Abbey Road Photography Awards Announce 2026 Winners
Japanese photographer Masayoshi Sukita was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award, while Roberta Bayley received this year’s ICON award
By Emily Zemler
Abbey Road held its fifth annual Abbey Road Music Photography awards last night in London and announced its 2026 winners.
Joshua Halling won Music Moment of the Year for his photograph of Oasis fans, which was shot during the band’s 2025 show in Buenos Aires. Gabrielle Ravet won for Behind the Scenes, while Tom Pallant won for Live Music. Frances Carter won for Portrait, AF Cortés won for Underground Scenes, and Giulia Spadafora won Festivals category. 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.
Japanese photographer Masayoshi Sukita was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award during the ceremony. Best known for his 44-year collaboration with David Bowie, Sukita took the iconic cover shot for Bowie’s 1977 Heroes album. He is also known for photographing 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. She was known for her work chronicling the early punk rock scene, capturing artists like Iggy Pop, the Ramones, Debbie Harry and Blondie, Richard Hell, the Sex Pistols, and the Clash. Platon accepted the award on Bayley’s behalf.
The awards were hosted by Lauren Laverne and 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.”
She added, “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. 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 Abbey Road Music Photography Awards, which have been running since 2022, received more than 24,500 submissions from 40 different countries in 2026, 25 percent more than last year. Rolling Stone’s own Sacha Lecca was nominated in the Judges Choice category for his shots of FKA twigs during her Ladyland Festival performance. Lecca also presides as the Chief Shortlister and Global Ambassador of the contest.
The judging panel for this year’s Music Photography Awards was led by British photographer, publisher, and film director Rankin, and also included Nile Rodgers, Raye, Damiano David, Platon, Dean Chalkley, Dennis Morris, Kid Harpoon, Lily Fontaine, Jackie Lee Young, Hikaru Utada, and Simon Wheatley.