Submissions open for 2021 SUNSTUDIOS Emerging Photographer Award

Images taken by Cihan Bektas, winner of the 2019 SEPA competition.

Designed to nurture and support winners through the next stage of their career, each year SEPA aims to break down the barriers image makers face in establishing a career by offering an opportunity to have work evaluated by industry leaders. The competitions shares a total prize pool of $25,000 in value among four main category and two people’s choice winners. Now in its 12th year, this year’s competition focuses on two themes: Faces and Places. A specialist panel of judges made up of a diverse mix of experts will select the four winners. It also sees the introduction of a people’s choice award in which a further two winners (one overall photo and one overall video) will be judged by the public and awarded later in the year.

All applicants can submit a maximum of ten entries across available categories.  All applicants can enter through the SEPA competition page by 23 August, 2021. Entry is free and entrants must have less than five years of professional experience to be eligible to enter.

Finalists’ work will feature in an exhibition currently scheduled to open on 30 September at the Atrium Gallery, SUNSTUDIOS Sydney when the winners will be announced. The exhibition later travels to the Skylight Gallery at SUNSTUDIOS Melbourne.