Finalists for the 16th annual hennemusic Rock News Awards are chosen by readers: the Rock News Story Of The Year is determined by page views, while the Rock News Artist Of The Year is based on the combined total page views of the top 50 hennemusic rock news stories of the past twelve months.
The 2025 hennemusic Rock News Awards winners will be announced on Wednesday, December 24.
2025 Rock News Artist Of The Year – Top 10
10 – GUNS N’ ROSES
09 – DAVID LEE ROTH
Rock News Artist of The Year No. 8 – BILLY IDOL
In January, Billy Idol announced dates for a North American tour.
Billed as “It's a Nice Day To...Tour Again!”, the rocker would be joined by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts for the series, which would open in Phoenix, AZ on April 30.
The following month, Idol released “Still Dancing” as the lead single from his then-newly-announced album, “Dream Into It.”
“‘Still Dancing’ is really a reflection of my whole journey,” explains Idol. “From the punk rock period through to now. And I’m still looking towards the future, still living the life I set out to live.”
In sync with the tour’s launch, Idol was joined by Avril Lavigne on “77”, the second preview to the project, which marks Idol’s first new music since a pair of EP’s – 2021’s “The Roadside” and 2022’s “The Cage” – while also doubling as his first full-length album since 2014’s “Kings & Queens Of The Underground.”
A few days later, Lavigne teamed up with Idol to perform “77” on an episode of ABC-TV’s Jimmy Kimmel Live.
This week, Idol celebrated the 2025 tour with a new video for “Too Much Fun” after closing out the series with a November 30 show in Mexico City.
Directed by Harsh Patel, the video features footage captured at a number of venues, including Talking Stick Resort Amphitheater, Bridgestone Arena, Budweiser Stage, Wembley OVO Arena, Madison Square Garden, Red Rocks, Greek Theater, and The Forum.
“We really had too much fun!,” says Idol. “From the ‘Dream Into It’ album to ‘It’s A Nice Day To…Tour Again!’ - thank you all for an incredible year.”
Add some Billy Idol to your collection here.