Summary
- The 2026 Abbey Road Music Photography Awards have announced their winners after receiving more than 24,500 entries from 42 countries.
- Here are the winning photographs and special honours.
Abbey Road Studios has announced the winners of the 2026 Music Photography Awards, with images ranging from the Oasis reunion and Glastonbury to punk culture and a techno rave in Ukraine.
The fifth edition attracted more than 24,500 images from 42 countries. The awards ceremony took place on 24 September in Abbey Road Studios One and Two, hosted by Lauren Laverne.
The seven open categories celebrated photographs made in 2025, while the anniversary guest category 50 Years of Punk accepted images from any year. The judging panel also selected a separate Judges’ Choice winner.
The category winners
Music Moment of the Year — Joshua Halling
The only category decided by the public went to Joshua Halling for an image from Oasis’ 2025 tour in Buenos Aires: a fan at the centre of a swirling crowd, photographed from high inside the stadium.
Behind the Scenes — Gabrielle Ravet
Gabrielle Ravet won with a photograph of My Chemical Romance fans preparing for the first show of the Long Live The Black Parade tour in Seattle.
Live Music — Tom Pallant
Tom Pallant was recognised for his stage image of Yungblud and bassist Silke Blansjaar surrounded by dense fog during a performance in Luxembourg.
Portrait — Frances Carter
Frances Carter won the Portrait category with an image of Billie Marten on a white horse, made during the musician’s first trip to New Zealand.
Underground Scenes — AF Cortés
AF Cortés took the prize for an audience photograph from a secret KARTEL show on abandoned railway tracks in Brooklyn.
Emerging Photographer of the Year — Dara Petrova
Dara Petrova was named Emerging Photographer of the Year for an image from the Techno rave Laboratorium in Ukraine, a place where, according to Abbey Road, military personnel socialise and civilians seek relief from everyday pressure.
Festivals — Giulia Spadafora
Giulia Spadafora won Festivals with an audience photograph made at Glastonbury’s Stone Circle opening ceremony, just as the festival was about to begin.
50 Years of Punk — Wayne Large
In the anniversary 50 Years of Punk category, Wayne Large won with a 1979 photograph of members of various punk bands in Castle Gardens Park, Leicester, a local meeting place for punks at the time.
Judges’ Choice and special honours
The Judges’ Choice award went to Angus Jenner for a photograph of Oasis on the opening night of their reunion tour.
The 2026 ICON Award went to Roberta Bayley, one of the photographers who systematically documented New York’s early punk scene and served as chief photographer for Punk magazine.
The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Japanese photographer Masayoshi Sukita, best known for his long 44-year collaboration with David Bowie and the shoot associated with the cover of Heroes.
What we think
This year’s selection shows how broad music photography has become: from live performance and portraiture to backstage access, fan culture and underground communities. Several of the winning images rely not simply on the fame of the artist, but on the relationship between audience, place and cultural context. For image-makers, that underlines the importance of point of view and visual storytelling beyond access to a major name.
Frequently asked questions
How many entries did the 2026 Abbey Road Music Photography Awards receive?
More than 24,500 images were submitted from 42 countries.
Which category was decided by the public?
Music Moment of the Year was the only category decided by public vote, with Joshua Halling taking the award.
Who received the ICON and Lifetime Achievement Awards?
Roberta Bayley received the ICON Award, while Masayoshi Sukita received the Lifetime Achievement Award.
Which years were eligible for the photographs?
The open categories focused on images made in 2025, while 50 Years of Punk accepted photographs from any year.
