Australian Competitions Club

https://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/council-governance-administration/australian-life-2026-terms-conditions


Australian Life Photography Competition 2026

Published 7 May 2026
Terms and conditions

The Council of the City of Sydney ABN 22 636 550 790 (City) delivers an annual art program (Art & About Sydney) which includes an annual Australian Life Photography Competition (Competition).

By submitting an entry into the 2026 Competition, each entrant (you) and where you are under the age of 18, your parent/guardian, acknowledge and agree to the following terms and conditions:

    Entry
        The 2026 Competition is free to enter.
        You must be 13 years or older to enter the 2026 Competition.
        Where you are under the age of 18:
            you must have the consent of your parent/guardian to enter;
            your parent/guardian must read the completed entry form, and read and agree these terms and conditions, for your entry to be valid; and
            your photo must be taken
        You must be an Australian citizen or have permanent resident status in Australia to enter the Competition.
        You may be required to provide evidence to demonstrate eligibility for the 2026 Competition.
        You can submit a maximum of one entry to the 2026 Competition (each entry comprising up to two photographs). If multiple entries from you are received by the City, only the first entry received first will be eligible for consideration.
        Your photograph must:
            have been taken in Australia between 13 April 2025 and 17 May 2026;
            be created with a camera (including a camera phone);
            not use or include any synthetic or artificially generated images or elements (including generative fill in post-production); and
            not have been created or developed, in whole or in part, using any generative artificial intelligence tools.
        The 2026 Competition commences Monday 13 April. You must submit your entry to the City by 11.59pm AEST on Sunday 17 May 2026. Late or lost entries will not be considered.
        Your entry must:
            meet and be submitted in accordance with the specifications outlined on the entry form (Specifications); and
            include a completed online entry form.
        You may be required to provide evidence to demonstrate that your entry meets the requirements set out in these terms and conditions, including supply of file(s) as recorded by the camera (original RAW files or equivalent).
        You, and any identifiable person in the photograph, will be asked to sign a model release as a condition for inclusion of your photograph in the 2026 Competition.
    Judging entries
        The judging panel selected by the City will judge each valid entry in accordance with the Specifications and will select up to 20 entries (finalists), The decision of the panel is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
        The judging panel selected by the City will select one finalist as having the most outstanding entry as the winner of the Australian Life Photography Prize (major winner). The decision of the panel is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
        A Peoples’ Choice Award is also available for one entrant. Voting will be online at https://www.artandabout.com.au/ and anyone may vote. Voting opens 9am on Friday 26 September and closes 11.59pm on Monday 5 October 2026. The entrant who receives the most online votes wins the People’s Choice Award (minor winner) and no correspondence will be entered into.
        Finalists, major winner, and the minor winner will be notified by phone and email by a representative of the City.
    Remuneration and prize
        Each finalist will be paid a fee of AUD$500 (plus GST if applicable) payable by deposit to the finalist’s nominated bank account. If a finalist does not provide account details to the City within three (3) weeks of being notified by the City then the City reserves the right not to pay that fee.
        The major winner will be awarded the Australian Life Photography Prize of AUD $10,000 (plus GST if applicable) payable by deposit to the finalist’s nominated bank account.
        If the major winners do not redeem the prize within three (3) weeks of being notified by the City then the prize will be forfeited. There will be no further unclaimed prize determinations, i.e. no further selection of an alternative winner by the City or the panel of judges.
        The minor winner will receive a prize of an OM System professional camera pack having a recommended retail price of $5,298 (GST inclusive). This prize is not transferable, exchangeable, or redeemable for cash. If the minor winner does not claim the prize within three (3) weeks of being notified by the City then the prize will be forfeited with no further prize determinations or alternative winner.
    Copyright and moral rights
        Clause 4 applies to each finalist, major winner and minor winner only.
        You and where you are under the age of 18, your parent/guardian grant the City an irrevocable worldwide licence to reproduce, publish, and communicate to the public your photograph (or any part of it):
            in any media format, including but not limited to advertisements, postcards, brochures, posters, television/print media, websites, social media, apps, publications and reports;
            for the purposes of:
                the 2026 Competition, including any associated event, exhibition or catalogue;
                publicity and promotion of Art & About Sydney and the Competition; and
                inclusion in the City’s archives.
        You acknowledge and agree that the City may adapt your photograph where necessary, including but not limited to adapting the photograph for the online gallery, for any large format reproduction for exhibition, or for use in Art & About Sydney or Competition media and marketing campaigns.
        You, and where you are under the age of 18, your parent/guardian, warrant that you are the owner of all intellectual property rights in the photograph, or have obtained all necessary approvals and consents to permit the entry of the photograph into the 2026 Competition and for use of the photograph in accordance with these terms and conditions.
        Photography that infringes the intellectual property rights of any person will be immediately removed from the 2026 Competition and you must return to the City any remuneration or prize money paid to you by the City.
        Where the City includes your photograph in an exhibition of the 2026 Competition, you will be acknowledged on signage that lists your name and the title of the photograph and, subject to you providing consent, your contact details.
        Where the City uses your photograph in Art & About and Competition materials and publicity, on the City’s website, and on the Art & About Sydney website, the City will use its best endeavours to acknowledge you as the creator of the photograph