Iconic Bowie Photographer Wins Lifetime Achievement

Japanese photographer Masayoshi Sukita is set to be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at this year's Abbey Road Music Photography Awards. This accolade recognizes Sukita's profound impact on music photography, particularly his 44-year creative partnership with the late David Bowie. He is famously credited with capturing the iconic cover image for Bowie's 1977 album, "Heroes."

Born in 1938 in Kyushu, Japan, Sukita moved to Tokyo in 1965. He became a freelance photographer in 1970, and his work in the early 1970s included capturing Jimi Hendrix and Marc Bolan in New York. His first meeting with David Bowie in London in 1972 marked the beginning of a long and fruitful international collaboration.

Sukita expressed his honor at receiving the award, stating his pleasure in being part of photography's history and his commitment to continue his work. Mark Robertson of Abbey Road lauded Sukita as a visionary whose images have helped define artists and shape cultural history, elevating music photography to an art form.

The Abbey Road Music Photography Awards, launched in 2022, are a leading component of a broader initiative supporting music photography through events and educational resources. This year's competition attracted over 24,500 submissions from 40 countries, a significant increase from the previous year. The judging panel comprises notable figures including Rankin, Nile Rodgers, and Raye.

The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place on September 24 in London, celebrating a lifetime dedicated to the art of capturing music's essence through the lens.