New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year Awards open for entry
Entries open 10 June
Entries close midday, 15 July
New Zealand Geographic Photographer of the Year celebrates photographic craft and those moments that make our society and environment unique. This is the biggest celebration of editorial photography in the country—the real New Zealand we see and experience, far from the tourist brochures and AI slop.
You can be part of it.
2025 award winning photo by Paddy Edmondson
There will be an exhibition in Britomart, Auckland, and winners will be announced at an awards night in Auckland on October 29. There is $7000 cash up for grabs, $8000 worth of camera gear from Sony, and a voyage from Heritage Expeditions worth $17,200.
The Sony Photographer of the Year will be picked from all entrants, as will the Young and Senior Photographers of the Year. All finalists will have a crack at the Ockham Residential People’s Choice award, voted on by the general public. A Creative NZ Te Ao Māori award will be judged independently by Māori. Categories include Resene Landscape, One NZ Adventure, Auckland Zoo Wildlife, Motat Aerial, Built Environment, Portrait, Society, Photostory and Stardome Astrophotography categories.
Photographers retain copyright to their images. All photos must have been shot after January 1, 2025 (except PhotoStory, after Jan 2024) and within New Zealand territory—including New Zealand-administered Pacific and Antarctic dependencies. A maximum of 26 entries per entrant over the nine categories (in other words 20 images and one set comprising four to six images in the Photostory category). There is a $25 fee per entrant payable on submission by credit card. Entry fees are waived for young photographers (under 25). All entrants receive a free six-month digital-access subscription to NZGeo.com. Read the full terms and conditions here. Entries close midday, July 15.