The second Sony World Photography Awards is now open for entries.

The Sony World Photography Awards 2009 is a truly global competition which honours both professional and amateur photographers.

In addition to the 12 categories for professional photographers and the nine categories for amateurs, the Sony World Photography Awards are delighted to announce the partnership with The Prince’s Rainforests for the PRP Awards which complements this year’s theme of the environment.

Professional photographers will be submitting their portfolios in the hope of being selected for a fully-funded project to document the rainforest regions of the world. Amateur photographers will also be invited to submit their images for a global awareness campaign, using photography to educate and inform.

Also new to this year’s awards:

* An extended university programme which has grown from 10 universities in Europe in the inaugural year of the awards to 60 universities across six continents. The brief for this year’s student competition is to produce one image which highlights a single environmental issue specific to their country.

* The Festival @ The Sony World Photography Awards: a week-long festival of photography that takes place throughout the city of Cannes. Through talks, seminars, screenings, networking events, book signings and many other programmes and events, The World Photography Awards have created a programme for the photographic community to participate and network through. The Festival @ SWPA is also creating a new annual cultural event for the general public and all who enjoy contemporary art.

* A new category list for professional photographers spreading across the three photographic genres – photojournalism and documentary, commercial and fine art

* The introduction of the Sony Campaign Award for amateur photographers, which joins together a global obsession for football with the enthusiasm and passion of photography. Amateur photographers are invited to enter the Campaign Award with a single image that captures the beauty and spirit of football in unexpected places, with the winner having the chance of being one of the photographers used in Sony’s forthcoming digital imaging 2009 campaign work.

* A global touring exhibition – Discovering a World of Images – showcasing images by the 2008 winners and finalists which through the course of a year will visit Belgium; Cologne; Tokyo; Delhi; New York; Singapore; Rio de Janeiro; Moscow and Melbourne.

The Sony World Photography Awards welcome submissions from every corner of the world. Last year – the first year of the awards – over 70,000 entries were received from 178 countries. For both professional and amateur photographers, the categories cover a broad range of subjects from photojournalism to sport, architecture to fashion, offering an all-encompassing competition for the photographic world.

Now, in just their second year, the awards have grown to become much more than an awards programme. It is a mix of festival events, exhibitions, award schemes and student programmes throughout the year. In April 2009 the WPA will host Festival @ The Sony World Photography Awards, a week-long celebration of photography at the Palais des Festival in Cannes attended by some of the most influential names in the photography industry from around the world. The highlight of the week is the awards ceremony gala dinner when the winners in all the categories will be honoured and the Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year will be announced.

Through its many initiatives, the Sony World Photography Awards aim to unite the international photographic community.

World Photographic Academy
The awards are judged by the World Photographic Academy which today comprises close to 100 of the world’s leading photographers including Elliott Erwitt, Mary-Ellen Mark, Susan Meiselas, Bruce Davidson and Tom Stoddart; gallery owners; picture agencies; international Guilds; picture editors; critics and publishers. Their role is to promote excellence in photography and set the standard for award selections.

Key dates
2008
22 September Professional and amateur categories open for submissions
9 October Global tour opens in Tokyo
31 October Student Focus participating universities announced
25 November WPA Judges announced
2 December Global tour opens in New York
31 December Closing date for professional and amateur categories
2009
24 February Amateur and professional awards shortlist announcement
3 March Student Focus winners’ announcement
17 March Amateur and professional winners’ announcement
14-19 April Festival @ The Sony World Photography Awards – exhibitions and events in Cannes
16 April Sony World Photography Awards gala evening and ceremony

Amateur Categories & Prizes

• Architecture
• Conceptual & Constructed
• Fashion
• Landscape
• Music
• Natural History
• Portraiture
• Sport
• Campaign Award

One grand prize winner will be selected from the 8 category winners by the 2009 Judging Committee  and be awarded The Sony World Photography Awards Amateur Photographer of the Year.

The overall winner and a guest will be flown to Cannes, receive two nights’ accommodation in a luxury hotel on the famous Croisette, receive VIP tickets to attend the evening gala awards ceremony on the 16th of April, 2009, and collect their prize of $5,000  and a Sony gift.  The winner will also receive week-long passes to attend the World Photography Festival screenings, workshops, exhibitions, talks and other events taking place throughout the city of Cannes from the 14th – 19th of April.

Professional Categories & Prizes

Photojournalism & Documentary:

• Current Affairs / Spot News
• Sport
• Contemporary issues
• Arts and entertainment

Commercial:

• Advertising
• Fashion
• Music

Fine Art:

• Portraiture
• Conceptual & Constructed
• Natural History
• Landscape
• Architecture

Winner of “L’iris d’Or” – Best overall photograph will receive:
Recipient of the title “Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of The Year” $25,000
Entry into the “World Photographic Academy”
Exhibition showcase of winning image and 25 picture portfolio at the 2010 Sony World Photography Awards.
Winning image will be exhibited on the Sony World Photography Awards’ website and promoted to creatives worldwide.
Flights to Cannes, and 2 nights accommodation in a hotel on the famous Croisette and receive VIP tickets to attend the evening gala awards ceremony, taking place on the 16th of April, 2009.

Winners of each individual category will receive:
Recipient of the title “Sony World Photography Awards category name Photographer of The Year”
Flights to Cannes, and 2 nights accommodation in a hotel on the famous Croisette and receive VIP tickets to attend the evening gala awards ceremony, taking place on the 16th of April, 2009.
Winning image will be exhibited on the Sony World Photography Awards’ website and promoted to creatives

Competition Link / Set Reminder

Enter our prestigious photography competition and you could boost your business, your confidence and your bank balance with £1000 of Jessops vouchers.

Another year, another chance to win the enviable title of Professional Photographer of the Year. The competition gives you the opportunity to enter images in nine different rounds, and with some mouth-watering prizes on offer, we know you’ll want to get involved.

You can enter any of the following categories: architecture, commercial, fine art, landscape, portrait, press & documentary, sport, travel and weddings, submitting up to three images in each. Which means that regardless of your photographic specialism, there will be a category to suit your style. Each category has a different sponsor and some fantastic prizes.

The competition will close 30th November 2008.

Competition Link / Set Reminder

UPDATE: EXTENDED DEADLINE
Entry Deadline: July 20

International Color Awards presents the 3rd Annual Photography Masters Cup.

Share the spotlight with the greatest names in photography and promote your work around the globe to industry leaders from Christie’s, Fox, Taschen, Saatchi & Saatchi, Benetton, National Geographic Channel, Musee de l’Elysee & more.
 
The Photography Master Cup is a global online awards show recognizing excellence in color photography. This celebrated event shines a spotlight on the finest professional and amateur photographers and is presented by International Color Awards.
 
PRESTIGE
The awards Jury represents the most influential art directors, agencies, editors, galleries, and publishers from the world of photography, advertising and entertainment. Images are nominated and selected by Jury members who honor the finest images with the highest achievements in color photography.
 
AWARDS
Nominees vie for 63 Coveted Title Awards in 21 Categories representing the best work of the year. Winning photographers receive:

GRAND AWARD WINNER (professional & amateur)
PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
– Recipient of the title award “Photographer of the Year”
– $1,000 prize money from Grants for Color Photography Fund
– Recipient of the Masters Cup
– Creative Excellence prize
– Publication in “Photography Masters Cup” Yearbook published by book|BASIL
– Publication in leading photography magazines
– Exhibited at Masters of Photography Exhibition
– Showcase at the online Winners & Nominee Gallery

CATEGORY AWARD WINNERS
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
– Recipient of the title award “Outstanding Achievement”
– $500 prize money from Grants for Color Photography Fund
– Recipient of the Masters Cup
– Creative Excellence prize
– Publication in “Photography Masters Cup” Yearbook published by book|BASIL
– Publication in leading photography magazines
– Exhibited at Masters of Photography Exhibition
– Showcase at the online Winners & Nominee Gallery

CATEGORIES
Abstract
Advertising
Architecture
Fashion
Fine Art
Nature
Nude
People
Photojournalism
Sport
Still Life

3rd Annual Photography Masters Cup is open to professional and amateur photographers shooting in all forms of color photography using traditional or digital methods.

ENTRY FEES
PROFESSIONAL – Single Entry – $35
AMATEUR – Single Entry – $30

Competition Link / Set Reminder

Update: Extended deadline – 15th July

The Pilsner Urquell International Photography Awards conducts two competitions each year–one for professional photographers and one for non-professionals. Both are open to photographers anywhere in the world.

The winners of the main categories listed below will compete for IPA’s top award of International Photographer of the Year. Those finalists will be invited to attend the Lucie Awards, presented by Pilsner Urquell, where one will be announced as the grand winner, earning the coveted Lucie and a cash prize of $10,000 provided by AtEdge. In addition, the non-professional category winners will compete for the Discovery of the Year Award, for which one will win the Lucie and $5,000 provided by Pilsner Urquell. In 2007 Pilsner Urquell launched the Deeper Perspective Photographer of the Year (Special Deadline for Deeper Perspective is June 30, 2008), where both professionals and nonprofessional will compete for that title, win the coveted Lucie and a cash prize ($5,000) sponsored by Pilsner Urquell.

Titles of the eight professional category winners:
Advertising Photographer of the Year
Architectural Photographer of the Year
Editorial Photographer of the Year
Photography Book of the Year
Fine Art Photographer of the Year
Nature Photographer of the Year
People Photographer of the Year
Photographer of the Year in a Special Category

Titles of the seven non-professional category winners:
Advertising Photographer of the Year
Architectural Photographer of the Year
Editorial Photographer of the Year
Fine Art Photographer of the Year
Nature Photographer of the Year
People Photographer of the Year
Photographer of the Year in a Special Category

BEST OF SHOW EXHIBITION:
Each year, the IPA will invite an established curator to select 40-50 images from both the professional and non-professional pools of first, second, and third place winners to be exhibited at the prestigious Farmani Gallery in Los Angeles. It will then travel to eight other countries, ensuring the greatest exposure for the winning photographs.

Competition Link / Set Reminder

Update: Sony World Photography Awards 2009 

The World Photography Awards, sponsored by Sony, is an international showcase of the best images taken by renowned and undiscovered photographers alike. From landscape to music and photojournalism to fashion photography, the WPA is the first awards of its kind and is supported by hundreds of the industry’s top photographers, critics, gallerists, directors, founders and more.

Featuring eleven different categories, both professional and amateur photographers will be invited to enter work to the World Photography Awards from 9th October 2007 until mid-January 2008. The winners will be announced at a black tie awards ceremony in Cannes at the Palais des Festivals on 24th April 2008.

The aim of the World Photography Awards is to unearth the images of the future while paying tribute to the visions of the past. “Photography plays a vital role in defining and documenting the world around us”, says Shaun Dorrington, General Manager, Sony Digital Imaging, “and by sponsoring the inaugural World Photography Awards we can support talented photographers across the globe and give them the recognition they deserve.”

The awards and subsequent exhibition will become to photography what the Oscars are to the film industry. With an annual ceremony and black tie gala taking place on the prestigious Cote d’Azur, the World Photography Awards is set to become the largest and most important awards in the industry.

For the inaugural year, the World Photography Academy will comprise of over one hundred of the most respected photographers, critics, picture editors, gallerists and other industry leaders, including Phil Stern (US), Terry O’ Neil (UK), Chien-Chi (China), Sylvia Plachy (Hungary), Carl de Keyzer (Belgium) and Esko Mannikko (Finland).

Members of the academy will form the judging panel for the awards, and winners will automatically gain membership to the academy. The academy will be governed by the Honorary Board which comprises of eleven members, including Tom Stoddart, Mary Ellen Mark, Bruce Davidson, Martin Parr, Elliott Erwitt, Susan Meiselas and Stephen Cohen. These eleven board members will represent the academy, promoting excellence within photography and setting the standard for award selections.

Providing an unprecedented international platform in the world of photography, the aim of the World Photography Awards is to unearth the images of the future while paying tribute to the visions of the past.

“It’s a great honour to be part of the inaugural Sony World Photography Awards. The awards will showcase the very best imagery from around the world and will undoubtedly inspire and excite anyone who is passionate about photography.” (Tom Stoddart)

World Photographic Academy
Some of the world’s leading photographers, public gallerists, curators and major picture editors have been invited to become members of the WPA. A full list of current academy members can be found on the website.

Categories
From the 9th October 2007, photographers both professional and amateur will be invited to submit work to be judged in the eleven different categories. From this the academy will nominate a shortlist of photographers who will then be invited to attend the awards ceremony. The shortlist will be announced in
February 2008.

The eleven categories are:

• Abstract
• Advertising
• Architecture
• Fashion
• Music
• Nature
• Nude
• Portraiture
• Photojournalism
• Science
• Sport

The Awards

Professional Awards
All submitted works will be judged by academy members and three finalists will be nominated in each of the eleven categories.

• l’iris d’or
• One photograph will represent the image of the year and win l’iris d’or which comprises:
• The title Sony World Photography Awards Photographer of the Year as well as $25,000
• Entry into the World Photographic Academy for future years
• Exhibition showcase of winning image and 25 picture portfolio at the 2009 World Photography Awards
• Winning images exhibited on the World Photography Awards’ website and promoted to creatives worldwide
• Individual Category Awards
• Lifetime Achievement Award

Amateur Awards
The awards will be international and interactive, allowing people from across the world to submit photographs online via the WPA website to an amateur competition that will run in parallel to the Professional Awards. Each photographer can submit up to three photographs per single category. The site aims to create an online community and social network in which people can interact, creating a destination point for amateur photographers across the globe.

The awards night will be a black tie event bringing together the crème de la crème of photography and the media on 24th April 2008 in Cannes. An exhibition of all finalists’ work will be held at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes from the 21st-25th April and will be open for public viewing.

World Photography Awards is delighted to welcome Sony as its headline sponsor.

“Photography plays a vital role in defining and documenting the world around us”, says Shaun Dorrington, General Manager, Sony Digital Imaging, “and by sponsoring the inaugural World Photography Awards we can support talented photographers across the globe and give them the recognition they deserve.”

Update: Sony World Photography Awards 2009 

Competition Link / Set Reminder

Update: IPA – International Photography Awards 2008

The Pilsner Urquell International Photography Awards conducts two competitions each year–one for professional photographers and one for non-professionals. Both are open to photographers anywhere in the world.

The winners of the main categories will compete for IPA’s top award of International Photographer of the Year. Those finalists will be invited to attend the Lucie Awards, presented by Pilsner Urquell, where one will be announced as the grand winner, earning the coveted Lucie and a cash prize of $10,000. In addition, the non-professional category winners will compete for the Discovery of the Year Award, for which one will win the Lucie and $5,000. 2007 launches the Pilsner Urquell Deeper Perspective Photographer of the Year (Special Deadline for Deeper Perspective is June 30, 2007), where both professionals and nonprofessional will compete for that title, win the coveted Lucie and a cash prize ($5,000).

LUCIE AWARDS:
Besides earning the chance to compete for the top two prizes, the category winners will each also receive two tickets to the Lucie Awards, a free copy of the Annual Awards Book and the following titles:

Advertising Photographer of the Year
Architectural Photographer of the Year
Deeper Perspective Photographer of the Year (Special Deadline – June 30, 2007)
Editorial Photographer of the Year
Photography Book of the Year (professional category only)
Fine Art Photographer of the Year
Nature Photographer of the Year
People Photographer of the Year
Photographer of the Year in the Special category

BEST OF SHOW EXHIBITION:
Each year, the IPA will invite an established curator to select 40-50 images from both the professional and non-professional pools of first, second, and third place winners to be exhibited at the prestigious Farmani Gallery in Los Angeles. It will then travel to eight other countries, ensuring the greatest exposure for the winning photographs.

 http://www.photoawards.com/

Competition Link / Set Reminder