The Galah Regional Photography Prize (the Prize) is an award and exhibition concentrating exclusively on photography from artists living in regional Australia.
The Prize defines regional Australia as everything beyond the major capital cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide and Canberra (as defined by the Regional Australia Institute). A list of postcodes defined as regional can be found here.
Photography, for the purposes of this Prize, encompasses film and digital photography presented as a still 2D work. Photography created using AI is not eligible for entry.
There are three prizes, open to all Australian citizens and permanent residents who have resided in regional Australia for at least one year before entries close on Monday 10th February 2025.:
An ‘open’ category, with $25,000 in prize money for the winner
A ‘people’s choice’ category, with $2,000 in prize money for the winner
An ‘award for excellence in photojournalism’ category, presented by Good Weekend magazine, with the winner receiving 4 X 1 hour Zoom mentoring sessions with photographers and editors from Good Weekend
Finalists will be selected from the electronic images submitted by entrants. If your entry is selected as a finalist, you will be notified on or around March 2025 by email and/or telephone.
Entries selected for exhibition must be delivered to the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM), Armidale between Monday 31 March and Friday 4 April, ready to hang, and must comply with size, limits, framing and display requirements.
All exhibition entries must be for sale.
1. Entries must be submitted online via www.galahpress.com/competitions/regional-photography-prize-2025-entry by midnight Monday 10th February 2025. Digital images must be high resolution between 1MB - 6MB and saved as a jpg or mpg file in the required filename format: SURNAME_FIRSTNAME_ TITLE_.jpg. Slides, photographs, photocopied reproductions, emailed images or any other representation of the work will not be accepted. (If you have difficulties using the online form, we encourage you to contact GALAH well before 5pm on Friday 1st February 2025. Contact details are included below.)
2. Entries must include a single jpg or mpg file (including for multi panel works), a short artist bio, an artwork statement (max 80 words) and a completed online entry form, including a nominated retail sale price and estimate of framed size of work in centimetres.
3. All images submitted must be original and have been taken/created on or since 1 January 2022 by an Australian citizen or resident living in regional Australia as defined by the postcodes listed here. AI generated images are not accepted.
4. An artist may enter multiple times, but each entry requires a unique work, entry form and entry fee.
5. Entry fee is $35.00 (includes GST) per entry. The entry fee is not refundable regardless of whether the work is selected for exhibition or not. Any entry not accompanied by payment of the entry fee will not be eligible. Payment must be completed online. If you experience or foresee difficulties regarding payment, please contact Galah well before the closing date.
6. Officers, directors and permanent or fixed term contract staff members of Galah are not eligible to enter. Galah casual employees, external contractors and volunteers, however, are eligible to enter.
7. Entrants must nominate a retail sale price for their work. The price must be a fair and reasonable estimate of the retail value of the printed and framed Work, based on the nature of the Work, the experience and standing of the Artist and by reference to general art market conditions. In the event of a dispute as to the value of a Work, Galah will refer the matter to an independent market expert whose decision will be final and binding.
8. Each Finalist grants Galah a non-exclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, sublicensable and royalty-free licence to use their entry to advertise and promote the Galah Regional Photography Prize.
9. Entries selected as finalists must be delivered to the exhibition venue ready to hang, and must comply with size, limits, framing and display requirements.
The judging panel will view all digital entries and select approximately 40 artworks as finalists for exhibition. Judges will be looking for work that fulfils all Conditions of Entry, as well as creativity and originality to the standards prescribed by the Judges. The Prize will advise entrants of the pre-selection outcome by email around March 2025. After pre-selection, finalist images may be posted to social media or other sites announcing their selection for the exhibition.
Entries selected for exhibition must be delivered to the exhibition venue framed and ready to hang between Monday 31 March and Friday 4 April, and must comply with SIZE LIMITS, FRAMING AND DISPLAY requirements.
For a FRAMED ENTRY, the maximum size, including frame and any protuberances is either 200cm high with variable width up to 200cm (including multi-panel works).
For an UNFRAMED ENTRY, the maximum finished size, including any border or handling area, is either 100cm high x 80cm wide OR 80cm high x 100cm wide. An unframed entry is accepted only where this presentation is integral to the artwork.
The minimum image size/framed size for exhibition is 20cm x 20cm.
A framed entry must be framed to professional standards and ready to hang with D-rings attached to the rear, 6cm down from the top on both sides of the frame. Please don’t attach strings or wires. For safe travel and handling consider using Perspex glazing. Please attach a label to the back of framed artwork listing with the Artist’s Name and Entry Title. Unframed work will be hung using pins. It is recommended that you reinforce corners on the reverse side. Alternatively, the Prize will add reinforcing if it is considered that it is required.
Artists may order printing and framing services from Get Framed in Armidale NSW. Contact details and standard costs will be provided to finalists. If you use this service, you will not be required to organise delivery to NERAM.
Unframed works are handled with care but are submitted at the entrant’s risk. The Prize reserves the right to not display any work considered unsafe or unsuitable for public display.
All transport arrangements and costs to and from the exhibition venue, including insurance, are the responsibility of the entrant. The Prize will take all care, but can accept no responsibility for damaged work. Address labels and instructions for return must be supplied (eg. courier consignment dockets, Australia Post stamps/labels). The entrant is responsible for booking courier pick-ups within the designated collection dates.
All exhibited entries must be for sale. The Prize will deduct commission of 30% from the sale price of sold artworks, and will not share commission with other galleries. Payments to artists will be made after the exhibition has concluded and the Prize has received payment for the sold artwork. Exhibitors whose work is sold are required to submit an invoice to the Prize requesting payment of the wholesale value (retail price less Prize commission). Invoicing requirements will be advised following artwork sale.
Finalists have the option of granting the Prize permission to sell a limited edition print run of up to five of their selected work at a nominated retail value. This is in addition to the framed work in the exhibition. All framed works in the exhibition must be for sale, but artists can decide if they want an additional print run to also be for sale. The decision will in no way impact the judges’ selection process when choosing finalists. The Prize will take a 30 percent commission of print run sales.
Finalists’ entries must be delivered to the exhibition venue, ready to hang and clearly marked “Galah Regional Photography Prize” on the outside of parcel, along with Entrant Name. Receiving dates are between 31 March and Friday 4 April 2025.
New England Regional Art Museum
106-114 Kentucky Street
Armidale NSW 2350
Entries may not be taken until the conclusion of the exhibition.
All exhibited entries, not sold or acquired, must be collected by a date to be confirmed.
Selected finalists will be exhibited at the New England Regional Art Museum, Armidale NSW, from 11 April to 8 June 2025, with an announcement of winners at an exhibition party on 3 May 2025. The Prize will attempt to contact prize-winners so they can make arrangements to attend the announcement if possible. The Prize reserves the right to curate the exhibition as it sees fit, including a double or triple hang of artwork.
Artists must obtain informed consent from any subject(s)/guardian/parent in their work, or provide reason if this was not needed or possible.
If artists are under 18 years of age, they must also obtain permission from a guardian to enter the Prize.
The Prize reserves the right to make the final decision in respect of any issue relating to the organisation and administration of the Prize. The decision of the Judges are final, in both the pre-selection and final judging, and no discussion shall be entered into. Entry to the award constitutes the entrant’s agreement to be bound by the Conditions of Entry.
If you have any questions about the Prize or terms and conditions, please contact info@galahpress.com
