The Bowness Photography Prize 2026

The Bowness Photography Prize is Australia’s leading photography award, offering $50,000 to one Australian artist working across analogue and digital still image-based practices.

Overview

The Bowness Photography Prize is a major Australian award for contemporary photography, open to artists working with analogue and digital still image-based practices. Organized by the Museum of Australian Photography, the prize awards $50,000 to the selected artist, with two Honourable Mentions receiving $2,500 each.

All finalists are also eligible for the Wai Tang Commissioning Award, which includes a $10,000 commission and exhibition opportunity. Following a gift from the Bowness Family Foundation in 2025, the prize now also provides loan fees for shortlisted artists, further supporting participating photographers and their work.

Practical Info

The Bowness Photography Prize is open to Australian citizens and artists who have lived in Australia for at least 12 months prior to the submission deadline. The entry fee is AUD $55 per submission, with up to three works allowed per entry.

Entries are accepted across analogue and digital still image-based practices, including multi-panel and experimental photo-based works. Submitted works must have been produced since April 1, 2025. AI-assisted works are permitted only if artificial intelligence is not the substantial or overriding input in the creation of the image, and applicants must explain how AI was used in the accompanying artist statement.

A judging panel consisting of two invited experts and a representative from the Museum of Australian Photography reviews all submissions digitally before selecting the finalists. The shortlisted works are then exhibited and judged in person. Finalists receive a loan fee of AUD $400, and the winning work enters the museum’s permanent collection.

About William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize

Established in 2006 through a gift from the Bowness family, the William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize became the first major Australian art prize dedicated to photography as an art form. Over the past 21 years, more than 12,000 artists from across Australia have submitted work, with over 1,000 works exhibited and 20 acquired into the collection of the Museum of Australian Photography.

In 2025, a $1 million contribution from the Bowness Family Foundation increased the main prize to $50,000, introduced two $2,500 Honourable Mentions, and added loan fees for shortlisted artists. These changes made the Bowness Photography Prize the richest cash prize for photography in Australia.