William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize

Over the last 17 years, the Bowness Photography Prize has emerged as an important annual survey of contemporary photographic practice in Australia and one of the most respected prizes in the country.

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MAPh invites artists to submit still photo-based media including analogue and digital photography created over the last year for consideration. The winning work will be awarded $30,000 and will be acquired into MAPh’s nationally significant collection of Australian photographs.

One artist will also be selected for the $10,000 Wai Tang Commissioning Award which will coincide with the 2024 Bowness Photography Prize exhibition season. The Smith & Singer People’s Choice Award will be voted by the public with the recipient receiving $5,000.

Congratulations to the 2023 finalists: Grace Allen, Ashe, Robert Ashton, Alison Bennett, Madeline Bishop, Tom Blachford, Jane E Brown, Jane Burton, Anna Carey, Patricia Casey, Danica Chappell, Renato Colangelo, Michael Corridore, Zo Damage, Rory Daniel, Steve Danzig, Gerwyn Davies, Mikayla De Pasquale, Tamara Dean, Yask Desai, D-Mo, Rozalind Drummond, Stephen Dupont, Rhy Dyball, Robert Fielding, Murray Fredericks, Genevieve Ginty, Geoffrey Goddard, Tom Goldner, Rebecca Griffiths, Sammy Hawker, Ponch Hawkes, Shelley Horan, Nicholas Hubicki, The Huxleys, Minami Ivory, Inez Joakim, Pia Johnson, Ayman Kaake, Mark Kimber, Shea Kirk, Kelvin Lau, Janet Laurence, Putuparri Tom Lawford and Tobias Titz, Dylan Le'mon, Paula Mahoney, Jesse Marlow, Charles McKean, Danie Mellor, Kent Morris, Daniel Noone, Sonia Payes, Drew Pettifer, Izabela Pluta, Patrick Pound, Clare Rae, Yhonnie Scarce, Cassandra Scott-Finn, Jon Setter, Scotty So, Cyrus Tang, Hiromi Tango, Craig Tuffin, James Tylor, Justine Varga, Anne Zahalka

Upcoming Events Submit an Event

July

Perth: From 31 May – 28 Sept 2025. Featuring 85 works from three major series – Deep Springs, Overpass, and Cross Country – the exhibition spans twelve years of Contis’s evolving photographic practice.

Adelaide: 7 June – 16 August. Drawn from the National Portrait Gallery collection, this photographic exhibition captures the experience of lives lived through dance.

Sydney: Until 31 Dec 2025. PIX, Australia’s first pictorial news weekly, is brought to life in this exhibition, showcasing its archived images and stories for the very first time.

Melbourne: 7 June – 31 August. Protest is a Creative Act seeks to address issues around the body, sexuality, race, national identity and the environment.

Sydney: 15 May – 19 October. Showcasing 100 incredible images, this remarkable exhibition offers a window into the astonishing variety of life on our planet – and the critical importance of preserving it.

Melbourne: June 5 - 16 August 2025. The explore the history of Alan Adler's photobooths and their cultural significance, alongside visual stories told by the community.

Canberra: 17 July – 9 August. The Canberra Contemporary Photographic Prize is an exhibition and competition celebrating both emerging and established talents in photo media.

Brisbane: 19 July – 17 August. Presenting the results of the 2025 World Press Photo Contest, the annual exhibition showcases the best and most important photojournalism and documentary photography of the last year.

Sydney: Until 22 August 2025. Sandy Edwards was instrumental in the feminist photography movement, using her documentary style to challenge traditional narratives, highlight issues of gender and identity, and question societal norms.

August

Leica Store Gallery in both Sydney & Melbourne present a unique photographic dialogue between Steve McCurry and Jessie Brinkman Evans. Until late October.