Bowness Photography Prize


The William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize is an Australian prize for photography awarded by the Monash Gallery of Art. The prize first awarded in 2006. The prize money for the award in 2017 is

History

Established in 2006 to promote excellence in photography, the annual William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize is an initiative of the MGA Foundation.
The Bowness Photography Prize has quickly become Australia's most important photography prize. It is also one of the country's most open prizes for photography. In the past, finalists have included established and emerging photographers, art and commercial photographers. All film-based and digital work from amateurs and professionals is accepted. There are no thematic restrictions. In its first year the winner was awarded $10,000. As the prize has grown in prominence the prize money has also increased with the 2017 winner to be awarded with $30,000 and for the first time in the history of the prize, the winning work will be acquired for the Monash Gallery of Art, City of Monash Collection.
Each year three Honourable Mentions will also be acknowledged along with a People’s Choice Award of $1,000 which is announced at the end of the exhibition.

2017

In 2017 the prize money awarded has been increased to $30,000 and for the first time, the winning work will be acquired for the Monash Gallery of Art, City of Monash Collection.
The finalists for 2017 have been announced, the exhibition will include 59 works from 61 artists.

Prize winners

2006

Kathy Mackey

2007

Ray Cook

2008

Nat Thomas and Concertina Inserra

2009

Paul Knight

2010

Lee Grant

2011

Jacky Redgate

2012

Jesse Marlow

2013

Pat Brassington

2014

Petrina Hicks

2015

Joseph McGlennon

2016

Valerie Sparks won the 2016 Bowness Photography Prize, taking home the $25,000 Prize with her work Prospero's Island.

2017

The winner of the 2017 Bowness Photography prize was announced on 19 October 2017. Polixeni Papapetrou won with her work ‘Delphi’ from the series Eden. Three honorable mentions were awarded to Del Kathryn Barton, Danica Chappell and Jenny Pollak.

2018

The winner of the 2018 Bowness Photography prize was announced on 11 October 2018. Melbourne-based, Iranian-born artist Hoda Afshar won for her photograph ‘Portrait of Behrouz Boochani, Manus Island’. Three honorable mentions were awarded to Shelley Horan, Darren Sylvester and Cyrus Tang.