Bowness Photography Prize

About the Bowness Photography Prize

The Bowness Photography Prize invites entries from artists working with photography. Entries for the prize will be considered from still photo-based media including analogue and digital photography, produced within the last year.

Last year we celebrated the 20th edition of the prize, seeing some significant changes that enabled a rich prize offering. We were pleased to announce an increase to $50,000 for the winner and $2,500 cash awarded to two Honourable Mentions. Shortlisted artists are now paid loan fees for the exhibition of their works. These changes have been enabled by a substantial philanthropic gift from the Bowness Family Foundation, which reinforces the prominence of the prize and cements the importance of photography into the future.

All finalists are eligible to be selected for the Wai Tang Commissioning Award, an initiative of the MAPh Foundation as part of the Bowness Photography Prize. The recipient will be awarded $10,000 in cash, with the opportunity to exhibit a body of work in the following year’s Bowness Photography Prize exhibition.

One finalist will also be voted as the winner of the People’s Choice Award.

Anna Higgins won the $50,000 prize in 2025, and her work Two horizons (2025) was acquired into MAPh’s collection. The judges also selected two Honourable Mentions: Sarah Rhodes, for Chamber of projection I (2025) and James Tylor, for Tapa-arra through the landscape 1, 4, 5 (2024).

Eligibility

• Entries for the Bowness Photography Prize will be considered from still photo-based media including analogue and digital photography. Whilst Artificial intelligence (AI) can be used in the production process, it cannot be the substantial or overriding input into the creation of the work. If a work uses AI (in whole or in part) in the generation of an image, we require that the artist(s) describes in the artist’s statement accompanying the work how it was used as well as describing the other non-AI inputs that were also used in the creation of the image. This statement will then be used to assess whether AI has been the substantial or overriding input into the creation of the work.
• There are no entry size restrictions, however the final image size and frame size must be specified on the entry form and the judges will select artworks for the final exhibition based on the exhibition space available.
• Multi-panel artworks will be accepted. A multi-panelled artwork is considered as one work and to be eligible for selection must be entered in its entirety as one digital image.
• Artwork/s must have been produced since 1 April 2025.
• Employees of MAPh, the City of Monash, or members of MAPh Committee of Management, MAPh Foundation, or members of their immediate families are ineligible to enter the Bowness Photography Prize or vote in the People’s Choice Award.
• Entrants must be Australian citizens or alternatively have been a resident of Australia for at least 12 months prior to the close of the entry submission period.
• By entering this prize you are confirming that you are the creator and owner of the entered artwork/s and that exhibition and promotion of your artwork does not infringe copyright or moral rights and that you have obtained all appropriate permissions.

Entry

• Entries are to be submitted using the online entry process.
• Please supply JPEG image files with the shortest side at a minimum of 2048 pixels..
• Entrants may submit an artist statement (120 words maximum) and/or an artist curriculum vitae (1 page maximum).
• Entry fee is $55 (GST free). Each entrant may submit up to three artworks per entry. There is no limit on the number of entries that may be submitted. The entry fee is nonrefundable and covers administration and handling.
• Entries must be submitted with payment between 16 April and 14 June 2026 by 11.59pm (AEST).
• Acknowledgment of receipt of payment will be sent to entrants via an automated email.

Exhibition

• All entrants will be notified by email on or around Thursday 16 July 2026 regarding the outcome of their entry.
• Shortlisted finalists will be notified by email and will be required to: i) supply print-quality JPEG image files, with the longest side at a minimum of 3540 pixels, and a maximum file size of 15MB per image, and ii) send or deliver their original artwork to MAPh between Monday 10 August and Friday 14 August 2026 during business hours only. MAPh cannot accommodate weekend deliveries. Early deliveries are by prior arrangement only. Shortlisted finalists will need to submit installation requirements along with their works. Works must be install-ready when delivered to MAPh. Unframed artwork will be hung using pins or as the museum sees fit.
• Shortlisted artworks will be on continuous display from Saturday 12 September to Sunday 8 November 2025.
• All shortlisted artworks must be owned by the entrant and available for acquisition.
• All finalists are requested to wait until MAPh publishes its shortlist before announcing their selection via their personal channels.

Each shortlisted finalist will receive a loan fee of $400 (GST free). The finalist must invoice MAPh Foundation an invoice quoting the finalist’s Australian Business Number (ABN) and direct deposit details (bank name, account name, BSB and account number). If the finalist does not have an ABN, a GST free invoice must be provided together with Australian Tax Office form “Statement by a supplier” (reason for not quoting an ABN to an enterprise). The invoice will be paid approximately 30 days after the end of the month in which the invoice is received by the MAPh Foundation.

Judging and awards

• The judging panel will consist of two invited guests and a representative from MAPh.
• The judges will view and consider all entries digitally in order to decide a shortlist. These shortlisted works will be physically exhibited at MAPh, then viewed and judged in person by the judging panel.
• The judges will award an acquisitive cash prize of $50,000 for the winning artwork on Thursday 17 September 2026 (or other date determined by the MAPh Foundation). Two honourable mentions will also be acknowledged and will receive $2,500 each.
• The winning artwork will be acquired by the MAPh Foundation and donated to the Museum of Australian Photography, City of Monash collection.
• The judges’ decision will be final and no correspondence will be entered into.
• The People’s Choice Award, voted by the public both in the Museum and online, will be announced on Thursday 12 November 2026.
• The judges reserve the right not to exhibit any artwork if the artwork is not in their opinion of sufficient artistic merit, technical and formal resolution, or framed/presented appropriately. MAPh has the right to refuse to display any entry.
• All finalists will be eligible for the 2027 Wai Tang Commissioning Award. MAPh’s curatorial team will nominate up to four artists from the 2026 Bowness Photography Prize exhibition to be considered for the award. The final selection committee will be comprised of MAPh Director, Anouska Phizacklea, MAPh Foundation Chair Megan Peart, former MAPh Director and MAPh Foundation Chair, Kallie Blauhorn, and Kee Wong.

Promotion

• If shortlisted, the entrant agrees to MAPh reproducing free of charge their artwork in all publicity and promotion of the Bowness Photography Prize, subject to MAPh’s discretion. This may include an exhibition catalogue, merchandise, marketing collateral and social media.

Freight and insurance

• Delivery and return freight will be the responsibility of each finalist and will be at no cost to MAPh or the MAPh Foundation.
• All artworks will be handled by experienced staff in a museum environment. Adequate precautions must be taken in packing works as MAPh will not be held responsible for any loss or damage caused to any artwork while in transit to and from the Museum. Packaging must be suitable for return. Finalists’ artwork will be insured against loss, damage, theft and destruction while in storage and on display at MAPh. MAPh will not be held responsible if damage or loss is caused due to an artwork being inadequately mounted or framed. Finalists must provide an insurance value for the artwork when requested. This value may need to be substantiated if an insurance claim is made.
• All artworks must be collected from the museum between Wednesday, 11 November to Friday, 20 November 2026 during business hours only. MAPh cannot accommodate weekend collections.

Warranty provided by you

• By entering the prize you expressly warrant that you meet all of these entry requirements.
• If the winning artwork’s mounting or framing does not meet accepted museum standards the finalist must provide an alternative that meets MAPh’s conservation and preservation standards.
• You also agree that in the event you are declared a winner of any prize category and it is subsequently determined by MAPh or the MAPh Foundation, in their sole discretion, that you did not meet these entry specifications, you will return the entire amount of any prize money received by you within 14 days of any request for it to be repaid.
• You also agree to respond promptly and fully to any questions or requests for information sought from you by MAPh or the MAPh Foundation.

Information

• All personal information gathered by MAPh will be used solely for the purpose of administering the Bowness Photography Prize.
• For further enquiries please email bowness@monash.vic.gov.au or telephone 03 8544 0500.