Jill Furmanovsky has been awarded the Icon Award for the Abbey Road Music Photography Awards 2024, the third recipient of the prestigious title.
The Abbey Road Music Photography Awards was launched in 2022 and is the only photography award to focus solely on the genre of music photography. The Icon Award is a special award granted to esteemed and established music photographers who have contributed to the genre, and they don't come much more established than Jill Furmanovsky.
Furmanovsky has a long and storied history with Abbey Road Studios, starting as a teenager in the 1960s as part of The Beatles Fan Club, waiting outside to glimpse one of the fab four.
As she found a path through the world of music photography she was responsible for curating some of Abbey Road's most iconic images including Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here recording session in 1975 and Oasis' recording of Be Here Now in 1997.
Jump forward 20 years and she became the very first 'Artist in Residence' at the studio in 2017, before joining the judging panel for the inaugural Abbey Road Music Photography Awards in 2022. There she acted as a judge, using her talent for spotting emerging talent, as well as a source of inspiration.
Speaking on winning the award, Jill Furmanovsky says, "It is an honour to be given such a prestigious award by Abbey Road, a place that holds a special place in heart. I’ve had the privilege of photographing some of the greatest musicians in the world, on the road, in concert on location, and recording in magical places like Abbey Road Studios. Sometimes I still can’t quite believe my luck. Many thanks to the MPAs for championing the Art of Music Photography for a whole new generation."
Furmanovsky has captured the whos-who of music icons over her 50-year career including Bob Marley, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, Joy Division, Oasis, and the image that kick-started her photography career – Paul McCartney.
Head judge of this year's awards Rankin says, "This year’s ICON winner is one of my favourite music photographers of all time. I’m very excited that Jill Furmanovsky is the ICON winner because not only is she extraordinary at what she does, but she is extraordinary in the sense that she embeds with the people that she works with and is probably one of the nicest people in the music industry. So, Jill, all power to you!"
The award ceremony for the Abbey Road Music Photography Awards 2024 will take place on October 3, where the winners of all the open submission categories will be presented with their awards, in addition to Jill Furmanovsky being presented with the Icon award.
You may also be interested in our guides to the best camera for music videos, the best mirrorless cameras, and the best camera for students. If the Sinéad O'Connor image caught your eye, read this piece about selecting the cover image for The Real Sinéad O'Connor book.
