In 2025, Spotify’s EQUAL, GLOW, and RADAR programs celebrated women, LGBTQIA+, and emerging artists who turned moments into milestones. From breaking records to reaching new audiences, these voices stood tall, unstoppable in their creativity and their connection with fans everywhere.
As we look back on an incredible year of music and discovery, we’re spotlighting these three global programs: GLOW, our year-round initiative amplifying LGBTQIA+ voices; RADAR, our program for the world’s next-up talent; and EQUAL, our commitment to advancing equity for women in music. Together, these programs lift artists on- and off-platform through editorial, marketing, and community partnerships, locally and globally.
“EQUAL and GLOW are grounded in the daily support we give our ambassadors through editorial and marketing, but this year we also created powerful real-world moments for these communities across the globe,” said Bel Aztiria, Lead, Social and Equity Music Programs at Spotify. “From EQUAL Day in Mexico to Pride in Stockholm, the CCMAs, songwriter mixers for the queer community, and the EQUAL Festival in Paris, we showed up in ways that truly matter. We believe in carrying our mission both on-platform and off, and in building spaces where all artists can thrive.”
Whether streamed, listened to abroad, or first discovered, EQUAL, GLOW, and RADAR artists connected everywhere, and fans kept coming back. Below, meet the artists who defined 2025 across each program.
2025 at a glance
In 2025, kwn led GLOW’s streaming and discovery while Sophie and the Giants drew the biggest audiences beyond their home country; Gigi Perez swept all three RADAR categories; and Halsey did the same for EQUAL.
These achievements reflect deep fan connection with artists bringing their full selves to their music. Here’s how each program helped them shine.
GLOW: LGBTQIA+ artists moving culture
Available in more than 50 countries, the GLOW hub is a home for queer sound and stories year-round. In 2025, GLOW artists showed up as their fullest selves—inventive and grounded in community. Spotify supported ambassadors through marketing, editorial, and partnerships that helped turn streams into real-world impact.
kwn
Most-streamed GLOW spotlight artists of 2025
Since launch, GLOW has uplifted more than 100 LGBTQIA+ ambassadors. In 2024 alone, the program helped drive more than 30 million artist discoveries, and listeners have generated over 86 million discoveries through GLOW playlists since launch.
With their music, these artists build spaces where listeners can see themselves reflected, without compromise.
Stream our GLOW global playlist to discover more talented LGBTQIA+ artists.
RADAR: The global home for what’s next
Launched in 2020, RADAR identifies, nurtures, and amplifies emerging voices around the world and now spans over 1,000 artists across more than 180 countries. In 2025, RADAR artists took creative risks, found new listeners far from home, and turned first discoveries into dedicated fandoms.
Gigi Perez
Most-streamed RADAR artists of 2025
“It is an incredible honor to be chosen as RADAR’s Artist of the Year. I’ve always been a music fan first, and a major piece of that came from the Spotify experience. I think back to all the artists I found through Spotify and how artist discovery has shaped me as a fan of music,” said Gigi. “It is a privilege to find my community with the support of Spotify, who has always championed my message. From the feature of my first independent release of ‘Normalcy‘ in early 2024 on Lorem, the support has only continued to grow since then. It means a lot to know how important artist discovery is to the team at Spotify and how impactful it will be for all artists to come.”
From playlist placements to international discovery, RADAR artists proved that when new voices get the right support, they can move quickly from “next up” to “can’t miss.”
Press play on what’s next with our global RADAR playlist.
EQUAL: Women at full volume
Since 2021, EQUAL has amplified women artists through flagship and local playlists, billboards, and partnerships, advancing equity on- and off-platform. In 2025, EQUAL artists’ stories resonated across borders and genres.
Halsey
Most-streamed EQUAL ambassadors of 2025
“2025 has been a reflective, full-circle year for Halsey and her fans, from celebrating the 10-year anniversary of her debut album BADLANDS with a new tour to taking her latest project on the road earlier this year,” said Talia Kraines, Editorial Lead, Pop at Spotify. “As an EQUAL ambassador, she truly embodies what the program stands for: an artist using her voice with honesty and purpose. Her openness about identity, mental health, women’s health, and the realities of being a busy working mom continues to make her a leading advocate for women in music.”
In 2025, EQUAL further scaled its impact, supporting more than 1,200 ambassadors worldwide and generating over 1.5 billion editorial streams within artists’ first month of joining the program.
Turn up the volume on women artists with our EQUAL global playlist.
As we close out 2025, the artists of GLOW, RADAR, and EQUAL stand as proof that unfiltered voices shape both playlists and culture.
Explore your personalized 2025 Wrapped and learn more about this year’s campaign and experience on our 2025 Wrapped hub.
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