2026 NZ Amateur Photography Awards Overview.

7 Aug

Recapping the 2026 NZ Amateur Photography Awards

I recently took part in the 2026 NZ Amateur Photography Awards, a national competition run by NZIPP alongside the prestigious Iris Awards. This year I entered ten images across Landscape, Macro, and the Black & White categories, and I’m thrilled to share that my work received a strong set of results.

My Results at a Glance:

1 Silver Award
2 Highly Commended Awards
7 Commended Awards

Behind the Judging Process

Each submitted photo was independently scored by a panel of category judges, with the individual scores averaged for a final mark. Entries are evaluated on a 100 point scale, with awards granted across six distinct performance tiers: Gold with Excellence (95–100), Gold (90–94), Silver with Merit (85–89), Silver (80–84), Highly Commended (70–79), and Commended (60–69). The top 25 images per category progressed to a live feedback session broadcast on YouTube straight from the NZ Photo Show in Christchurch on August 5th. This livestream remains one of the most educational aspects of the awards, offering real time insight into how judges interpret and evaluate photographic work.

That same afternoon, the top three entries in each category and the three finalists for the 2026 NZ Amateur Photographer of the Year were unveiled. The entire event culminates on Sunday 9th of August at the Gala Dinner, where the overall winner will finally be named!

What This Competition Means for Emerging NZ Photographers

For me, the 2026 NZ Amateur Photography Awards reinforced why I continue to pursue photography capturing stories, exploring Marlborough landscapes, and refining my craft. Competitions like this offer invaluable feedback, professional benchmarking, and a sense of community within the New Zealand photography world.

Here is a closer look at the awarded images