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Lord Mayor’s Photographic Awards

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Discover Brisbane from a new perspective with the Lord Mayor’s Photographic Awards.

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Enter the Lord Mayor's Photographic Award 2025 by 4pm, Friday 6 June 2025.

About the Lord Mayor’s Photographic Awards 

The Lord Mayor’s Photographic Awards is an annual competition celebrating local photographers and our great city.

With a new theme each year, the competition showcases moments, people and places in Brisbane through a local lens.

It's open to anyone who lives, works or studies in Brisbane, from professional shutterbugs to budding snappers. 

Looking for something else

Art and culture

Creative programs and awards

Outdoor Gallery and public art

Lord Mayor's Photographic Awards 2025

Entries are now open for Brisbane City Council's Lord Mayor's Photographic Awards 2025.

This year’s theme celebrates 100 years of Greater Brisbane.

Help us celebrate Brisbane's Centenary by submitting images in this year's Lord Mayor's Photographic Awards showcasing the places, experiences and events that have helped shape Brisbane into Australia's lifestyle capital.

Enter your image for a chance to win cash prizes across 6 categories. Entries close at 4pm on Friday 6 June 2025.

Photos submitted for this year's competition must be taken from 7 June 2024 onwards.

Submit your entry

Be inspired to enter by last year's winners

Hi, I’m Nigel Cowdery and I’m the winner of the Open Category. So the photo is of the Story Bridge as the sun was setting – a beautiful orange sky and the bridge climbers were on the Story Bridge. You just never know what might happen, I never expected to win the competition but here I am so I would encourage everyone with a phone or a camera to give it a go and snap away and send your shots in.

My name is Tapash Alistair and I came second in the Open Category. My image was of an old Queenslander house in Fairfield with the sun setting behind it over Mount Coot-tha.

Hi, my name is Kylie Facey and I won third place for the Open Category this year with my photo titled ‘New Farm Park Roses’. I’ve been photographing since 2020. I got a camera for my birthday so it was a Covid hobby that just stuck.

My name is Lewis Bin Doraho. I won the La Vonne Bobongie Award for 2024. This year was my first time entering the Lord Mayor’s Photographic Awards. I think what has separated my work this year from everyone else’s is perspective.

My name is John Stevens and I won the Green Heart Category. I had my camera on my lap and four or five meters away was  a birdbath with a couple of magpies splashing around so I was in the right place at the right time – all the conditions were right so I just clicked away. I think I took around 30 photos, which is often the case - one of them turns out.

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Eligibility

Who's eligible?

To be eligible you must:

  • live, work or study in the Brisbane Local Government Area and be able to provide proof of this if requested
  • not be a Council employee, including its contractors (not including its volunteers)
  • not be an immediate family member of: 
    • the Lord Mayor 
    • a member of the judging panel.

Image eligibility

For an image to be eligible for judging in the Lord Mayor's Photographic Awards 2025, it must be:

Permission must be sought for any people in an image. For more information, visit the Arts Law Centre of Australia website.

Additional eligibility conditions apply for the LaVonne Bobongie Award and the Green Heart, Social Media and Student prize categories.

Award categories and prizes

There are six categories in this year's Lord Mayor's Photographic Awards.

Open category

All entries will be automatically entered into this category. Open to all ages.

Prizes

  • Winner: $5000
  • Second place: $2000
  • Third place: $1000

Student category

You must be currently studying at a registered educational institution within the Brisbane Local Government Area. If requested, entrants must provide proof of their current student status.

Prize

  • $1500

     

Social Media category

Upload your photo to Instagram using the hashtag #LMPA2025, then complete the entry form. Your account must be set to public for the duration of the competition.

Prize

  • $1500

Green Heart category

Share what you love about Brisbane's local natural environment, native flora and/or wildlife. Your entry must not include any pest or invasive flora or fauna.

Prize

  • $1500

LaVonne Bobongie Award

You must identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. Entries may be of any subject.

Prize

  • $1500

In 2021, the LaVonne Bobongie Award was introduced to recognise late artist LaVonne Bobongie's contribution to Brisbane as an advocate of First Nations Country, community, and identity.

LaVonne was actively involved in her community as a photographer, artist and mentor to young people, and she worked with Council over several years in various roles.

To be eligible to win the LaVonne Bobongie Award, entrants must identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. All photos submitted in this category can be of any subject and should relate to this year’s theme which celebrates 100 years of Greater Brisbane.

Entrants are welcome to submit images that showcase the places, experiences and events that have helped shape Brisbane into Australia's lifestyle capital.

People's Choice Award

All category entrants are automatically considered for inclusion. The winner of the People's Choice Award is decided by a public vote.

Prize

  • $1500

Terms and conditions

Download the terms and conditions for more information about the awards.

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Important information

  • Enter as many times as you like, just submit a new online entry form for each image.
  • Provide a title and brief description of your image. Can't think of what to say? Start with when, where and why you took the photo.
  • You can use colour or black and white, landscape or portrait. It's up to you. As long as they are in JPEG format and uploaded on the entry form, we don't mind.
  • Photo editing is perfectly acceptable. Just make sure your image is recognisable as a photo and not abstract art.
  • Make sure your file is a minimum of 1Mb and a maximum of 50Mb.
  • The copyright of all images submitted in the Lord Mayor's Photographic Awards will remain the property of the photographer. By agreeing to the terms and conditions, you agree to allow Brisbane City Council to use your image as outlined in the terms and conditions.
  • Once you have submitted your image and photo information, it is final and cannot be changed. If you wish to withdraw your entry, contact Council on 07 3403 8888.

2024 award winners

The 2024 theme was 'Brisbane in its best light – sharing the places, people and experiences that make our city shine brightly.’

Eight winners were chosen from more than 2,000 entries.

Prize money ranged from $1,000 to $5,000.

You can also view the winning images in our Flickr album.