FAQs
AGE
How old do I need to be to enter?
Entrants to the Live Photography, Studio Photography and Undiscovered Photographer of the Year categories must be over the age of 18. All entrants to the Championing Scenes category partnered by Hennessy must be over the age of 25.
CATEGORIES & AWARDS
How many categories are there?
There are nine categories in total. The MPAs span open-entry categories Studio, Live, Zeitgeist, Championing Scenes & Undiscovered Photographer of the Year, as well as four categories which are not open to public entries and instead are invited and chosen by the judging panel. These are Icon, Portrait, Editorial and Artist at Work. All categories recognise outstanding work in music photography.
How many awards are there?
There are nine awards across two areas:
OPEN categories (five awards)– we welcome entries from undiscovered, emerging, and professional photographers.
INVITED categories (four awards) – four invited categories, which are not open to public entries and will be nominated by the judging panel
What’s the difference between open and invited?
Open entries are for public submissions from undiscovered, emerging and professional photographers.
Invited entries are nominated by the judging panel.
SUBMISSIONS
When does the competition close?
You must submit your entry between 00:01 GMT on 15 February 2022 and 23:59 GMT on 21 March 2022.
Nominees invited to attend the Ceremony will be contacted prior to the awards ceremony due to take place at Abbey Road Studios on 14 May 2022
How much does it cost to enter?
It’s completely free to enter the competition.
How do I enter?
For Live Photography Award, Studio Photography Award, Championing Scenes Award:
Please submit a minimum of three and maximum of five photographs in any category, selecting one image as your main entry to the category. The other images will be supporting material to your entry but may also be considered for the award if the judges decide they are worthy of recognition.
Undiscovered Photographer of the Year:
Follow the steps above. For this category, please submit five images to showcase your work as a photographer.
Zeitgeist Award:
This award is not open for direct submission of entries. Instead, all images entered into the open categories (Studio, Live, Championing Scenes & Undiscovered Photographer of the Year) will be considered, with the winner selected by the judging panel.
How do I enter Zeitgeist?
This award is not open for competition entrants to submit images directly. Instead, all images entered into the open categories will be considered for the award.
Can I enter one photograph into multiple categories?
Yes, you can.
Can I enter more than once?
You can only enter once per category. You can enter several categories if you feel that the photographs you are submitting meet the criteria of that category.
Can I enter multiple categories?
Yes, you can enter multiple categories.
Why does my image have to be from 2021?
The MPAs is a new annual competition brought to you by Abbey Road Studios. Each year we will be celebrating images from the previous year. In our first year, we are shining a light on 2021. Your images should be taken between 0.01 on 1st January 2021 to 11.59pm on 31st December 2021.
My images aren’t uploading – what should I do?
There are a few reasons why this might happen, so please check the file size (between 1-5mb), format (jpeg, png) and special characters in your file name. If it still doesn’t upload contact mpa@abbeyroad.com before the submission deadline.
Can I make changes to my entry after I’ve submitted?
Once you’ve submitted your entry, it cannot be altered. Please review your entry carefully before finalising your submission.
What happens if I enter the wrong category?
Once you’ve submitted your entry, it cannot be altered. However, you can enter multiple categories, so you can still enter the correct one.
How do I know if you’ve received my entry?
You will receive a confirmation email shortly after you have submitted your entry to the awards. If you don’t receive a confirmation email, please check your junk mail, and check that the email address you used to submit your entry is correct.
I am not a professional photographer can I still enter?
Yes, you can.
Do I retain copyright?
You must be the sole copyright owner of the photographs and the photographs must not infringe any right of any third party. Ownership of the copyright in any entry submitted to the Competition will remain with the copyright owner. As per the terms of entry, any submitted images may be used for the purposes of promoting of the competition by Abbey Road Studios or its competition partners.
What happens to my photographs if I win?
Your photographs may be used on the MPA, Abbey Road Studios and competition partners’ websites, social media, publications (and included in any promotional or branded videos related to the competition) and in physical exhibitions, as well as by online, print and broadcast media reporting on the competition and its entrants.
I don’t live in the UK can I still enter?
Yes, the competition is global, and we welcome submissions from anywhere in the world.
Can I get feedback on my submission?
We are unable to provide individual feedback on submission entries.
IMAGE SPECIFICATIONS
Size of photographs & format
Each photo you submit can be between 1MB and 5MB in file size and submitted in a JPEG file format only. If you are selected as a nominee or a winner, you will be asked to provide a print-quality 300 DPI image file.
THE JUDGING PANEL
Who is on the Judging Panel?
The MPAs judging panel is helmed by photographer, publisher, and director Rankin, together with musicians and creatives Moses Sumney and Shygirl, photographers Jill Furmanovsky and Dana Scruggs, Rolling Stone’s picture editor Sacha Lecca and Abbey Road Studios MD Isabel Garvey.
JUDGING, AWARDS & PRIZES
What are the judges looking for?
The open competition entries are judged, on an equal and anonymous basis. The judges will select nominees and winners across the categories according to the judging criteria, including subject matter, technical skills, approach, creativity, and narrative.
How will the winners be notified?
All shortlisted photographers will be notified of their shortlisting in advance and will be invited to attend the awards ceremony on the 14th May 2022.
What are the prizes?
Find the prizes for each category here.
NOMINEES & WINNERS
When will the winners be announced?
Winners will be unveiled at the MPAs ceremony on Saturday 14 May 2022, hosted at Abbey Road Studios.
Shortlisted Nominees
You may be required to submit a waiver form for anyone featured in the photograph. The waiver will state that you have full permission to enter the Competition and reproduce an image of the person/s featured in the photograph. If a selected photograph contains an image of a minor (person under the age of 18 ) then you will be required to submit a minor release form signed by the parent or legal guardian of the minor.
THE AWARDS
Can I attend the awards?
Shortlisted photographers will be invited to the Awards ceremony, but due to capacity restrictions, other photographers who have submitted images to the awards will not be invited.
When is the awards ceremony?
The Music Photography Awards will take place on 14 May 2022.
DATA PROTECTION
Any personal information provided hereunder will be subject to our privacy policy at https://privacy.umusic.com. We will collect, process and use the data provided concerning the Participant for purposes of management of the Competition.
PARTNERS
Here is a link to our partners.
CONTACT
How do I get in touch?
If you haven’t found the answer you’re looking for above, you can contact us via the contact form found here. Our online hours are 9.30am – 6.00pm Monday to Friday.