APA Awards 2021
Our annual competition is open to all photographers at every level, worldwide -- everyone from emerging photographers to established professionals.
Our Judges will select 43 APA Award Winners this year for 14 categories and one Best of Show.
APA members save on each entry. APA Leader level members save over 50% on each image.
ENTER THE 2021 APA AWARDS HERE
Awards Categories
- Architecture / Interiors
- Beauty / Fashion
- Celebrity / Musicians
- Conceptual / Altered
- Corporate / Industrial
- Created During Covid (Images created since 3/2020)
- Documentary / Photojournalism
- Food / Still Life
- Lifestyle
- Nature / Animals
- Personal Projects
- Portrait
- Sports / Adventure
- Travel / Landscape
Deadline – July 6, 2021 (Noon, Pacific)
Competition Entry Fees
APA Members (Leader level): $15 / entry
APA Members (Pro & Associate levels): $20 / entry
APA Members (Supporter & Contributor levels): $25 / entry
Non-APA Members: $35 / entry
Extended date entries: July 6 – July 20
APA Members (Leader level): $25 / entry
APA Members (Pro & Associate levels): $30 / entry
APA Members (Supporter & Contributor levels): $35 / entry
Non-APA Members: $40 / entry
Awards Fundamentals
- Anyone can enter the APA Awards
- APA members receive a commensurate discount based on their membership level
- Images are assigned an arbitrary ID, for "blind" judging
- There is no limit on the number entries you can submit
- The same image can be entered in more than one category, but can only win once
- An image that has previously won in the APA Awards is not eligible
- Only the images in the "Created During Covid” category have a creation date requirement
- The decision of the judges of the competition shall be final and binding
- Entry fees are non-refundable
- Winners will be notified in August and winners are officially announced in September
- APA does not accept responsibility for, or warrant, any product being delivered by a sponsor
- Any applicable tax, due on the awarding of prizes, is the sole responsibility of each winner
- Prizes and the APA Awards book are shipped to U.S. addresses only
Image Entry Guidelines
- All files must be .jpg format
- File size limit: 10 MB
- Image size no smaller than 1200 pixels
- Images size no longer than 1800 pixels
- Color profile is sRGB, image resolution: 72 ppi
- Do not include characters (©, ®, •, $, #) in file names as these can corrupt the file
- Images must not include any text that is not part of the image
- Winners will be required to provide high resolution version for print
Submission Guidelines
- APA members login to apanational.org using your APA credentials
- Non APA members can enter by creating a guest account
- The system will automatically charge based on your APA membership level
- You can enter the same image in more than one category by paying the additional fee(s)
- Please upload in batches of no more than 10 entries at a time as the site will time out
- Once your transaction is complete, your submission is final
- Log-in to your APA account at any time to review your entries
- You may submit additional images until the final deadline
- APA reserves the right to disqualify any winner not providing the required winning image in the requested file format and size within two weeks of APA’s request via the contact information supplied by the entrant. Replacement winners will be selected at the judge's discretion.
- You will receive an email confirmation upon entering. If you do not receive a confirmation email, you are not in the contest- contact: members@apanational.org
2021 Awards Judges
(Please check back for updates as we add the Judges, here)
Supporting Partners:
Agency Access
PhotoShelter
Best of Show
North American Database
12,000 Email Credits
2 Lots of 250 - 6 x 8.5 Postcards (print, mailed and postage included)
1st: 1 hr consultation
2nd: 1 Lot of 250 postcards
2 Years Pro Photoshelter Account to Best of Show winner
1 Year Pro PhotoShelter Account to each of First place winner
5 Top Reasons to Enter
The APA Awards is established as one of the world's most respected photo contests for professional photographers.
- An acclaimed panel of Judges who hire and work with pro photographers will view your work
- All winners appear in a beautifully printed book sent to art buyers and photo editors
- An impressive gallery showcasing the winning images will be viewable online, and widely promoted
- Entering is quick, easy, reliable and secure
- Proceeds help advance APA's core not-for-profit mission of protecting photographers' rights, so you can feel good about entering!
ENTER THE 2021 APA AWARDS HERE
Images featured above, from the 2020 APA Awards
Top row, left to right: © Thorsten Von Overgaard, © John Blais, © Jeremiah Gilbert
Second row, left to right: © Andy Mahr, © Jacob Watts (Judges' Best of Show), © Markku Lahdesmaki
Third row, left to right: © Stephen Voss, © Hillary Maybery, © Powell Jordano
Fourth row, left to right: © Elisabeth Caren, © Scarlett Freund, © Doug Menuez
Fifth row, left to right: © Nick Eucker, © Art Streiber, © Brooke Hummer
Sixth row, left to right: © Mia Depaola, © Tim Griffith, © Dora Duan
Seventh row, left to right: © Jim Lustenader, © Jean Bai, © Ryan Duclos
