Sound of the Year awards winner announced

[cbabe]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0nnr1fr

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.

Release date: 28 May 2026

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https://www.thoughtco.com/bearded-seal-profile-2291955

Fascinating Facts About Arctic Bearded Seal

From March to June, males vocalize. When they vocalize, the males dive in a spiral underwater, releasing bubbles as they go, which creates a circle. They surface in the center of the circle. They make a variety of sounds — trills, ascents, sweeps, and moans. Individual males have unique vocalizations, and some males are very territorial, while others may roam. The sounds are thought to be used to advertise their "fitness" to potential mates and have only been heard during the breeding season.

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Human-caused threats include hunting (by native hunters), pollution, oil exploration and (potentially) oil spills, increased human noise, coastal development, and climate change. These seals use the ice for breeding, molting, and resting, so they are a species thought to be very vulnerable to global warming.

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Bearded Seal call

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