The nominees for the 2026 Abbey Road Music Photography Awards have been officially announced, featuring powerful visual portraits of Oasis, Charli XCX, Fontaines D.C., and Geese.
The 2026 ceremony takes place on September 24, marking the fifth edition of the awards that celebrate music photography and amplify the talents behind the lens.
An unprecedented 24,500 images were submitted from 42 nations for the 2026 competition, encompassing works by Oasis, Charli XCX, Florence+The Machine, FKA Twigs, Fontaines DC, ho99o9, Yungblud, Kendrick Lamar, Tame Impala, Billy Idol, Lambrini Girls, Warren Ellis, Sombr, Billie Marten, Amyl and the Sniffers, and Geese.
Earlier honorees include New York‑based Roberta Bbayley, awarded the ICON prize for her sweeping coverage of the ’70s punk movement—such as Iggy Pop, the Ramones, Debbie Harry, Blondie, Richard Hell, and the Sex Pistols.
Japanese photographer Masayoshi Sukita has been named recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award for his decades‑long collaboration with David Bowie—including the iconic ‘Heroes’ album cover and seminal images of Iggy Pop, Marc Bolan, Joe Strummer, Yellow Magic Orchestra, and David Sylvian.
Category — Music Moment of the Year has invited submissions through expert curation; upcoming finalists feature Harriet T K Bols (Oasis backstage at Wembley’s Live ‘25 shows), Jenn Devereaux (Kendrick Lamar at Super Bowl), Jack Oliver (Charli XCX during the glowing ‘brat’ flag performance at Glastonbury), and additional standout entries.
Categories also honor Portrait, Festivals (supported by DHL), Underground Scenes, Live Music (Hydro Flask), 50 Years of Punk (guest support), Judges’ Choice, the prior ICON, and the preceding LIFETIME Achievement.**
Head Judge Rankin remarked: “The 2026 awards feel like the strongest ever held for the Abbey Road Music Photography Awards—these works are genuinely exceptional, combining technical brilliance with energy, emotion, and a distinct viewpoint.” He continued that reducing each category to five finalists left many deserving images untouched, testifying to this year’s rigorous standards.
Photos for Music Moment of the Year are displayed at Outernet London from 13:30 on September 8 through September 14, with on‑screen voting available throughout the exhibition.
Additionally, nominees span diverse categories: Portrait (Frances Carter – Billie Marten, Jamie‑Lee Culver – Aynjel, Wanda Martin – Milly Idol, Daniel Rojas – The OGM – Ho99o9, Manuel de Vazquez – Warren Ellis), Festivals (Viktoria Erdős – Palaye Royale, Danny North – Download Festival/Humans of Download, Giulia Spadafora – Glastonbury 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 Laboratorio, Isaac Wheatley – Mikael), Behind the Scenes (Olly Bromidge – Matt Molotov, Sophie Buckley – Black Honey, Lewis Evans – Geese, Caity Krone – Kevin Parser/Tame Impala, Gabrielle Ravet – My Chemical Romance fans), plus Guest categories covering 50 Years of Punk, Judges’ Choice, ICON, and Lifetime Achievement.
Prominent selections include Lewis Evans (Behind the Scenes – Geese), Charli Barclay Harris (Underfund Scenes – audience at Kartel Show), AF Cortes (Underground Scenes – Ruio en casa), and many more representing rock, punk, electronic, and indie traditions.
Previous years highlight even broader recognition: the 2025 ceremony celebrated photographers such as Nyla Rodgers, Djo/Joe Keery, and Julia Cumming (Sunflower Beams); the 2024 Outernet exhibition attracted over two million visitors, many of whom leveraged earlier nominations for subsequent projects.
First‑ever MPAs in 2022 crowned Eric Johnson with the Icon Award for his legendary documentation of ’90s/early‑00s New York hip‑hop icons—features including Biggie Smalls, Aaliyah, Nas, Missy Elliott, Lauryn Hill, and colleagues.
