From the Oasis tour to Glastonbury – Abbey Road Studios reveals the best music photos from the past year

Abbey Road Studios recently unveiled the winners of the 2026 Abbey Road Music Photography Awards competition, organized by DHL. The prestigious event honored the best music photography from 2025, showcasing the creative talents behind the camera. Over 24,500 images from 42 countries were submitted for this year's awards, which spanned various categories including Behind the Scenes, Portrait, Live Music, Underground Scenes, Music Moment of the Year, Emerging Photographer of the Year, Festivals, and the new guest category: 50 Years of Punk.

Joshua Halling was awarded the Music Moment of the Year prize for his captivating image of Oasis fans in Buenos Aires during the artist's 2025 tour. The public voted on this category, and the winning photograph showcased the passionate energy of the crowd. Jill Furmanovsky presented the award, having documented Oasis since 1994 and recently published the book Oasis: Trying to Find a Way Out of Nowhere with Noel Gallagher.

Among the category winners, Gabrielle Ravet took home the Behind the Scenes award for her photo of My Chemical Romance fans getting ready for the Long Live The Black Parade tour in Seattle. The Live Music category recognized Tom Pallant for his striking image of Yungblud and bassist Silke Blansjaar performing in fog at a Luxembourg venue. Frances Carter captured the Portrait category with a powerful portrait of Billie Marten on horseback during her first visit to New Zealand.

The Underground Scenes category was awarded to AF Cortés for an audience shot at a secret KARTEL show in Brooklyn, while Dara Petrova was named Emerging Photographer of the Year. Their photo of the techno rave Laboratorium in Ukraine, a gathering spot for both military personnel and civilians, received high praise. Giulia Spadafora secured the Festivals category award for her striking image of Glastonbury Festival attendees at the Stone Circle opening ceremony.

The guest category, 50 Years of Punk, was won by Wayne Large for his photograph of punk bands in 1979, taken in Castle Gardens Park, Leicester. This annual event, launched in 2022, has become a significant platform for fostering and promoting photography talent within the music industry. The winners' images highlight the diverse and innovative nature of contemporary music photography, celebrating both classic moments and emerging trends.