PSA: Don’t forget to enter the Nikon Photo Contest – it’s free and includes great prizes

 

 

There's still time to enter the 2022-2023 Nikon Photo Contest. The competition, which has been running since 1969, is open for entries until February 12.

The Nikon Photo Contest is open to amateur and professional photographers alike and includes categories for still photos and short films. The photo competition's theme is "Beloved" and includes single photo and photo story categories. The short film competition is centered around "Next Steps" and includes super short film (20 to 40 seconds) and short film (180 to 300 seconds) categories.

There will be two grand prizes, one for stills and the other for the short film contest. The two winners will receive 500,000 Japanese yen, just shy of $4,000 at current conversion rates, a Nikon Z9 camera and a Nikkor Z lens (to be determined later by Nikon). There will be two "Excellence Awards" per category, for a total of eight winners. The photo winners will receive a Nikon Z7 II camera and a Nikkor Z lens, while the video winners will get a Nikon Z6 II, lens and video accessories. 16 "Special Encouragement Awards" will be given, with the winners receiving a Nikon Z fc or Z30 camera and Nikkor Z lens, plus video accessories for the short film winners. Finally, a "General Public Award" will be given to two winners. These winners will receive a Nikon Z50 and Nikkor Z lens. Winners will also be displayed on the Nikon Photo Contest web gallery, on social media, and at various exhibition venues hosted by Nikon throughout the year.

While it's the Nikon Photo Contest, and the prizes are, of course, Nikon cameras and lenses, there are no equipment requirements to enter. No matter what gear you use, you can enter the contest and win prizes. Click here to view the full rules and regulations and enter the competition.

This year's contest is judged by a panel of accomplished photographers and videographers from around the world, including Sarah Leen, Rema Chaudhary, Andrew Esiebo, Ismail Ferdous, Esther Horvath, I Could Never be a Dancer, Yolanda Escobar Jiménez, Jatenipat Ketpradit, Mikiko Kikuta, David Lombeida, Jing Ning and Nestor Pool. The final judging evaluation will take place in June, with winners notified by mid-July. The winners will be announced by September. Check out the FAQ page for more information about the contest.

If you'd like to view prior winners, Nikon's awards archive is comprehensive, going back all the way to the very first Nikon Photo Contest in 1969. It's an extremely impressive collection of photographs, so be sure to check it out.