Entries open for NME Music Photography Awards

NME has partnered with camera manufacturer Nikon to find the UK’s best music photographers with the launch of the 2012 NME Music Photography Awards.

It aims to find the ‘most stunning and original music photography from both amateur and professional photographers”, with the winning images exhibited at London’s Getty Images Gallery.

Entries will first be rated by www.nme.com readers and then judged by an expert panel led by acting photo director for NME and NME.com, Zoe Capstick.

Amateur photographer shots are accepted in categories including live, portrait, reportage, festivals and under-21s. Winning entries from these categories are in with a chance of winning the Grand Prix category.

There are two categories open to professionals: photographer of the year and outstanding contribution.

The winners of each category will win Nikon camera equipment and be invited to NME’s HQ to meet NME’s picture editor and one of NME’s established photographers for a photography masterclass.

The top two will then be chosen to shoot a gig for NME, and the eventual winner will get to shadow an NME photographer and have their work published by the magazine.

Rob Hunt, head of creative media at NME publisher IPC Inspire said:

We’re delighted to partner Nikon for the third consecutive year having worked so well together in the past. We have uncovered so much talent and we’re expecting an even stronger, more exciting level of entry to come through this year. This campaign offers both amateur and professional photographers a chance to get their work seen by some of the biggest names in music photography, and each year we get thousands of entries. I can’t wait to see what comes in this time around.

The competition is open for entries from today and voting will take place from today until 12 September. The overall winner will be announced on 3 October.

Click here for more details www.nme.com/photoawards2012