ABOUT HEAD ON PHOTO AWARDS
Since 2004 we have been helping photographers all over the world to create, exhibit and inspire, awarding over $800,000 in cash and prizes.
The Head On Photo Awards represent a global selection of the best work from emerging and established photographers across four categories:
Portrait | Landscape | Environmental (new) | Student*
The Head On Portrait, Landscape and Environmental Awards are open INTERNATIONALLY to photographers of all levels.
AUD$30 entry fee per photo.
(Approximately US$19.66 or €18.34 per photo).
AUD$25 entry fee per photo for Head On premium account holders login and upgrade your account
(Approximately US$16.28 or €15.25 per photo)
Awards summary
- Judged without artists’ names
- $70,000 prize pool
- Three $10,000 cash prizes
- 4 winners
- 8 runners-up
- 120 finalists
- 200 semi finalists
- Printed finalists exhibitions for each category at Head On Photo Festival 2023
- Inclusion in the Head On Photo Awards 2023 catalogue
The Head On Photo Awards puts your photos on the world stage!
*Head On Student Awards will open in July to Australian school students. Read more
“Being a finalist and exhibitor in the Head On Photo Festival, I got to connect with photographers with whom I am still in contact. Also being a finalist gets major street cred.”
Krystle Ricci – Portrait Award Finalist 2018

Portrait Awards
The image must feature or reflect the essence of a person or group of people and must be photographed by the Applicant. Group portraits, self-portraits and collages are accepted. We encourage all photographic styles and interpretations of photographic portraiture.
Finalists and winners
- 40 finalists
- 1 winner
- 1 Australian runner-up
- 1 international runner-up
Prizes:
The overall winner will receive AUD$10,000 cash.
The winner and runners-up receive:
- a $300 book pack from Photobook Australia
- and annual subscriptions to Australian Geographic, Better Photography, and PhotoReview magazines
Major category prize by Head On Foundation

Landscape Awards
Our approach to ‘landscape’ is very broad and encompasses ‘large vista’ images of the natural environment (land or sea), urban or industrial settings. It may include people, but these should be ‘incidental’ rather than the main subject matter. We encourage all photographic styles and interpretations of ‘landscape’.
Finalists and winners
- 40 finalists
- 1 winner
- 1 Australian runner-up
- 1 international runner-up
Prizes:
The overall winner will receive AUD$10,000 cash.
The winner and runners-up receive:
- a $300 book pack from Photobook Australia
- and annual subscriptions to Australian Geographic, Better Photography, and PhotoReview magazines
- a camera package supplied by OM Systems. Overall value approx. $8,000
Major category prize by OM Systems

ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS BY AUSTRALIAN GEOGRAPHIC
The inaugural Head On Environmental Awards by Australian Geographic celebrates the power of photography to capture and provoke reflection on our world and our place in it, inspiring action and driving positive change for our planet. Make your picture make a difference!
Images should highlight specific issues, elements or people impacting the natural world and our environment’s wellbeing, including, but not limited to, human-induced climate change, biodiversity and habitat loss, sustainable practices, pollution, ocean acidification and micro-diversity.
See more at: What is environmental photography?
Finalists and winners
- 20 finalists
- 1 winner
- 1 Australian runner-up
- 1 international runner-up
Prizes:
The overall winner will receive AUD$10,000 cash.
The winner and runners-up receive:
- a $300 book pack from Photobook Australia
- and annual subscriptions to Australian Geographic, Better Photography, and PhotoReview magazines
Major category prize by Australian Geographic
Additional benefits
The 2023 Head On Photo Awards winners shared a massive prize pool inexcess of $70,000, including $30,500 in cash. All 120 finalists had their work exhibited in print in Head On Photo Festival 2023!
Benefits for all finalists (all categories)
- their printed image will be included in the ever-popular Finalists exhibition at Head On Photo Festival 2023
- inclusion in the Head On Photo Awards 2023 book publication at no additional cost
- 12-month subscription to PhotoReview magazine
- a dedicated webpage on headon.org.au
- Head On pursues further exhibition/publication opportunities
SEMI-FINALISTS
100 Portrait Awards and 100 Landscape Awards semi-finalists will have their work presented in a rolling slideshow situated at a major festival venue.

FINALISTS’ EXHIBITIONS & SEMI FINALISTS’ SLIDESHOW
The Head On Photo Awards finalists’ exhibitions and semi finalists’ slideshow will be open to the public during Head On Photo Festival 2023 at key Festival venues (subject to public health orders). These venues are at the heart of the Festival where talks, tours and school excursions take place.
The Head On team curates, designs and produces the exhibitions and slideshow, and Head On Foundation covers all associated costs (once you enter your image, we do the rest!).
Awards exhibitions receive significant visitation, recording tens of thousands of visitors across stunning Festival venues and have toured globally. The Awards also have dedicated exhibition web pages with high traffic.

HEAD ON PHOTO AWARDS CATALOGUE
We produce a limited edition printed catalogue of the Finalists’ work each year. The high-quality 20x20cm hardcover book contains a full page for each photograph. It is available at the Festival Hub or in our online store.

Head On Photo Awards cermony
Over 2,000 people attended the Head On Photo Festival launch each year, a celebratory event centred around the announcement of the Head On Photo Awards winners.

Judging process
Work is judged anonymously; no identifying details of the photographer will be visible to the judges to ensure that the work is selected on creative merit alone.
The judging panel comprises leaders in the Australian and international photography communities. It represents all aspects of the photography world, including curators, picture editors, photographers, educators and other industry professionals.
Our 2023 international judging panel

Aline Smithson
Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Lenscratch (USA)
Bill Shapiro
Former Editor-in-Chief, LIFE magazine (USA)
Nicky Catley
Group Picture Editor, Australian Geographic (Australia)
Jesse Marlow
Photographer (Australia)
Gwen Lee
Co-founder and Director, DECK and Singapore International Photography Festival (Singapore)
Natan Dvir
Director of Education, Houston Center for Photography (USA)
Krishna Sheth
Head of Photography, The Economist (UK)
James Whitlow Delano
Photographer (Japan)
Jessica Hromas
Freelance photographer (Australia)
Moshe Rosenzveig OAM
Founder and Creative Director, Head On Photo Festival (Australia)AUD$30 entry fee per photo.
(Approximately US$19.66 or €18.34 per photo).
AUD$25 entry fee per photo for Head On premium account holders login and upgrade your account (Approximately US$16.28 or €15.25 per photo)
The Head On Photo Awards puts your photos on the world stage!


Head On Photo Awards
The Head On Photo Awards represent a global selection of the best work from emerging and established photographers across four categories: Portrait | Landscape | Environmental | Student