URBAN Photo Awards 2025

The sixteenth edition of the international URBAN Photo Awards 2025 photography contest, organized by the dotART cultural association based in Trieste, Italy, is now open for submissions. This established competition centres on the broad theme of Urban Life and Urban Photography, inviting photographers worldwide to explore the complexities, aesthetics, and human stories within the urban fabric. The URBAN Photo Awards 2025 seeks images that capture the essence of modernity, architectural geometry, social contrasts, and everyday moments that define contemporary city life. The contest culminates in an awards ceremony and exhibitions held during the associated Trieste Photo Days international photography festival.

Featuring a multi-section structure, the URBAN Photo Awards 2025 caters to diverse photographic approaches. The primary sections include ‘Single Photos’, further divided into thematic areas; ‘Projects & Portfolios’ for cohesive series or visual essays (3-12 images); the ‘URBAN Book Award’ for photographers wishing to submit extended projects as book dummies (40-180 pages); and the ‘URBAN Photo Arena’, a dedicated free-to-enter competition for photographers under 35, structured in a dynamic knockout format. Additionally, a special prize category led by jury president Matt Black, titled “Gazes on Existence,” invites documentary portfolios for a curated exhibition.

The URBAN Photo Awards 2025 boasts a substantial total prize value exceeding €45,000, distributed across its various sections. Top prizes include Amazon Gift Cards worth up to €2,000, unique trophies and medals crafted by Venice Biennale artist Giorgio Celiberti, invitations to Trieste Photo Days with accommodation, gala dinner inclusion, and significant exhibition opportunities, including personal shows for key winners. Publication in the contest book and potential features in photography magazines offer further exposure.

Key dates include the submission deadline of May 31st, 2025, with an Early Bird discount period ending April 30th, 2025. Winners are announced progressively from June to September, with the final awards ceremony on October 25th, 2025. Entry begins with one free single photo submission, with fees scaling thereafter (€20 for up to 3 singles; €40 per Project/Portfolio; €20 per Book entry; €50 for the Matt Black section). The free U35 Arena makes it one of the notable free photography competitions for young talent. Overall, URBAN Photo Awards 2025 presents a robust platform with diverse entry points and valuable rewards focused on both financial support and significant exhibition and publication opportunities.

The URBAN Photo Awards 2025 Prizes

The URBAN Photo Awards 2025 offers a comprehensive and multi-layered prize structure designed to reward excellence across its diverse sections. The total prize pool value exceeds €45,000, encompassing substantial Amazon Gift Cards, unique artistic trophies and medals, prestigious exhibition opportunities at the Trieste Photo Days festival, publication features, and valuable partner prizes. The structure aims to provide both financial support and significant career-boosting exposure.

Here’s a breakdown of the key prizes by section:

Prizes for Section #1 » Single Pictures

• Photographer of the Year (Overall Single Pictures Winner): This top honour includes a €2,000 Amazon Gift Card, the main URBAN 2025 Trophy crafted by Giorgio Celiberti, and an invitation package to Trieste Photo Days 2025 (includes 2-night stay for two & gala dinner).
• First Ranked (Winners of Streets, People, Spaces, Creative): Each receives a Medal by Giorgio Celiberti and the invitation package to Trieste Photo Days 2025 (2-night stay for two & gala dinner).
• Honorable Mentions: Also receive a Medal by Giorgio Celiberti and the invitation package to Trieste Photo Days 2025 (2-night stay for two & gala dinner).
• Remarkable Rewards: Receive a Medal by Giorgio Celiberti.
• Common benefits for many Single Picture winners/honorees include: Inclusion in the collective winners’ exhibition at Trieste Photo Days, publication online and in the contest book, partner prizes like PhotoPoints and a Stroppa strap.

Prizes for Section #2 » Projects & Portfolios

• Projects & Portfolios Winner: Awarded a €2,000 Amazon Gift Card, the URBAN 2025 Trophy by Giorgio Celiberti, the invitation package to Trieste Photo Days 2025 (2-night stay for two & gala dinner), and crucially, a personal exhibition at the festival.
• Honorable Mentions: Receive a Medal by Giorgio Celiberti and the invitation package to Trieste Photo Days 2025 (2-night stay for two & gala dinner).
• Common benefits include: Inclusion in the collective winners’ exhibition (note the winner gets a personal exhibition), publication, and partner prizes.

Prizes for Section #3 » URBAN Book Award

• URBAN Book Award Winner: Receives a €500 Amazon Gift Card, the URBAN 2025 Trophy, a publishing contract for the book (valued at €2,000) including 10 free copies, the invitation package to Trieste Photo Days 2025 (2-night stay for two & gala dinner), and a personal exhibition at the festival.
• Honorable Mentions: Receive a Medal by Giorgio Celiberti and the invitation package to Trieste Photo Days 2025 (2-night stay for two & gala dinner).
• Common benefits include: Partner prizes like PhotoPoints and a Stroppa strap.

Prizes for Section #4 » Matt Black Special Prize – “Gazes on Existence”

• Selected Portfolios (3-5): The primary prize is inclusion in a prestigious group exhibition curated by Matt Black himself, presented during Trieste Photo Days 2025. (Note: This section has a separate entry fee and focuses on this unique exhibition opportunity).

Prizes for Section #5 » URBAN Photo Arena (Under 35 Young Section)

• URBAN Photo Arena Winner: Awarded a €600 Amazon Gift Card, the URBAN 2025 Trophy, a valuable Scholarship for the Krakow School of Photography Creative Program (Value: €1,600), and the invitation package to Trieste Photo Days 2025 (2-night stay for two).
• Second Ranked: Receives a €300 Amazon Gift Card, a Medal by Giorgio Celiberti, and the invitation package to Trieste Photo Days 2025 (2-night stay for two).
• Semifinalists (Tied 3rd Place): Each receives a Medal by Giorgio Celiberti and the invitation package to Trieste Photo Days 2025 (2-night stay for two).
• Common benefits for Arena winners/finalists include: Inclusion in the collective winners’ exhibition, publication, and partner prizes.

Overall and Special Awards

• URBAN Press Award Winner: Selected by media partners, receives a €500 Amazon Gift Card, the URBAN 2025 Trophy, the invitation package to Trieste Photo Days 2025 (2-night stay for two & gala dinner), publication including features in partner magazines, exhibition inclusion, and partner prizes.
• TPD Best Author (for photographers winning multiple awards): Receives a Custom Trophy, a €500 Amazon Gift Card, a Manfrotto Tripod (value €600), gala dinner invitation, publication, and exhibition feature.

Partner Prizes

Additional value comes from partners, including a prize exhibition opportunity at the prestigious Sartorio Civic Museum in Trieste (Value €2,000, selected from Projects & Portfolios), Exhibit Around PhotoPoints (total value €3,225 across various winners), and numerous handcrafted Stroppa leather camera straps (total value €2,400 across various winners).

This extensive list showcases the significant and varied photography challenge prizes and rewards available through the URBAN Photo Awards 2025, blending financial incentives with high-value exposure and unique artistic recognition.

The Categories of the URBAN Photo Awards 2025

The URBAN Photo Awards 2025 competition is organized into four main sections, plus a special prize category, each catering to different photographic approaches within the Urban Life theme:

1. Single Photos: For individual images. This section is further divided into four thematic areas:
   • Streets: Capturing urban life, street scenes, transport, events, contrasts, unposed subjects. Standard post-production allowed; significant photo editing/manipulation is not.
   • People: Focusing on portraits, fashion, lifestyle, self-portraits, nudes, capturing human presence in the city. Post-production and photo editing/manipulation are allowed.
   • Spaces: Highlighting architecture, urban geometry, cityscapes, urban art, industrial sites, green spaces within the city. Standard post-production allowed; significant photo editing/manipulation is not.
   • Creative: For artistic, experimental, abstract, conceptual, or fine art photos related to urban themes that don’t fit elsewhere. Post-production and photo editing/manipulation are allowed.
2. Projects & Portfolios: For cohesive series, reportages, or portfolios consisting of 3 to 12 photos linked by a common theme or narrative related to Urban Life. Post-production and photo editing are allowed at the author’s discretion.
3. URBAN Book Award: Dedicated to extended photographic projects presented as book dummies in PDF format (or sequenced JPEGs in a zip file). Projects should range from 40 to 180 pages and explore the Urban Life theme. The winner receives a publishing deal.
4. URBAN Photo Arena: A special competition exclusively for photographers aged 35 and under. Entrants submit one free-theme single photo. The contest proceeds through group and knockout stages, culminating in a live final at Trieste Photo Days. Post-production rules likely follow the Single Photo thematic area assigned.
5. Matt Black Special Prize “Gazes on Existence”: A separate entry category requiring a specific fee (€50), open to documentary photography Projects/Portfolios. Selected works (3-5 portfolios) will be part of a prestigious group exhibition curated by Matt Black at Trieste Photo Days 2025.

Photographers can enter multiple sections with the same or different work if applicable, as prizes are cumulative.

URBAN Photo Awards 2025 Dates and Entry Fees

Adhering to the schedule and understanding the fee structure is key for participating in the URBAN Photo Awards 2025. An early bird discount offers savings for prompt entry.

Entry Fees:

• Single Photos:
  • 1st Photo: Free
  • Up to 3 Photos (incl. free one): €20
  • Each Additional Photo (beyond 3): €10 (Early Bird: €9)
• Projects & Portfolios: €40 per project (Early Bird: €35)
• URBAN Book Award: €20 per book dummy (Early Bird: €18)
• Matt Black “Gazes on Existence” Prize: €50 per portfolio (Early Bird: €45)
• URBAN Photo Arena (Under 35): Free (for one single photo entry)

Note: Early Bird rates apply only if payment is completed by April 30, 2025.

How to Enter:

Entries must be submitted online through the official contest website, allowing photographers to manage submissions, payments, and edits easily.

About the Jury for URBAN Photo Awards 2025

The URBAN Photo Awards 2025 features a prestigious international jury composed of renowned photographers, editors, curators, and industry professionals. The Jury President for the 16th edition is the acclaimed American documentary photographer Matt Black. Other confirmed jurors (with the list still being updated) include:

• Paolo Verzone (Internationally renowned photographer)
• Denis Curti (Editor, Artistic Director, Curator – URBAN Book Award commission)
• Andy Hall (Editorial photographer)
• Federica Berzioli (Editorial Coordinator, “Il Fotografo” magazine – Press Award commission)
• Emanuele Costanzo (Director, FOTO Cult Magazine – Press Award commission)
• Bob Patterson (Founder & Editor, Street Photography Magazine)

Entries are presented anonymously to the jury, whose decisions regarding selections and rankings are final. The jury evaluates based on relevance to the theme, creativity, technical quality, and overall impact.

Why Enter URBAN Photo Awards 2025?

Entering the URBAN Photo Awards 2025 offers photographers numerous compelling reasons, particularly those focused on urban environments. As a long-standing international contest (16th edition), it carries significant prestige. The connection to the Trieste Photo Days festival provides a high-profile platform for winners, including exhibitions (collective and personal), publications, and an awards ceremony attended by industry figures.

The diverse prize structure, combining substantial Amazon Gift Cards with unique artistic trophies, travel support, and partner awards, offers tangible rewards. The involvement of a high-caliber jury led by Matt Black adds further credibility. With multiple sections catering to single images, projects, books, and young photographers (including a free entry option for the first single photo and the U35 Arena), the URBAN Photo Awards 2025 is accessible yet challenging, providing avenues for photographers at various career stages and with different styles to gain international recognition and exposure.

Rules and Copyright for URBAN Photo Awards 2025

This section about the rules and image rights of the URBAN Photo Awards 2025 has been generated automatically. If you are interested in participating in this contest we suggest you review the complete rules provided by the contest.

Rules

The URBAN Photo Awards 2025 is open to all photographers globally. The overarching theme is Urban Life/Urban Photography. Submissions must adhere to specific section guidelines regarding the number of photos (e.g., 3-12 for Projects, 40-180 pages for Books) and post-processing allowances (stricter for Streets/Spaces, more lenient for People/Creative/Projects/Books). AI-generated photos are explicitly disallowed. Files must meet technical specifications (JPG, RGB, size limits) and be free of watermarks or signatures. Offensive content will be disqualified. Entries must be submitted via the online platform by May 31, 2025. Fees apply as detailed, except for the first single photo and URBAN Photo Arena entries. Prizes (excluding trophies) may be shipped if winners cannot attend the ceremony, but trophies require in-person collection or delegation. The organizers (dotART) reserve the right to cancel or modify the competition under exceptional circumstances.

Copyright

Participants in the URBAN Photo Awards 2025 declare they hold all rights to their submitted images and that the images do not infringe on any third-party rights (copyright, privacy, etc.), indemnifying dotART against any claims. Authors retain full moral and intellectual property rights to their work. By entering, authors grant dotART a non-exclusive right to use selected/winning images for non-profit promotional activities related to the contest and the association (e.g., catalogues, exhibitions, website, social media), always attributing the photographer. DotART commits to crediting authors in online uses but requests notification of any oversights. Works may remain published on the URBAN website indefinitely.

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For more information and to enter the competition, visit: the oficial website.