Hunt to uncover New Zealand’s best photographer

Sony World Photography Awards launch hunt to uncover New Zealand’s best photographer

8 October 2014: The Sony World Photography Awards, one of the world’s most prestigious photography competitions, together with Sony Vietnam, today launches a competition to discover New Zelaland’s best photographer.

New Zealand National Award is open to photographers of all abilities from across New Zealand. Entries are free via www.worldphoto.org and photographers can enter any of ten categories. The judges will uncover and honour the best single image by a New Zealand national from across these categories.

This special award offers an amazing opportunity for budding photographers to have their work seen globally and be recognised alongside the world’s leading photographers.

The winner of New Zealand National Award will be announced on 18 March 2015. The winning photographer will receive the latest photographic equipment from Sony while two further photographers will receive runners-up prizes. All three photographers will have their work displayed alongside professional photographers from around the globe as part of the 2015 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition held in London from 24th of April to 10th of May 2015 and showcased online at www.worldphoto.org.

Each year the Sony World Photography Awards celebrates the very best international contemporary photography. The awards include: 15 Professional categories for serious photographers; 10 Open categories for enthusiasts; the Student Focus competition for higher education photography students aged 18-28 and a Youth Competition for photographers under 20.

The winner of New Zealand National Award will be chosen from entries to the Open competition of the 2015 Sony Word Photography Awards taken by New Zealand nationals.

The Open competition includes ten categories:
Architecture
Arts & Culture
Enhanced
Low-light
Nature & Wildlife
Panoramic
People
Smile
Split second
Travel

The competition will close on 5 January 2015. Entries will firstly be judged by WPO's pre-selection committee and a winner will be decided by a special judging panel including and Astrid Merget, Creative Director of the World Photography Organisation.

Scott Gray, Managing Director of the World Photography Organisation comments, "The Sony World Photography Awards are committed to engaging with and supporting talented photographers from around the globe. It is for this reason that we are thrilled to be able to work closely with Sony New Zealand to identify the local photographers that are producing great work and pushing their own creative boundaries, so that we can raise their profile across the globe and provide inspiration to other budding New Zealander photographers."

Yann Salmon-Legagneur, Head of Strategic Marketing, Digital Imaging, Sony Europe comments: “The National Awards are a great vehicle to recognise talent on a regional basis and it’s extremely interesting to see the different styles emanating from individual countries. We want to support these national talents and provide them with the best cameras and lenses so that they can focus on the creative subjects in front of them.”

Notes to editors

• New Zealand National Award is open for entries and will close at 23.59 GMT on Monday 5 January 2015.

• The Sony World Photography Awards and New Zealand National Award are free to enter. All images submitted must have been shot in 2014. Full conditions of entry are available at www.worldphoto.org

• Images from the 2014 Sony World Photography Awards are available via the World Photography Organisation press centre. Please register at press.worldphoto.org/register

• About World Photography Organisation (WPO)
WPO supports professional, amateur and young photographers, lending a global platform for the photographic industry to communicate, converge and showcase current trends across all genres of photography. Delivering various initiatives to this global community, these programmes involve the photographer in commercial, cultural and educational activities within the many industry sectors, whilst also creating events for the public to participate in. Currently included within the WPO portfolio are: the Sony World Photography Awards; the World Photography Student Focus Competition and Youth on Assignment. In addition the WPO have recently launched Photo Shanghai, Asia-Pacific’s premiere international Art Fair focused on photography and The Magazine, a monthly online publication where photography is explored, debated and discussed. WPO also has a thriving online presence via its website, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and engages its online audience via regular PhotoTALK discussions. For more information please visit www.worldphoto.org

• About Sony Corporation
Sony Corporation is a leading manufacturer of audio, video, game, communications, key device and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. With its music, pictures, computer entertainment and online businesses, Sony is uniquely positioned to be the leading electronics and entertainment company in the world. Sony recorded consolidated annual sales of approximately $75 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2014. Sony Global Web Site: http://www.sony.net. For more information on Sony Europe, please visit presscentre.sony.eu

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