Wicked stars, Wham!, Tom Grennan and Mariah Carey are among the artists who will go head-to-head for the coveted Christmas number one title this year.
The race for the top spot kicks off on Friday December 13, with sales and streams counting to take place up until midnight on Thursday December 19, the Official Chart Company has announced.
The winner of the biggest chart race of the year will be announced on BBC Radio 1’s The Official Chart on December 20.
Among the 2024 contenders are the stars of the musical blockbuster Wicked, Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, for their rendition of Defying Gravity.
Musical theatre star Erivo plays Elphaba while pop star Grande portrays Glinda in the adaption of the popular musical of the same name, which is set in The Land Of Oz before the events of The Wizard Of Oz.
It will go up against a host of Christmas classics including Wham!’s Last Christmas and Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You.
The festive staples are hoping to boost their chances through the release of new recordings. Re-releases mark the 40th anniversary of Wham’s hit and 30 years since the release of Carey’s classic.
Last year Wham! claimed the festive top spot with Last Christmas for the first time, 39 years after its original release.
The track, first released in December 1984 by pop duo George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley, was famously beaten that year by Band Aid’s charity single Do They Know It’s Christmas?
To coincide with the anniversary of Last Christmas, the BBC is also releasing the documentary Wham! Last Christmas Unwrapped, which focuses on the track.
Despite its prominence on the airwaves every December, Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You has never claimed festive number one in the UK, with East 17 originally beating the US singer to the top spot in 1994.
The British pop band are hoping to claim the title for a second time with their single Stay Another Day as it also marks its 30th anniversary.
To celebrate the occasion and amplify their chances, they have released a special 30th-anniversary vinyl on Friday in aid of music therapy charity Nordoff and Robbins.
Little Bit Of Love singer Grennan has thrown his hat in the ring as well with his new track It Can’t Be Christmas, a collaboration with Amazon Music Original.
Icelandic-Chinese jazz musician Laufey’s track Christmas Magic has recently entered the top 40 and it is expected to climb even higher, according to the Official Chart Company.
Several non-festive tracks are also still charting well including Gracie Abrams’ current number one single That’s So True and the collaboration between Blackpink’s Rose and Bruno Mars on Apt.
A number of charity releases are in contention including West Yorkshire singer-songwriter Sam Clegg’s John Lewis-inspired single Send Me A Sign, which is in aid of Re-engage and Friends Of The Elderly.
Rock Choir, a contemporary choir with more than 32,000 members from across the UK, has released two tracks this year.
Their cover of Hallelujah features the voices of around 6,000 members and they have also released a version of Stevie Wonder’s What Christmas Means To Me, both in support of Cash For Kids.
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue are also giving the festive title a go with Fire Safety Dance while raising funds for Firefighter’s Charity, which supports the mental health of those in the service.
Elsewhere, Reverend And The Makers have dropped the festive love song Late Night Phone Call in aid of Samaritans, while a collective of celebrities, including soap stars and Love Islanders, have released a new rendition of The Beatles’ All You Need Is Love to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital.
The chart is compiled by the Official Charts Company on behalf of the British music industry by surveying more than 8,000 retailers and digital services daily to count UK physical sales, digital downloads, audio streams and video streams.
The winner of this year’s Christmas number one title will be announced on Friday December 20.
