So.Co Music Photographer of the Year Awards

27 March 2023 - Press release

WINNERS REVEALED AT INAUGURAL CEREMONY IN LONDON

Today the winners of the first ever edition of So.Co's Music Photographer of the Year Awards were revealed at a ceremony held in 21 Soho, London. 

Created by music storytelling platform So.Co, the Music Photographer of the Year Awards champions the unsung heroes behind the lens. The event's inaugural outing was a celebration of the very best in music photography across six highly competitive categories, with hundreds of entries submitted by music photographers of all abilities. 

With thousands of votes cast online for Music Photographer of the Year (sponsored by Affinity Photo), the winner was then picked from the top 10 by an expert panel, with concert photographer Neil Lupinchosen as the first ever recipient of the sought-after gong. Specialising in rock bands, Neil has photographed many of the world's most iconic artists including AC/DC, ZZ Top, Rihanna and Madonna. In recognition of the win, he was presented with the prize of an A7 IV camera and lens kit by Sony. 

The award for Image of the Year (sponsored by LD Comms), went to Belinda Enthoven for a stunning picture of Tom Fletcher from McFly performing live at the O2 in London. The image shows him arching over backwards onstage, reaching out to touch the outstretched hands of the crowd with one hand and holding his guitar in the other. 

Venue of the Year went to one of the UK's top music pubs, The Horn in St. Albans, Hertfordshire. Hosting around 80 live shows per month, The Horn is a well-loved venue with a long history. Like many grassroots venues, it has helped kickstart the careers of plenty of well-known artists and hosted everyone from U2 to Newton Faulkner, Enter Shikari and The Subways. 

Decided by public vote, the photographer community picked the celebrated Nikon Z 9 as Product of the Year - a camera which is sought after for its high build quality, low light performance and a revolutionary 'electronic only' shutter. In the Must-See Artist of the Year category, Greater Manchester indie-pop outfit, Lottery Winners topped the vote. 

Announced in the build-up to the event, David Hogan won the Legend of the Year award for his ongoing legacy as one of the music industry's most distinguished and cherished photographers. 

Vince Bannon, So.Co CEO & Co-founder, said: "The music photography community is thriving more than ever, it's been fantastic to see it come together for this celebration of the artform. We've had a blast honouring some of the best in the game with our first year and can't wait to build the event in the years to come." 

Neil Lupin, winner of Music Photographer of the Year, said: "I am honoured to have won the first So.Co Music Photographer of the Year award. The talent in the competition was outstanding and it shows the UK is leading the world when it comes to live music - from the grassroots to the biggest stadium tours."