Abbey Road Music Photography Awards Name 2026 Winners

Abbey Road held its fifth annual Music Photography Awards last night in London, announcing its 2026 winners across twelve categories.

Joshua Halling won Music Moment of the Year for his photograph of Oasis fans, shot during the band's 2025 show in Buenos Aires. Gabrielle Ravet took the Behind the Scenes category. Tom Pallant won Live Music. Frances Carter won Portrait, AF Cortés won Underground Scenes, and Giulia Spadafora won Festivals.

Dara Petrova was named Emerging Photographer of the Year for a photograph of a techno rave Laboratorium in Ukraine.

The Judges' Choice category went to Angus Jenner for his image of Oasis, taken on the opening night of their reunion tour. Wayne Large won 50 Years of Punk for his photo of members of various punk bands in 1979, taken in Castle Gardens Park, Leicester.

The ceremony also honored two careers spanning decades of music history. Japanese photographer Masayoshi Sukita received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Sukita is best known for his 44-year collaboration with David Bowie, including the iconic cover shot for Bowie's 1977 album Heroes. He also photographed Iggy Pop, Marc Bolan, Joe Strummer, Yellow Magic Orchestra, and David Sylvian. Nile Rodgers accepted the award on Sukita's behalf.

American photographer Roberta Bayley received this year's ICON award. Bayley chronicled the early punk rock scene, capturing Iggy Pop, the Ramones, Debbie Harry and Blondie, Richard Hell, the Sex Pistols, and the Clash. Platon accepted the award on Bayley's behalf.

Lauren Laverne hosted the evening, which featured performances by Kuleeangee and Tom A. Smith.

"Last night's Abbey Road Music Photography Awards was a wonderful celebration of the extraordinary talent, creativity, and craft of music photography," Sally Davies, managing director of Abbey Road Studios, said in a statement. "The standard of work was exceptional, and it was inspiring to see such a rich mix of perspectives and voices from photographers across the globe."

Davie "Abbey Road has always been a place where music, creativity and culture come together, so it feels very special to have created a platform that celebrates the photographers who capture that world through their own unique lens," Davies added. "Over the past five years, the community has embraced the MPAs with such warmth, generosity and passion, so we're incredibly grateful for that. The greatest music photography does so much more than document a moment—it captures something of the artist, the audience and the time we're living in. These are the images that become part of our shared cultural memory, and it's a privilege for Abbey Road to celebrate the people who create them."

The awards, running since 2022, drew more than 24,500 submissions from 40 countries in 2026 — a 25 percent increase over last year. Rolling Stone's Sacha Lecca was nominated in the Judges' Choice category for his shots of FKA twigs during her Ladyland Festival performance. Lecca also serves as the contest's Chief Shortlister and Global Ambassador.

This year's judging panel was led by British photographer, publisher, and film director Rankin. It also included Nile Rodgers, Raye, Damiano David, Platon, Dean Chalkley, Dennis Morris, Kid Harpoon, Lily Fontaine, Jackie Lee Young, Hikaru Utada, and Simon Wheatley.

With submissions up a quarter year on year and a judging panel drawn from across music and image-making, the MPAs are consolidating their position as the leading global platform for music photography.