Abbey Road Music Photography Awards Names 2026 Finalists — SkimNews
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- Abbey Road Music Photography Awards unveiled 40 finalists across eight categories from over 24,500 submissions spanning 42 countries, with the photographs displayed in the LED tunnel at Outernet London from 8 to 14 September before winners are announced at Abbey Road Studios on 24 September.
- Oasis's reunion tour features twice in the shortlist: Harriet T K Bols captured Liam and Noel Gallagher sharing an off-mic moment at the penultimate Wembley Stadium show of the 2025 comeback tour, while Joshua Halling photographed a lone fan lost in the swirling River Plate stadium crowd in Buenos Aires.
- Kendrick Lamar is shortlisted for Jenn Devereaux's shot of him at the Super Bowl halftime show surrounded by performers forming the US flag, with Charli XCX nominated for her Brat-era Glastonbury set.
- FKA Twigs was selected out of competition for a judges' award for Sacha Lecca's Rolling Stone shot of her headlining LadyLand Festival at Under the K Bridge Park in Brooklyn, which celebrates queer talent and gay icons.
- Head judge Rankin declared 2026 "the strongest year yet," saying the entered work was "genuinely exceptional - not just technically brilliant, but full of energy, emotion and a real point of view."
- This year's guest category marks 50 years of punk, with Roberta Bayley and Masayoshi Sukita receiving special recognition on the night; the judging panel includes Nile Rodgers and Raye.
- Other standout nominees include Tame Impala's Kevin Parker in a low-lit music video set, Fontaines DC rocking out at an Irish festival opposite a ferris wheel, and Amy Taylor of Amyl and the Sniffers crowd-surfing upside-down at San Diego's Soda Bar in 2019.
Why it matters: With 24,500 submissions funneling to just 40 finalists across 42 countries, the competition reflects the global scale music photography has reached in the awards' fifth year. Fans get direct influence through public voting for the music moment category, both online and at the Outernet London exhibition, before winners are crowned at the Abbey Road Studios ceremony on 24 September.
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