Heritage Bank Photographic Awards 2023

Published on June 16, 2023 | in Arts/Culture

Calling all photographers! A snap taken on your phone or camera could earn you a share in a $50,000 prize pool from the 2023 Heritage Bank Photographic Awards, open for entries from today. Now in its 35th year, the awards are one of most lucrative and diverse in the country, designed to encourage photographers of all ages and skill levels to take part.

Among the major prizes is $15,000 each across two categories: the Open category, which can be any subject, and the Theme Category, which this year is “Firsts”. The Illustrative category for digitally manipulated images also returns this year with a prize of $5,000 and no limits to post-production creativity. Entrants can also shoot for the CEO’s Choice and Mobile Phone Award, with a further $5,000 prize each. There are also prizes on offer in three youth categories: 9 years or younger, 10-13, and 14-17.

Photographers from the Toowoomba region have further incentive to enter the competition, with the Alwyn Kucks Memorial Award on offer for entrants residing within a 50km radius of Toowoomba.

CEO Peter Lock said continuing the Photographic Awards highlighted the organisation’s commitment to communities. “We support many community events and organisations – large and small – as part of our absolute commitment to strengthening the communities where our members live and work,” Mr Lock said. “We’ve focussed on making the awards as accessible and as inclusive as possible through free entry and categories for people across Australia to take part in, no matter their age, or level of experience. All you need is a mobile phone and you could be in the running for a share in $50,000.”

Entries in this year’s awards close at 5pm AEST on 30 June 2023. The winners will be advised in late July and finalist images will feature in an exhibition at the UniSQ Arts Gallery in Toowoomba from mid-September 2023.

Summary of main prizes on offer: