Photographer of the Year 2020, presented by Nokia: The winners!
An at-home photography project by Victorian photographer and mother of three Julie Thomas has taken out the overall award in the Photographer of the Year 2020 presented by Nokia.
Now in its eighth year, the competition is the largest of its kind for amateur photographers in Australasia and for 2020 had a prize pool valued at more than $30,000.
Thomas’ series Camouflage was captured during Victoria’s extended coronavirus lockdown, and depicts her 12-year-old daughter Madi in a series of elaborate and beautifully constructed portraits.
For judge Sally Brownbill, the images entered this year were thought provoking, well planned and well executed.
“Perhaps this year the photographers had more time to sit and observe or felt less time pressure in deciding what they wanted to enter into the awards,” she reflected. “Whatever the reason, the calibre of work I was lucky enough to view was of a standard never before seen in these awards.”
As overall winner, Thomas takes home a prize pack valued at more than $8,000, including a Nokia 8.3 5G smartphone valued at $899, a 5-night photo workshop in Tasmania valued at $6,000 thanks to World Photo Adventures, an MSI Creator bundle pack valued at $250, a Nokia 7.2 smartphone valued at $499, and $1,000 cash.
The annual competition challenges photographers in the major categories to shoot four images that work together as a cohesive series.
Other winners in 2020 included striking macro insects by photographer Ali Moughnieh, stunning architectural abstracts by Jacqueline Hammer, and intricate travel images by 2019 winner Anthony Lawrence. You can see our winners for all nine categories in the competition below.
We would like to thank our amazing sponsors, without which we simply couldn’t run Photographer of the Year. Nokia, SanDisk, WD, World Photo Adventures, Haida, MSI, Lacie and Seagate – thank you.
We would also like to extend our thanks to our judging panel of professional photographers who took on the task of assessing the thousands of entries in the competition for 2020: Alex Cearns OAM, Jacques Van As, Anthony McKee, Lisa Michele Burns, Douwe Dijkstra, Drew Hopper, Dylan Fox, Shannon Wild, Helen Whittle, Steve & Ann Toon, Hillary Younger, Ryan Domenico, Mark Galer, Tim Levy, Sally Brownbill and Georgina Steytler.
Finally thank you to everyone who entered the competition in 2020. In a year when photography has been both a challenge and an outlet, we were stunned at the depth and quality of work submitted this year.
The Top 20 images in the Junior, Photo of the Year and Creative categories, the Top 17 images and portfolios in the Landscape, Animal and Nature, People, Black and White, Travel and Photo of the Year categories, and the Top 10 portfolios in the Mobile categories, along with judges’ comments and photographer profiles, are published in the February issue of Australian Photography magazine.
Get yourself a copy – in newsagencies now – or you can get a digital copy online here, or subscribe to the print edition here.
The competition will be back, bigger than ever, later this year. Watch this space, for more.
Julie Thomas, Camouflage, Winner: 2020 Photographer of the Year.
Ali Moughnieh, Insect Headshots, Winner: Animal and Nature. 
Nicole Andrews, Dunes, Winner: Landscape.
Anthony Lawrence, Networks, Winner: Travel. 
Jacqueline Hammer, Spiral Staircases, Winner: Black and White.
Cameron Meacham, Shadows At Play, Winner: Mobile. 
Emma Frater, Fire Watch, Winner: Photo of the Year. 
Bec Lowe, Unconfined, Winner: Creative. 
Jake Frazer, Blinding Colour, Winner: Junior.