, Williams’ biopic Better Man, the title of which comes from a track on ‘Sing When You’re Winning’, hit cinemas in the UK before opening more widely in the US in January 2025. As well as many takes on whether portraying himself as a CGI chimpanzee was a clever metaphor or a ridiculous gimmick, a lot of the discussion surrounding the film pointed to the fact that many people in the US aren’t overly familiar with him or his music. In fact, his desire to break America is one that is mentioned in the film and, given its reception in the US, he still hasn’t quite managed to do so. Regardless, as the film showed, in the UK he was able to sell out record-breaking shows like Knebworth in 2003, which drew 375,000 fans over three nights and was described as the biggest British music event in history. More recently, artists like Coldplay and Harry Styles have set their own records with their respective runs at Wembley Stadium.
He also holds a record 18 BRIT Awards, making him the most awarded artist in the ceremony's history. Of these, 13 were awarded to him as a solo artist and five as a member of Take That. But even if you weren’t to include the awards with the band, he still comes out on top, just one award ahead of Adele. Despite countless wins and nominations on the UK award circuit, at international ceremonies like the Grammy Awards, he is rarely recognised, having received just two Grammy nominations.
Critics and fans alike have long theorised over why Williams has been unable to ‘break’ America, suggesting his British idioms and self-deprecating humour doesn’t quite translate overseas. Nonetheless, Williams stands as a true ‘Album Icon’ in the UK music landscape, with this title being a perfect fit for someone who has long expressed his love and devotion to the album format. Regarding the honour for National Album Day, Williams said,