Winner 2025 - Stardome Astrophotography (Megan Maloney)
Entries are open for Photographer of the Year, New Zealand’s largest and most prestigious photographic event.
Written by James Frankham
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.
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.
AWARDS
SONY PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
Chosen from amongst all entrants, the winning portfolio demonstrates skills, consistency and creative insights that make for quality visual storytelling. It rewards originality and competence across all the images entered, and the ability to reveal a fresh perspective on our land or people.
OCKHAM RESIDENTIAL PEOPLE’S CHOICE
Visitors can vote on finalist images at the Photographer of the Year exhibitions in Auckland and on the New Zealand Geographic website. Public votes are tallied across the exhibition season in time for the awards night.
YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
The young photographer is chosen from all entrants under the age of 25 on September 30, 2024, and like Photographer of the Year, the quality of the entire portfolio of entered images is considered.
SENIOR PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR
An award to acknowledge the best portfolio of images shot by a photographer aged 60 and over on September 30, 2024.
CREATIVE NZ TE AO MĀORI AWARD
Recognising exceptional coverage of kaupapa Māori and te ao Māori. Judges will be looking for deep, committed engagement with their subjects.
CATEGORIES
RESENE LANDSCAPE
Showcase the wonders of New Zealand—its mountains, wetlands, coasts and plains. The judges will be looking for attention to light and drama.
AUCKLAND ZOO WILDLIFE
Capture New Zealand’s flora or fauna in its natural environment. We are looking for images that exude life and show behaviour or adaptations that make the animal or plant unique.
ONE NZ ADVENTURE
A category covering outdoor adventure in Aotearoa—climbing, caving, diving, mountain biking, hiking, surfing. Tell the story of your adventure.
MOTAT AERIAL
The aerial category celebrates the art of aerial photography, be it from planes, helicopters or drones. Judges will be looking for images that defy the old visions from above and bring innovation and new perspectives of our landscapes and life.
BUILT ENVIRONMENT
Our cities, towns and structures reflect who we are as a society and how we interface with the natural world. We are looking for images that exemplify this connection.
PORTRAIT
Celebrating the time-honoured art of the portrait photograph, exuding the personality and lived experience of the subject.
STARDOME ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY
A new category recognising the art and technical craft of astrophotography, expanding the vision of our landscapes to the star spangled banner above.
PHOTOSTORY
A set of four to six images. Judges will be looking for the quality of the images overall, as well as how they work together to tell a story.
SOCIETY
This category celebrates the traditions and relationships of all New Zealanders. The winning entry will be an image that captures our identity as a people.
Ends
