Abbey Road’s annual Music Photography Awards are open for submissions.
Now in their fourth year, the MPAs are the only global music photography awards showcasing music photographers worldwide. They are a free to enter competition and open to all levels of experience, with the winners to be unveiled at the official awards ceremony on October 2 at Abbey Road.
Last year, the awards had over 22,000 entries from 30 different countries – a 50% increase from 2023. As a result, two new categories have been introduced for 2025: Portrait and Festivals, while this year’s guest category is Club Culture, which celebrates images from any year.
Led by MPA co-founder, British photographer, publisher and film director Rankin (Madonna, Bjork, Miley Cyrus), the judging panel for this year’s awards includes special guest judge Nile Rodgers, Djo/Joe Keery, Black Pumas’ frontman Eric Burton, producer/DJ Dimitri From Paris and Sunflower Bean’s frontwoman Julia Cumming. British photographer Scarlet Page (Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Placebo), two-time MPA winner Tom Pallant (Yungblud, Blur), MPA nominee Bolade Banjo (Louis Vuitton/Pharrell, Burberry, Gucci, Drake), Shot By Nee (Burna Boy), photographer Janette Beckman (Run DMC, Salt-N-Pepa, Slick Rick) and category judge Simon Wheatley (Don’t Call Me Urban) also complete the line-up of judges.
Ahead of the judging day, a shortlist will be created by a panel of photography experts. The shortlisting panel is headed up by MPA chief shortlister and global ambassador Sacha Lecca (Rolling Stone US) and includes photographer Todd Owyoung (Rolling Stone US, Billboard, Vanity Fair) and MPA alumni Yasi, Jennifer McCord and CJ Harvey.
Founded in 2022, the MPAs have grown into a year-round, multi-layered platform which encompasses events, exhibitions, workshops, learning resources and more, all designed to support photography talent. As part of this mission, the Awards now form the cornerstone of the Abbey Road Music Photography Accelerator, which invests in emerging music photographers.
"I’m thrilled to be back for year four of the Abbey Road Music Photography Awards,” said Rankin. “Each year, the standard of entries gets more impressive, and it’s been a real joy to watch so many of the photographers we’ve spotlighted go on to carve out real careers in the industry. The launch of the Music Photography Accelerator marks a new chapter, one that goes beyond recognition to real investment in the next wave of talent. Abbey Road is building a global platform that not only showcases emerging photographers but supports their journey, offering them opportunities to learn, collaborate and gain real world experience."
Sally Davies, managing director at Abbey Road, commented: "Music photography doesn’t just document culture — it plays a vital role in shaping it. With the Music Photography Awards we're proud to champion the image-makers capturing music’s most powerful moments and pushing the boundaries of visual creativity. And as the awards evolve into the cornerstone of our Music Photography Accelerator, it's exciting to not only spotlight talent, but continue to nurture it, helping it connect and thrive. It's about opening doors for the next generation of music photographers, and we can’t wait to see the incredible work they will submit this year."
Entry for the MPAs 2025 is free via the website and is open now until July 28.
PHOTO: TOM PALLANT
