An Overview of Architectural Photography Awards Contests – Everything You Need to Know to Get Your Work Recognized
As architectural photographers, we are not wanting for options to get our work recognized. Awards for architectural photography are abundant, with new contests seemingly popping up each year.
Last year was the first year that I decided to submit some of my work to these competitions. I found the process of looking for and reviewing all the information and criteria for the various contests a bit onerous and time-consuming. This year I decided to be more organized and create a cheat-sheet summary of all the major contests available to us. If you do decide that 2022 is the year to seek out recognition for your work, the overview below attempts to summarize the most significant architectural photography contests available to photographers around the globe.
For each, I’ve endeavored to include the following information to help you find the contest that works best for you:
- Photography category types
- Entry Fees
- Eligibility
- Dates/schedule
- Jury
- Dates active
- Press coverage
- Prizes
Whether or not you believe these contests are worth your time (and money!) is something that you’ll need to decide for yourself. The cynics will tell you that many of these competitions may not end up identifying the best work and perhaps give preferential treatment to a handful of social media savvy photographers who have amassed a large following. There seems to be a lot of truth to that perception. But if you do decide to go for it, hopefully this guide will help focus your efforts. Good luck!
APAlmanac Photography Awards
The first Architectural Photography Almanac competition seeks to create a contest for and by architectural photographers, judged by professionals working in the fields of architecture, publishing, and museum curation.
APAlmanac Photography Awards
Web Link
Categories
• Early Career & Emerging Talent
• Photo of the Year
• Project of the Year
Entry Fees
Eligibility
The Early Career and Emerging Talent Award is open to anyone with five years or less of experience in the genre. Photo and Project of the Year Awards are open to anyone.
Dates / Schedule
2021’s submission window was from September 1st until December 31st.
Jury
Real working photo buyers and clients experienced in editorial and commercial contexts. No self-congratulating photographers judging other photographers here!
Dates Active
2021 was the inaugural year.
Press
Being featured as a winner on APAlmanac should be on every architectural photographer’s wish list.
Prizes
All winners and runners-up will receive a custom engraved, architect-designed trophies with their name and the title of the award etched into the surface
Architectural Photography Awards
Images of the built world are ubiquitous, used beyond the world of architecture and design, you will see buildings in advertisements for finance, cars, travel and more. Despite the visibility of these images, their creators are invisible. The APA crosses sectors and continents to raise awareness of the skill of these photographer; their ability to translate the sophistication of the built world – the photographer interpreting and explaining the character, detail and environment into readable and understandable two dimensions.
Architectural Photography Awards
Web Link
Architectural Photography Awards
Categories
Entry Fees
Single image entries are 8GBP (~11USD) per image. Entry bundles can also be purchased: six images for 30GBP (~41USD) or 36 images for 72GBP (~98USD)
Eligibility
Open to anyone.
Dates / Schedule
2022 dates have not been revealed yet. Submission window for 2021 was from mid July until early September. Shortlists announced in early October with winners being announced in early December.
Jury
The 2021 jury included architectural marketing professionals, architectural photographers, academics, etc.
Dates Active
Contest has been running since 2012.
Press
Reported worldwide in business and consumer channels, and supported by the World Architecture Festival – WAF.
Architecture Photography Masterprize
Architectural photography is an integral medium used to capture and document the look and feel of architects’ work. A good photograph helps the public to understand the designer’s vision through showcasing the spatial elements, light, shadows and surface textures of a building or architectural details. Whether used for media or artistic purposes, architectural photography plays a vital role in society’s understanding and appreciation of architecture and its cultural significance.
Architecture Photography Masterprize
Web Link
Architecture Photography Masterprize
Categories
Entries can consist of a single image or a series of images up to 10 in total.
Entry Fees
Professional entries are 50USD, with a 30% discount for adding an entry to an additional category.
Eligibility
Open to anyone 18 years and up. All images must be taken within the previous five years.
Dates / Schedule
2022 dates have not been revealed yet. Submission window for 2021 was from April until August 31st. Winners announced six weeks after close of the final submission.
Jury
Wide variety of professionals in architecture, journalism, interior design, art, and other related fields.
Dates Active
2021 was the inaugural year.
Press
Prizes
Two Photographer of the Year Awards given for the best overall Exterior and Interior image(s). These two winners will receive the an Architecture Masterprize trophy. Additionally, multiple winners will be awarded in the 31 sub-categories plus honorable mentions.
Architizer One Photo Challenge
Send us a photo. Tell us a story. Can you capture a single photography that tells a powerful story about architecture?
Architizer One Photo Challenge
Web Link
Architizer One Photo Challenge
Categories
A single category contest where photographers are to submit one photograph that powerfully communicates a piece of architecture and the experience of those who inhabit it.
Entry Fees
Early bird: 50USD. Regular: 65USD. Late: 75USD.
Eligibility
Open to all.
Dates / Schedule
2022 dates have not been revealed yet. The 2021 deadline was March 26th.
Jury
Mostly comprised of architectural photographers (2021 included names like Ema Peter, Hufton + Crow, etc.)
Dates Active
Contest has been running since 2020.
Press
350,000+ monthly unique visitors. Two million monthly pageviews. 29,000 architecture firms active on platform. 4.3 million social media followers.
Prizes
Two Grand Winners are chosen, each receiving 2,500USD, a Fujifilm INSTAX camera, and an exclusive interview to tell the world about your image. 100 finalists are published in Architizer Journal.
Arch2O Photography Challenge
The growing obsession with visual documentation is giving us a chance to learn more about our architectural context. After we build, the Architecture rebuilds and frames our stories. Taking a photo of a building might be easy, but telling a story through it is quite challenging!
Arch2O Photography Challenge
Web Link
Categories
Contestants submit one photograph that conveys its sense of place. Your photography should be submitted alongside a brief description (< 150 words)
Entry Fees
65USD.
Eligibility
Open to all.
Dates / Schedule
2022 dates have not been revealed yet. The 2021 contest’s submission window began in mid August and the late deadline was extended to the middle of February 2022. Winners will be announced in April.
Jury
The jury includes masters and leaders in the fields are architecture and photography.
Dates Active
2021 was the inaugural year.
Press
Publication in Arch2O’s Annual Feature ‘100 Photos About Architecture’
Advertising on international press.
Publication in online gallery.
Prizes
First prize: 1,000USD. Second prize: 700USD. Third prize: 300USD. Each winner also receives some photography gear.
Dezeen Awards
Now in its fifth year, Dezeen Awards celebrates the world’s best architecture, interiors and design and has become the benchmark for international design excellence as well as being the ultimate accolade for architects and designers across the globe.
Dezeen Awards
Web Link
Categories
Architectural Photography of the Year award is under their new ‘Media’ category.
Entry Fees
Early bird: 40GBP (~54USD). Regular: 50GBP (~68USD). Late: 100GBP (~136USD).
Eligibility
Open to all.
Dates / Schedule
Early bird deadline: March 30th, 2022. Regular deadline: June 1st, 2022. Late deadline: June 8th, 2022. Winners revealed in late November.
Jury
Comprised of 75 architects, designers, academics, etc.
Dates Active
2021 was the first year that Photography was included in their new ‘Media’ categories.
Press
Longlisted entries published on Dezeen Awards website. Shortlisted entries entered into Dezeen Awards public vote as well as featured in full in an article on Dezeen.
Prizes
Winners receive hand-made trophy and certificate.
International Photography Awards
The International Photography Awards™ conducts an annual competition for professional, amateur, and student photographers globally, creating one of the most ambitious and comprehensive competitions in the photography world today. Our mission is to salute the achievements of the world’s finest photographers, discover new and emerging talent, and promote the appreciation of photography.
International Photography Awards
Web Link
International Photography Awards
Categories
Architecture categories include: Abstract, Bridges, Buildings, Cityscapes, Historic, Interiors, Industrial, Other.
IPA also includes a One Shot Challenge where each year there is a unique theme for a single image submission. The theme for 2022 is ‘Color.’
Entry Fees
IPA Awards – Single image: 35USD. Series of images: 60USD. Additional categories: 20% discount.
IPA One Shot Challenge – 20USD.
Eligibility
Open to anyone 18 years and up.
Dates / Schedule
IPA Awards – Early bird deadline: February 28th, 2022.
IPA One Shot Challenge deadline: May 31st, 2022.
Jury
Comprised of gallerists, photo editors/directors, art collectors, photography luminaires, etc.
Dates Active
Contest running since 2004.
Press
Winners featured in best in show exhibition in New York City, as well as published in the IPA Annual Book of Photography.
Prizes
IPA Awards – Winners of each main category receive 1,000USD and a trip to the Lucie Awards Gala in New York City. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd awards are given in each sub-category. Photographer of the Year Award announced at Lucie Awards Gala and given 10,000USD.
IPA One Shot Challenge – Category winners receive 500USD. Grand winner receives 2,500USD.
Loop Design Awards
The LOOP Design Awards mission is to become one of the most prestigious and recognized international Award in Architecture, Interior Design, Landscape Design, Product Design, Architecture Photography and Architecture Video. LOOP is an open platform to creativity and talent! We want to celebrate and honour diversity with remarkable works globally.
Web Link
Categories
Architecture Portfolio, Exteriors, Interiors, Fine Art Architecture, Aerial Architecture Photography, Abstract Architecture Photography
Entry Fees
Super early bird: 80 Euro (~91USD). Early bird: 100 Euro (~114USD). Regular: 150 Euro (~171USD). Late: 200 Euro (~228USD).
Eligibility
Open to all.
Dates / Schedule
Super early bird deadline: January 31st, 2022. Early bird deadline: March 31st, 2022. Regular deadline: June 30th, 2022. Late deadline: July 31st, 2022. Winners announced in September/October 2022.
Jury
Comprised of around 35 top architects, interior designers, landscape designers, product designers, professors, editors and photographers.
Dates Active
Contest has been running since 2020.
Press Coverage
Several media partners including ArchDaily, DesignBoom, E-Architect, etc.
Prizes
The main winners of the LOOP Design Awards are eligible to receive the Winners Trophy (which will cost the winners an additional few hundred dollars each), with their entries highlighted and feature on LOOP Design Awards Winners directory throughout the coming year and a lifetime customized winner page.
