Abbey Road Studios has announced the finalists for the fifth edition of its Music Photography Awards (MPAs), with this year’s shortlisted images capturing everything from major festival moments and intimate artist portraits to underground scenes and the enduring spirit of punk.
Yungblud (Tom Pallant)
The winners will be revealed at the Music Photography Awards ceremony on 24th September, with five finalists selected across each of the competition’s open categories. Among the artists and events represented in this year’s shortlist are Yungblud, Lambrini Girls, Amyl And The Sniffers, Oasis, Kendrick Lamar, Fontaines D.C. and Download Festival.
Lambrini Girls (Jessie Morgan)
The 2026 MPAs feature seven open categories: Portrait, Festivals, Emerging Photographer of the Year, Behind The Scenes, Underground Scenes, Live Music and Music Moment of the Year. The competition also introduces a guest category celebrating 50 years of punk, marking five decades since the movement transformed music, fashion and youth culture around the world.
The breadth of this year’s shortlist demonstrates the many different ways music photography can document an artist and their world. From carefully composed portraits and explosive live performances to candid backstage encounters and images from scenes away from the mainstream, the finalists reflect the diversity of contemporary music photography.
The Portrait category sees Frances Carter shortlisted for her image of Billie Marten, alongside Jamie-Lee Culver’s portrait of Aynjel, Wanda Martin’s image of Billy Idol, Daniel Rojas’ portrait of The OGM and Ho99o9, and Manuel Vazquez’s photograph of Warren Ellis.
Billy Idol (Wanda Martin)
Festival photography is represented by Viktória Erdős’ image of Palaye Royale, Danny North’s work from Download Festival, Giulia Spadafora’s audience image from Glastonbury, Ian Zandi’s photograph of The Killing Floors and Jake Zaoutis’ image of Hey, Nothing.
Download Festival, Humans of Download (Danny North)
The Music Moment of the Year category, supported by Outernet London, includes two images of Oasis, photographed by Harriet T K Bols and Joshua Halling, alongside Jenn Devereaux’s Kendrick Lamar image, Jessie Morgan’s photograph of Lambrini Girls and Jack Oliver’s image of Charli xcx. Unlike the other categories, the winner of Music Moment of the Year will be decided by a public vote. Voting is now open, giving music fans the opportunity to select their favourite image from the five finalists. The shortlisted images are also being exhibited at Outernet London, with the exhibition opening at 1.30pm on 8th September and running until 14th September. Visitors can cast their votes using on-screen voting at the exhibition.
Kendrick Lamar (Jenn Devereaux)
The Emerging Photographer of the Year shortlist, supported by adidas, highlights Frances Carter’s photograph of Gin Wigmore, Bryce Glenn’s image of Sombr, Natalia Peralta’s work featuring Nicholas y los fumadores, Dara Petrova’s photograph from the Techno rave Laboratorium and Isaac Wheatley’s image of Mikael.
Gin Wigmore (Frances Carter)
Behind-the-scenes photography takes a different perspective on the relationship between musicians and their audiences. The finalists are Olly Bromidge for Matt Molotov, Sophie Buckley for Black Honey, Lewis Evans for Geese, Caity Krone for Kevin Parker of Tame Impala and Gabrielle Ravet for an image of My Chemical Romance fans.
Kevin Parker - Tame Impala (Caity Krone)
The Underground Scenes category brings together AF Cortes’ audience photograph at a Kartel show, Andrea Gonar’s Ruido en casa, Geoffrey Nicholson’s Spunk, Suzanne Phoenix’s image of Private Function at Gold Street and James Streiker’s photograph of Rosanna.
Live music is represented by Charlie Barclay Harris’ image of Fontaines D.C., Rhys Bennett’s photograph of Battlesnake, Lewis Evans’ Oasis image, Tom Pallant’s photograph of Yungblud and Rico Suhr’s image of Dr.VENUS.
Fontaines D.C. (Charlie Barclay Harris)
For the guest category, 50 Years of Punk, the finalists turn their cameras towards the movement’s history and continuing influence. Joe Hughes’ image of Sonic Youth, Wayne Large’s photograph featuring members of various punk bands, Keith Marlowe’s image of The Black Halos, Gerard McNamara’s photographs of Bauhaus and Peter Murphy, and Jamie Wdziekonski’s image of Amyl And The Sniffers make up the shortlist.
Punks with Dolly & Harriet (Wayne Spike Large)
Head Judge Rankin describes 2026 as the strongest edition of the MPAs to date, highlighting the quality, energy, emotion and individual perspectives represented among the entries. He also points to the difficulty of reducing the field to just five finalists in each category, reflecting the strength of this year’s submissions.
Abbey Road Studios Managing Director Sally Davies similarly highlights the growth of the music photography community around the awards and the importance of creating opportunities for photographers to have their work seen and celebrated. The MPAs have increasingly developed into an international celebration of music photography, with Abbey Road Studios also expanding its activity around the discipline through its first Music Photography Festival in New York.
Alongside the competition’s publicly entered categories, the 2026 awards also feature two previously announced invited honours. Roberta Bayley will receive the ICON award, while Masayoshi Sukita is this year’s recipient of the LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT award.
Sex Pistols live @ Cain's Ballroom 1978 (Roberta Bayley)
With the finalists now revealed, attention turns to the 24th September ceremony, when the winners across the competing categories will be announced. Until then, the Music Moment of the Year shortlist gives audiences the opportunity to have their say, while the wider selection provides a snapshot of the artists, audiences, venues and scenes currently being captured through the lens.
Abbey Road Music Photography Awards 2026 – Finalists
Portrait
Frances Carter – Billie Marten
Jamie-Lee Culver – Aynjel
Wanda Martin – Billy Idol
Daniel Rojas – The OGM – Ho99o9
Manuel Vazquez – Warren Ellis
Festivals
Viktória Erdős – Palaye Royale
Danny North – Download Festival, Humans of Download
Giulia Spadafora – Glastonbury Festival – Audience
Ian Zandi – The Killing Floors
Jake Zaoutis – Hey, Nothing
Music Moment of the Year
Harriet T K Bols – Oasis
Jenn Devereaux – Kendrick Lamar
Joshua Halling – Oasis
Jessie Morgan – Lambrini Girls
Jack Oliver – Charli xcx
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
Behind The Scenes (BTS)
Olly Bromidge – Matt Molotov
Sophie Buckley – Black Honey
Lewis Evans – Geese
Caity Krone – Kevin Parker / Tame Impala
Gabrielle Ravet – My Chemical Romance fans
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
Live Music
Charlie Barclay Harris – Fontaines D.C.
Rhys Bennett – Battlesnake
Lewis Evans – Oasis
Tom Pallant – Yungblud
Rico Suhr – Dr.VENUS
Oasis (Lewis Evans)
Guest Category: 50 Years of Punk
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
Invited Categories
ICON – Roberta Bayley
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT – Masayoshi Sukita
Judges Choice
Matt Auger – Substandards
Carlos Avendano – Lisa Alvarado
Scarlett Carlos Clarke – Self Esteem
Autumn de Wilde – Florence + The Machine
Angus Jenner – Oasis
Sacha Lecca – FKA Twigs
Tom Pallant – Yungblud
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