Submissions for the 2025 Olive Cotton Award for photographic portraiture opened on Tuesday 25 February and will close at 5pm Tuesday 13 May.
Finalist in the 2023 Olive Cotton Award, Yiorgos Zafiriou ‘Della in flutter (after David W.)’ C-type print. © the artist.
Named after iconic Australian photographer Olive Cotton, the $20,000 Award is open to photographic artists from across Australia. This year’s judging panel includes Sally McInerney, photographer and daughter of Olive Cotton, and inaugural Award Judge in 2005; Glenn Iseger-Pilkington (Nhanda Yamatji and Noongar Peoples), Director, Content, Strategy & Partnerships, Aboriginal Cultural Centre project WA; Angela Connor, Senior Curator, Museum of Australian Photography (MAPh) VIC and Shaune Lakin, Senior Curator, Photography – National Gallery of Australia (NGA) ACT.
The Olive Cotton Award is funded by the family of Olive Cotton, with additional purchase awards funded by the Friends of Tweed Regional Gallery & Margaret Olley Art Centre Inc. Prizes include the Major acquisition prize of $20,000; Director’s Choice award totalling $4,000 acquired for the Gallery’s collection and the People’s Choice Award $1,500 for the finalist who receives the most votes from Gallery visitors. Finalist works will be exhibited at the Gallery from Saturday 17 August – Sunday 2 November, with winners announced on Saturday 30 August. Click here for more information.
