Celebrating the best in Music Photography | Full list of 2023 MPAs winners at Abbey Road Studios

Rankin and Sophie Ellis-Bextor were among the judges at the second annual MPAs at Abbey Road Studios, showcasing the best in music photography.

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This year’s event, presented by Lauren Laverne, showcased award-winning photographs and electrifying live performances by The Clockworks, LoneLady, and Somadina.

The 2023 competition saw an astounding 480% increase in entries since its inaugural year, receiving over 14,000 images from 30 countries.

Sally Davies, Abbey Road’s Managing Director, expressed her enthusiasm, saying: “The standard of all the images submitted for this year’s MPAs was incredibly high across the board. The growth the MPAs has already achieved in only its second year is testament to the overall quality of the awards.”

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READ MORE: Eric Johnson wins 2022 Abbey Road Studios Music Photography ‘Icon’ award

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MPAs co-founder and head judge Rankin also chimed in: “The quality and standard of imagery for the 2023 entries is as strong across the board as the 2022 winners – there really wasn’t a bad picture. I’m beyond thrilled with the winning images.”

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READ MORE: Rankin gives us Six of the Best

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Winners were announced in a range of open and invited categories. In the open categories, Chris Allmeid won Undiscovered Photographer of the Year, supported by Adidas, for his Lil Uzi Vert photo.

Anthony Pham’s Harry Styles shot won the public vote in the Music Moment of the Year category, supported by Outernet London.

Other winners included Alex Amorós, Carlo Cavaluzzi, Victoria Sanders, and Clay Patrick McBride in Underground Scenes and Live Music categories.

In the invited categories, Aidan Zamiri, Samuel Ibram, and Tom Pallant won for their exceptional work in the fields of Editorial, Portrait, and Artist at Work, respectively.

Legendary US photographer Henry Diltz was announced as the recipient of this year’s Icon Award. Diltz’s portfolio includes over 250 album covers and a lifetime of shooting musical giants, from Jimi Hendrix to Joni Mitchell.

 

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An esteemed panel, including Cat Burns, Vicky Grout, Mae Muller, and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, judged the event. Abbey Road Studios continues its legacy of recognising and promoting talent in music photography, and it is already looking forward to the MPAs 2024.

List of full winners and nominees below. *Bold denotes the winner

OPEN CATEGORIES

Undiscovered Photographer of the Year, supported by Adidas

Chris Allmeid (Lil Uzi Vert)
Ray Keogh (Stormzy)
Yasi – Jasmine Safaeian (Halsey)
Sam Rockman (Tokky Horror)
AF Cortes (Zola Jesus)

Music Moment of the Year supported by Outernet London

Anthony Pham (Harry Styles)
Nicole Fara Silver (Billie Eilish)
Paul Bogle (Stormzy & Dave)
Aaron Parsons (IDLES)
Lorenzo Reali (Alfa)

Underground Scenes supported by Abbey Road Studios

Alex Amorós (Margate Mod Weekender)
AF Cortes (Native Sun)
Djavanshir Nico (Prince Marvelous Fall)
Sam Rockman (Onoe Capone)
Jamie MacMillan (Sports Team)

Live Music supported by Philips Ambilight TV

Carlo Cavaluzzi (JPEGMAFIA)
Chris Suspect (CumGirl 8)
Jamie MacMillan (Fontaines D.C.)
Mary Caroline Russell (Colony House)
Izzy Nuzzo (Lil Uzi Vert)

In The Studio

Victoria Sanders (Benjamin Earl Turner)
Andrew Little (Rachel Croft)
Mark John (Gutfleisch-Schuermann-Frey featuring Hendrik Meurkens)
Kaj O’Connell (Canal Kn!ght and Knock Monsterr)

Hip Hop 50 supported by Hennessy

2023 marks 50 years of Hip-Hop: five decades of captivating beats, powerful lyrics, and groundbreaking artistry that have left an indelible mark on popular culture. This category serves as a vibrant homage to 50 years of photography.

Clay Patrick McBride (Jay-Z & Kanye West, 2005)
Tamara Rafkin (Too Short, 1994)
Erik Weiss (De La Soul, 2004)
Anthony Pham (Nipsey, 2020)
Kat McBride (Rasheed Chappell and Buckwild, 2020)

INVITED CATEGORIES

Editorial

Aidan Zamiri (Caroline Polachek)
Silvia Draz (Lancey Foux)
AB+DM (SZA)
Ramona Rosales (Megan Thee Stallion)
Meredith Jenks (Bad Bunny)
Amber Asaly (Grimes)

Portrait

Samuel Ibram (Shygirl)
Orograph (FKA Twigs)
Irina Rozovsky (Ethel Cain)
Amanda Fordyce (Harry Styles)
Zamar Velez (Vince Staples)

Artist at Work

Tom Pallant (Yungblud)
Raven B Varona (Adele)
Zaineb Abelque (P-rallel)
OK McCausland (Arcade Fire)

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