A Look At The Top Landscape Photography Awards

Award-winning landscape photography transcends mere image capturing; the art form is at its' best when it represents the profound connection between the artist and the vast beauty of the scene. Photographers who engage in this art form elevate the simplicity of natural (and man-made) scenes to levels that captivate and inspire, solidifying the essence of oceans, mountains, and skies within their frames.

The Allure for Art Collectors

The world is inundated with photos these days from the minute you sign onto your social media feeds and even from the multitude of billboards you might pass by on the commute into work. Unless you already have a keen sense of what art you like, it can be hard for an art collector to know what is considered "good" or art worthy of spending money on. Seeking out award-winning landscape photography is one way to filter out all of the distractions and find some of the best work available for sale.

Enhanced Value through Acclaim

Landscape photography awards can bring acclaim and be valuable social proof for photographers to have but not all photography awards are created equal however. One thing to keep in mind is that photography judges are people too with very different subjective tastes. When seeking out photo awards you'll want to see evaluate the mission of the photography competition is and read the background of the jury. Some award shows consist of other photographers judging photographers while others may consist of museum curators, gallerists, editorial photo editors and advertising agency art buyers. You'll want to evaluate the merit of these awards based on these factors.

Spotlight on Major International Awards

International Landscape Photographer of the Year (ILPOTY)

The International Landscape Photographer of the Year has been awarded annually since 2014. This is a popular competition amongst landscape photographers to enter as it's frequently discussed on social media.

Pros

• Some of the most innovative trends in landscape photography can be seen here
• Often visually stunning pieces
• Can be good recognition for those seeking to market workshops to photographers

Cons

• There are 101 entries accepted annually, which likely means it's not as exclusive
• Winning images are often heavily-Photoshopped and unnatural looking as a result
• The judges consist of a small panel of photographers

Natural Landscape Photography Awards (NLPA)

A newcomer to the landscape photography award scene, Natural Landscape Photography Awards was founded by Tim Parkin (interesting to note that Parkin is also a judge for ILPOTY), Matt Payne, Rajesh Jyothiswaran and Alex Nail, and has been held annually since 2021. There is a unique twist to NLPA in that heavily-manipulated images are not accepted. Images selected are verified by submitting the RAW files to the judges prior to giving out the awards. I believe NLPA was created in-part as a response to ILOPTY's more liberal interpretation of landscape photography.

Pros

• With the more strict rules regarding what is considered landscape photography, NLPA tends to have more realistic images which relies on photographic skill more than computer skills. You can trust that the photographer actually saw something resembling the finished product through their own eyes.
• Potentially a good opportunity to market workshops & services to other photographers
• Relatively few awards given so the quality for what is accepted is high

Cons

• With RAW verification being a requirement, some of the most visually-stunning landscape photography might not be submitted much less qualify for an award
• Jury consists of a small panel of landscape photographers

Nature's Best Photography International Awards

Nature's Best is perhaps best known for their print publication that features stunning nature photography. They've consistently published top-quality imagery over the years, and have a similar ruleset as NLPA in regards to image manipulation. As part of the judging process, RAW files must be submitted if the image has made it to the self-finals stage, and wildlife must not have been baited or otherwise staged.

Pros

• Strong panel of judges with backgrounds in editorial & natural history
• Winning images from the Windland Smith Rice International Awards in past years have been displayed in museums including The Smithsonian

Cons

• Their website is behind the times and lacking in UX
• With RAW verification being a requirement, that might discourage a lot of photographers from submitting

Panoramic Glory and Specialty Awards

The Epson Pano Awards

The Epson International Pano Awards is a high-profile photography competition that has been held annually since 2010. As the name indicates, the Pano Awards focuses on panoramic photography. Honestly, I'm a bit surprised that this award show is as popular as it is because panoramic photography is a fairly small niche within landscape photography. Having a big commercial brand like Epson backing this award is significant obviously.

Pros

• The jury generally consists of big-name landscape photographers
• A high-profile award that can help get your name out there amongst the photography community

Cons

• Panoramic photography is not the most common sub-genre of landscape photography
• Seems more geared toward photographers rather than the fine art market

Nature Photographer of the Year

Admittedly, this is not an award that I had heard of before until researching this article. But after looking into the jury, there's some well-respected photographers on the roster including Tin Man Lee, Tony Wu and Andy Rouse.

Black & White Spider Awards

Strictly featuring black & white photography, The Spider Awards features some of the best monochrome imagery that you'll come across. This contest has been running for many years now with year 19 coming up.

Pros

• The place to submit to if you have great black & white photos
• Jury features working professionals with backgrounds in advertising, art consulting and museum curation

Cons

• Black & White photography is a small niche these days that many photographers dabble in but few specialize in

Specialized Landscape Categories in Broad Photography Awards

International Photography Awards (IPA)

The International Photography Awards has been held annually since 2003. Founded by Hossein Farmani, the IPA features an esteemed jury each year consisting of photo editors, gallerists, museum curators and commercial art buyers. The IPA's are not solely focused on landscape & nature photography but landscape is one of the ten core categories that are awarded. The International Photography Awards / Lucies is arguably the most prestigious award on this list, and the contest that I've submitted to the most.

Pros

• Geared toward commercial and fine art audiences
• One of the most prestigious photography competitions in the industry
• Diverse panel of judges every year with legit resumes

Cons

• The winning images can sometimes have an aesthetic that doesn't align with most work from the landscape & nature genre
• The website UX is often terrible for viewing winning images with abysmal load times
• Landscape & Nature can feel more of an after-thought here compared to the more commercial categories

Prix de la Photographie Paris (PX3)

The Prix de la Photographie Paris (PX3) is run by the same organization that puts on the IPA awards. This is geared toward the European art market whereas IPA is focused on the US & global art markets. Aside from the regional difference, this is a similar type of photography contest with esteemed judges including the legendary Steve McCurry from National Geographic. I've submitted to PX3 several times personally and received a Bronze medal one year but generally have not had much success here. The European tastes in art tends to be a bit more subtle and nuanced that US tastes in my opinion so I'm not too surprised by my relative lack of success here.

Pros

• Exposure to the European art market
• Geared toward commercial and fine art audiences

Cons

• Landscape & Nature can feel more of an after-thought here compared to the more commercial categories
  

Sony World Photography Awards

The Sony World Photography Awards is one of the big name photography contests with Sony being the Title Sponsor along with sponsorship from a number of other companies. The judges are experienced museum curators and editorial professionals. Landscape is one of several categories featured in this contest, which generally skews toward a commercial & editorial-look.

Pros

• Geared toward commercial and fine art audiences
• Widespread reach due to big ticket sponsors

Cons

• Small panel of judges which can make it more difficult to get accepted into the show
• Traditional landscape & nature imagery is not the main focus here

Where to View and Purchase Award-Winning Works

Most award-winning photographers offer their prints for sale direct from their personal websites. Some also list their photography on marketplace sites such as Fine Art America or Saatchi Art, which are print-on-demand services that handle all of the fulfillment for the artist. However, I personally feel that if you're promoting yourself as a "fine art photographer" then you need to be involved in the creation of the artwork and can't be completely hands-off. While I don't physically print or ship my own art, I handle all of the correspondence with my clients and print labs while also creating custom print files for each order I receive. I work hard on behalf of my clients to ensure I'm able to deliver a premium service. Some of my prints are sold at mass-market retail but almost all of my print sales revenue comes from my website. If you're looking to purchase award-winning landscape photography then I would encourage you to research individual artists like myself and purchase from their sites.

Conclusion

Receiving recognition from photography award shows doesn't guarantee you any fame or fortune, but can be one way for photographers to set themselves apart. There are probably tens of millions of people in this world who consider themselves to be either hobbyist or professional photographers so having a resume helps. Having awards can be akin to receiving a professional certification of sorts and provide social proof. Some award-winning photographers have even leveraged the exposure into lucrative career opportunities. If you're going to submit to photo contests then I would recommend reading the fine print carefully so you understand the terms & conditions. Many contests are a rights-grab just to obtain free images for commercial use so I wouldn't recommend submitting to those.