Picture credits: Andrew Hughes

The annual competition – run in a tie-up with Nikon – features amateur sections such as live, portrait, documentary and festivals.

Category winners will receive a Nikon 1 J3 camera kit, while the top professional will bag a Nikon D600 DSLR.

The best shots will go on show in an exhibition to be held in London later this year.

Nikon UK’s group marketing manager Jeremy Gilbert said: ‘The partnership with NME has gone from strength to strength over the last few years – we really value the competition as an excellent platform to showcase the work of both undiscovered and established music photographers.’

NME Editor Mike Williams added: ‘The standard of entrants continues to improve every year and provides new blood with a phenomenal platform to showcase their work.’

Amateur photographer Andrew Hughes scooped the overall title in 2012 with an image of indie band Spector.

And one of last year’s category winners, Matt Richardson, has since been signed up as an official NME photographer.

Entrants retain copyright in their images – which may be published by the organisers, IPC Media (also the publisher of Amateur Photographer), but only in connection with promoting the competition.

The NME contest also features a Reader’s Choice prize, and those who vote have the chance of winning one of three Nikon Coolpix S9500 compacts.

The closing date is 9 September 2013.

For full details visit the NME Music Photography Awards 2013.