Picture of The 1975’s Matty Healy making music wins photography award

A photograph of The 1975’s Matty Healy making music has won a photography award.

Photographer Jordan Curtis Hughes captured the candid shot which shows Healy, 36, sitting on a couch playing a Casio keyboard in a room surrounded by instruments and a coffee table covered with takeaway food boxes.

The picture won the making music category at the Abbey Road Music Photography Awards on Thursday evening hosted by BBC presenter Lauren Laverne.

The photography awards attracted more than 20,000 submissions from across 30 countries.

They included a picture of singer Lana Del Rey during her Coachella 2024 set, which won the public-voted category music moment of the year.

Photographer Kirby Gladstein took home the award for the photograph of Del Rey at the ceremony held in Studios One and Two.

The ceremony also recognised photographer David Bailey with the lifetime achievement award in recognition of his contributions to music photography over his six decades-long career.

The award was presented by producer Nile Rodgers, with video tributes from some of the music world’s biggest stars, including Sir Elton John, Alice Cooper and Pulp’s Jarvis Cocker.

Photographer Mary McCartney also sent a video tribute in which she described Bailey as “a complete inspiration and a legend – you can feel him in every picture that he takes”.

The ceremony saw Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn, whose subjects over the years have included Frank Sinatra, David Bowie, Kurt Cobain and Bryan Adams, honoured with the icon award.

Tributes poured in for the photographer from the likes of U2, Lenny Kravitz, Depeche Mode and Nick Cave.

Cave said: “You have spent your career making me more handsome and interesting than I actually am.

“Your work continues to fascinate and inspire us all. You are indeed an icon.”

Other winners included Ruby Boland, who won the live music category with a photograph of Australian singer-songwriter MAY-A, while a photograph of British musician Lava La Rue won Melissa Gardner the emerging photographer of the year award.

Photographer and lead judge Rankin said: “It’s so great to see music photography thriving.

“It has never felt more vital, and these images remind us why it’s such a powerful art form.”

The judging panel was made up of a range of creatives which included Rodgers, actor and songwriter Joe Keery, also known by his stage name Djo, and Black Pumas frontman Eric Burton.

Producer and DJ Dimitri from Paris also joined the judging panel alongside Sunflower Bean frontwoman Julia Cumming and photographers Scarlet Page, Tom Pallant, Bolade Banjo and Shot by Nee.

Photographer Janette Beckman and category judge Simon Wheatley completed the line-up of judges for the 2025 awards.

Sally Davies, managing director at Abbey Road Studios, said: “Abbey Road has always stood at the intersection of music and creativity.

“These awards are our way of celebrating the photographers who make music visible, and freeze emotion and history in a single frame.

“It’s been a privilege to honour legends like David Bailey and Anton Corbijn, whose work has shaped the visual language of music for generations.”

The Abbey Road Music Photography Awards aim to champion, empower and showcase the community of music photographers.