The Invited Categories
Entries to the invited categories will be nominated by our Judging Panel showcasing more established global music photographers, and the images which made a serious impression on them.
Portrait Photography Award
Capturing the spirit, essence & personality of the artist through visual imagery. Stylised, conceptual or candid, it’s how the artist represents their work of themself through visual imagery.
Editorial Photography Award
Editorial photography draws the viewer in, sharing a whole story with an image. It can create an entire mood, illuminate written text, set a tone or present a highly evolved creative concept.
Icon
A special honour in recognition of an individual whose impact and contribution to the art of music photography is unparalleled.
The recipient of the 2023 Icon Award was awarded to legendary US rock photographer Henry Diltz. Henry Diltz’s archive of photos reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of rock’n’roll history with over 250 album covers and countless iconic images from the ‘60s and ‘70s, including the Morrison Hotel cover for The Doors. Over the past 60 years, Diltz has photographed musical legends including the Eagles, Neil Young, Crosby Stills & Nash, Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, America, James Taylor, Linda Ronstadt, Jimi Hendrix, The Monkees and David Cassidy. Diltz was also the official photographer at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, Woodstock Music festival in 1969, 1994 and 1999 and continues to photograph festivals to this day, most recently this year’s Glastonbury and Coachella. His work has appeared in The New York Times, Rolling Stone and on the cover of LIFE magazine in 1971 with a photo of Paul and Linda McCartney.