Abbey Road Studios Announces Music Photography Awards 2023

Abbey Road Studios returns with its second annual Music Photography Awards, which honors the art of music photography and highlights talent from around the globe. The winners will be unveiled at a ceremony held at the legendary studios on Sept. 21.

This year’s MPAs will pay tribute to the best work from 2022 that “capture the magic of live music, the creative process and the diverse music scenes from across the world,” per a statement. The awards recognize both established and undiscovered photographers, including open-entry categories, alongside awards judged by artists, stylists, photographers, and other influential people in the creative space. 

Photographers may submit entries for free via MPAs’ website in six open-entry categories: Undiscovered Photographer of the Year, Music Moment of the Year, Live Music, In The Studio, Underground Scenes, and Hip Hop 50.

The additional four invited category awards’ nominees and winners will be chosen by this year’s judging panel, which includes renowned British photographer, publisher, film director, and MPAs co-founder Rankin; singer-songwriter Cat Burns; photographer Vicky Grout; stylist and consultant Karen Binns (Wizkid & Tori Amos), singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis-Bextor; U.S. photographer and winner of 2022’s MPA Icon Award, Eric Johnson (who photographed his first Rolling Stone cover with Pusha T); stylist and creative director Matthew Josephs (FKA Twigs), and New York Times Deputy Photo Editor Nakyung Han. The invited categories are Portrait, Editorial, Artist at Work, and Icon. Abbey Road Studios photographer-in-residence Simon Wheatley will join the judging panel for the Underground Scenes category.

“I’m thrilled to announce the 2023 Abbey Road Studios Music Photography Awards is now officially open. It doesn’t matter if you’re emerging, or a celebrated professional photographer, we want you to enter because we want your photographs to be seen,” Rankin said in a statement.

“The MPAs is close to my heart because I founded the awards together with Abbey Road. This is our opportunity to celebrate what music photography means, not just to the audience and the musicians, but to the photographers behind the lens,” Rankin continued. “This year, I’ll be giving you the opportunity to win a day’s mentorship with me on a music shoot, so make sure to get your entry in before 18 July.”

This year’s MPAs shortlisting panel comprises Rolling Stone magazine’s Deputy Photo Editor and 2022 MPAs Judge Sacha Lecca, alongside photographers Yana Yatsuk (winner of the 2022 Portrait Award) and DeShaun Craddock (finalist in the 2022 Zeitgeist category).