Summary
- More than 24,500 entries, a 25% increase over last year
- Eight categories with five finalists each, 40 photographs in total
- Judging panel includes Rankin, Nile Rodgers, RAYE, Damiano David and Platon
- ICON Award to Roberta Bayley, Lifetime Achievement to Masayoshi Sukita
- Exhibition at Outernet London 8-14 September, ceremony on 24 September
Abbey Road Studios has announced the finalists of the Music Photography Awards 2026, with 40 photographs across eight categories competing for the prizes at a ceremony on 24 September. The competition drew more than 24,500 entries this year, a 25% increase over last year.
This is the fifth edition of the awards, established by the legendary London studio to recognise music photography as a discipline in its own right. This year adds a special guest category, 50 Years of Punk, marking half a century since the movement reshaped music, fashion and youth culture.
The eight categories and the 40 finalists
Each category has five finalists. The seven open categories are joined by the invited honours: Judges Choice, the ICON Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Portrait
- Frances Carter — Billie Marten
- Jamie-Lee Culver — Aynjel
- Wanda Martin — Billy Idol
- Daniel Rojas — The OGM / Ho99o9
- Manuel Vazquez — Warren Ellis
Live Music
- Charlie Barclay Harris — Fontaines D.C.
- Rhys Bennett — Battlesnake
- Lewis Evans — Oasis
- Tom Pallant — Yungblud
- Rico Suhr — Dr. VENUS
Festivals
- Viktória Erdős — Palaye Royale
- Danny North — Humans of Download, Download Festival
- Giulia Spadafora — Glastonbury Festival audience
- Ian Zandi — The Killing Floors
- Jake Zaoutis — Hey, Nothing
Behind The Scenes
- Olly Bromidge — Matt Molotov
- Sophie Buckley — Black Honey
- Lewis Evans — Geese
- Caity Krone — Kevin Parker / Tame Impala
- Gabrielle Ravet — My Chemical Romance fans
Emerging Photographer of the Year
- Frances Carter — Gin Wigmore
- Bryce Glenn — Sombr
- Natalia Peralta — Nicholas y los fumadores
- Dara Petrova — Techno rave Laboratorium
- Isaac Wheatley — Mikael
Underground Scenes
- AF Cortes — audience at Kartel Show
- Andrea Gonar — Ruido en casa
- Geoffrey Nicholson — Spunk
- Suzanne Phoenix — Private Function at Gold Street
- James Streiker — Rosanna
50 Years of Punk (guest category)
- Joe Hughes — Sonic Youth
- Wayne Large — members of various punk bands
- Keith Marlowe — The Black Halos
- Gerard McNamara — Bauhaus, Peter Murphy
- Jamie Wdziekonski — Amyl and the Sniffers
See all the finalists’ photos here.
Music Moment of the Year: the public decides
The only category decided by public vote is Music Moment of the Year, honouring the photographs that defined music in 2025. Voting closes on Monday 14 September at 23:59 UK time, online or at the Outernet London exhibition.
The judging panel
Head judge and co-founder of the awards is photographer Rankin. Joining him on the 2026 panel:
- Nile Rodgers — special guest judge
- RAYE — seven-time BRIT Awards winner
- Damiano David — Måneskin frontman
- Platon — portrait and documentary photographer
- Dean Chalkley — music, fashion and culture photographer
- Dennis Morris — behind some of the most defining music images of all time
- Kid Harpoon — Producer In Residence at Abbey Road
“2026 feels like the strongest year yet for the Abbey Road Music Photography Awards. The quality of the work entered was genuinely exceptional,” said Rankin.
ICON Award and Lifetime Achievement
The 2026 ICON Award goes to Roberta Bayley, who documented the CBGB scene and shot the cover of the first Ramones album — a choice that ties directly into the anniversary category for 50 years of punk.
The Lifetime Achievement Award goes to Japanese photographer Masayoshi Sukita, best known for his long collaboration with David Bowie and for the cover of the album Heroes. Last year the same honour went to David Bailey.
Exhibition and ceremony
The photographs by the finalists are on show at Outernet London from 8 to 14 September. Winners are announced on 24 September at a ceremony held at Abbey Road Studios. Past editions of the awards have been exhibited in London, Birmingham and New York.
The categories are backed by sponsors: Music Moment of the Year by Outernet London, Festivals by DHL, Emerging Photographer of the Year by adidas, Behind The Scenes by Abbey Road and Live Music by Hydro Flask.
