Celebrating the art of music photography and spotlighting talent from around the world, the third annual Abbey Road Music Photography Awards will take place at the legendary London studios on October 3rd, with entries now open for several categories.
Photographers can submit their work via the MPA website in six open entry categories: Undiscovered Photographer of the Year, Music Moment of the Year, Live Music Award, Underground Scenes Award, Making Music Award and Jazz: The Rebirth of Cool. A judging panel will select nominees for three further invitational categories: Portrait, Editorial and ICON.
“At Abbey Road Studios, we are committed to the artistry and impact of music photography,” Sally Davis, managing director of Abbey Road Studios, said in a statement. “Through our hosting of the annual Music Photography Awards, we celebrate this vibrant art form and the talented people behind the lens. Our mission is not only to showcase their incredible work, but to nurture emerging photographers and provide them with meaningful opportunities. We're proud to support this creative community and help bring their unique vision and voice to the forefront of the music industry.”
This year's judges include photographer Rankin, founder of the MPA, Abbey Road's first artist-in-residence Jordan Lakay, Gossip's Beth Ditto, Sleaford Mod's Jason Williamson, musicians Moses Boyd and Bimini, photographers Raven B. Varona, Pune Ghana Ashley Vers and Sam Rockman.
“Now in its third year, I am excited to see what work will come out of the 2024 class of applicants,” Rankin said in a statement. “The quality of photos from last year's applicants was incredibly impressive and I'm sure this year will raise the bar even higher. We want to uncover and recognize the emerging, undiscovered and established talent that exists in music photography and highlight photographers from all backgrounds. This year, I will again offer one photographer the opportunity for a one-day mentorship session shooting with me.”
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Ahead of the judging date, a list of nominees will be compiled by a committee of photography experts including Rolling Stone deputy photo editor Sasha Recca, photographers Charlotte Patmore, Katie Cummings, Phoebe Fox and 2023 MPA Music Moment of the Year award winner Anthony Pham.
The MPA is a free-to-enter competition and entries are open until July 18th on the MPA website. Prizes include mentoring with industry experts such as Rankin and Recca, exhibitions and hands-on photography opportunities. The 2023 MPA received more than 16,000 submissions from 30 countries and an exhibition showcasing some of the work attracted 1.5 million visitors at London's Outernet.