Abbey Road reveals 2025 nominees, from Lana Del Rey to the 1975, with fans set to vote

The world of live music and photography has collided once again as Abbey Road Studios unveiled the shortlist for its prestigious Music Photography Awards. After sifting through more than 20,000 entries from over 30 countries, the nominees span global megastars, festival icons and underground scenes, highlighting photography’s power to immortalise the spirit of music.

Among the eye-catching shots is Josh Druding’s electrifying image of Chappell Roan, clad in a pink star-studded leotard and superhero mask, captured mid-performance with one hand thrust high into the air. The picture, nominated for Music Moment of the Year, perfectly captures the rising pop star’s blend of theatricality and empowerment.

Doja Cat also features prominently. Photographer Greg Noire’s submission shows the rapper and her dancers draped in extravagant white furry costumes, delivering a spectacle that blends avant-garde fashion with raw performance energy.

British singer Charli XCX is nominated in the same category, thanks to Pupat Chenaksara’s dramatic image of her crawling on stage in a white outfit while being soaked in artificial rain. Lana Del Rey’s turn in what resembled a black bridal ensemble, perched on a man’s shoulders as fans feverishly recorded the moment on their phones, also earned recognition, courtesy of Kirby Gladstein.

The nominees extend far beyond individual stars. Festivals, club culture and intimate studio settings are all represented. Jez Pennington’s photograph of Enter Shikari at Download Festival shows frontman Rou Reynolds rolling in the mud while gripping his microphone, a scene as anarchic as it is iconic. Connor Baker’s image from Glitterbox at Hï Ibiza captures clubbers mid-dance, shrouded in smoke, while Jen Amelia Veitch’s “Underground Scenes” entry freezes a clubber sprawled across a billiards table at Hidden in Manchester, fan in one hand and billiard ball in the other.

Other categories include “Making Music”, where Jordan Curtis Hughes’s candid shot of The 1975’s Matty Healy depicts the frontman surrounded by keyboards, snacks and clutter, as though creativity itself had erupted across a living room. Portraiture also takes centre stage: Annie Noelker’s playful photo of producer Benny Blanco mid-bite in a restaurant adds humour to the competition, while Lantz Martin’s stark black-and-white image of rapper Ken Carson offers a glimpse of hip-hop’s next generation.

The Judges’ Choice category provides some of the most striking contrasts. Phoebe Fox’s profile of The Cure’s Robert Smith, his iconic make-up stark against a blue backdrop, epitomises gothic artistry. By contrast, Platon’s minimalist black-and-white shot of Nile Rodgers’ hand gripping a guitar plectrum distils decades of disco and funk into a single gesture.

In total, 40 images have been shortlisted across eight open categories. This year also introduces new sections for portraiture and festivals, as well as a special guest category exploring club culture.

Fans are being invited to take part by voting online for the Music Moment of the Year, with the ballot open until 23 September. The winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony at Abbey Road in London on 2 October. Ahead of the event, all shortlisted photographs will be displayed at Now Pop One in London from 19 to 23 September, offering the public a chance to see them up close.

Abbey Road’s director of marketing and creative, Mark Robertson, praised the “incredibly gifted community of photographers who continue to impress with their work”. He added: “These images prove that music photography is a genuine art to be celebrated and plays a vital role in shaping culture.”

With stars ranging from Burna Boy and Central Cee to Maggie Rogers and Fontaines DC all captured through fresh lenses, the awards confirm what music fans have always known: the right photograph can crystallise a fleeting performance into cultural history