Abbey Road Studios has announced that legendary music photographer Jill Furmanovsky has been honoured with the prestigious ICON Award for the Abbey Road Music Photography Awards (MPAs) 2024.
Previous winners of the award include Eric Johnson (2022) and Henry Diltz (2023).
The ceremony takes place at Abbey Road on October 3.
Jill Furmanovsky said: “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 was the studio's very first photographer in residence (2017–2018), before joining the judging panel for the inaugural MPAs in 2022.
Throughout an illustrious 50-year career, Furmanovsky has worked closely with many iconic musicians including Bob Marley, Eric Clapton, Stevie Wonder, Sinead O'Connor, Blondie, The Police, Led Zeppelin, The Pretenders, Bob Dylan, Joy Division, Amy Winehouse and Oasis.
Stevie Wonder montage (1991 and 1973)
Her first rock photograph of Paul McCartney, taken on a Kodak Instamatic, marked the start of her career. After just two weeks of photography training in 1972, she became the official photographer for London's iconic Rainbow Theatre. This role launched her professional career, where she began to shoot for major magazines and weekly music press.
As well as being honoured with many awards, she is also the founder of Rockarchive, a Magnum-inspired collective of rock photographers. The company, which began in 1998, curates exhibitions and specialises in fine-art rock photography.
Oasis (1995)
Jill Furmanovsky has published multiple books across her career including The Moment: 25 Years of Rock Photography (1995) and Oasis – Was There Then: A Photographic Journey (1997), alongside her recent Sunday Times bestseller Oasis: Knebworth: Two Nights That Will Live Forever (2021). She also curated and contributed to Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon 50th anniversary book.
Her extensive archive was celebrated through two major retrospective exhibitions in 2023-4: Photographing The Invisible at Manchester Central Library, which had more than 25,000 visitors, and No Music No Life at Proud Gallery in London. Images on display included the award-winning portrait of Charlie Watts, Chic’s performance at the Hammersmith Odeon (1979), Oasis at Maine Road (1996), and Amy Winehouse at the Union Chapel (1996).
Sinead O'Connor (1994)
Sally Davies, Abbey Road’s managing director, said: “Jill holds a special place in the heart of rock music photography. Her remarkable talent has gifted us some of the most iconic images that tell the Abbey Road story. From capturing the magic of Pink Floyd’s sessions in the 1970s and Oasis in the 1990s, to becoming our first photographer in residence in 2017, her journey with us is a beautiful carousel of memories. It is with great joy that we honour her lifetime contribution to the art of music photography with the ICON Award 2024.’
Head judge Rankin added: “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!”
Also announced today, London-based photographer Sam Rockman is to return to Abbey Road as their photographer in residence for 2024. A finalist in two categories at the 2023 MPAs, Rockman is also on the judging panel for this year's competition.
Photo credits: Jill Furmanovsky/Jill Furmanovsky portrait by Ki Price
