Emerging photographer wins $50,000 Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize

Australia’s richest photography prize, the $50,000 Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize (MCPP), has been awarded to James Bugg, a 22 year-old emerging photographer from Melbourne. Bugg was named the winner for his image, Zach, from the series, The Pines.

The judges of the 2018 MCPP were photographer and curator Cheryl Newman, photojournalist and photo editor Jon Jones and Australian documentary artist Raphaela Rosella. “I loved James Bugg’s authentic portrait of Zach from the outset,” Newman said. “This portrait stayed with me throughout the judging process, as it is fresh, surprising and beautifully articulates life on the fringes of Australian society. In his hands the lens does not exploit his subject. I was extremely keen to see work from emerging photographers and James at only 22 has fitted the bill perfectly. He is an exciting intelligent young photographer who is the perfect winner for a forward-looking prize such as the Moran.”

The judges also highlighted Isabella Moore’s The Significance of Ceremony and Matthew Abbott’s Wrestlers Cooling Off as Highly Commended. All finalists received $1,000 in prize money. Follow this link to see a selection of the finalists.

Bugg recently graduated from the Photography Studies College Melbourne. The subject of his photograph is Zach, a resident of The Pines, an area South-East of Melbourne. Bugg had two photographs amongst the 30 finalist images selected by the judges.

The Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize Exhibition is now open and runs until 27 May at Juniper Hall, 250 Oxford Street, Paddington, NSW. The exhibition is open Thursday to Sunday from 10am until 4pm.