Unsplash Awards 2020
It’s our favourite time of year — the fourth edition of the Unsplash Awards are finally here!
Since the last Unsplash Awards — a lot has happened, both on Unsplash, and beyond. We’ve celebrated milestones we’ve been building towards together, we’ve responded to a global pandemic by documenting our life indoors in new and creative ways, and we’ve seen contributors around the world take to the streets to capture the Black Lives Matter movement through their photography.
The Unsplash Awards is all about recognizing these moments, and paying tribute to the community of contributors who are a source of inspiration around the world by generously sharing their powerful visuals with us all.
We can’t wait to start celebrating with you. And we’ve got a few exciting changes in store for you as well — from new categories to enter, a pretty epic panel of judges (if we say so ourselves), and a new submission process. So let’s get to it.
This year’s Awards
From now until October 31st at midnight PST, the Unsplash Awards are officially open for business. You can now submit your photos to 10 categories — some old, some new, all designed to bring out the best of Unsplash. And once the submissions come to a close, we’ve enlisted the help of some amazing judges to help select the featured photos.
- October 1st — October 31st: Submissions open. To have your photography featured in a category, go to unsplash.com/awards
- November 1 — November 26th: Submissions close and judges go through the selections for each category.
- November 27th: Announcement of featured photos. Finalists will be featured on the Unsplash Awards site, the Unsplash blog, and will be celebrated on our social media channels. All finalists will also receive an official badge on their Unsplash profile.
Ready to submit?
This year, we’re changing things up a bit and operating the Unsplash Awards through our Topics. To submit to Awards, you simply head over to: unsplash.com/awards
- Select the category you’d like to participate in tap the Submit button
- From there, you can either Submit a new photo, or Choose a photo from your library.
- If you’re choosing a photo from your library, only photos submitted from 2020 will be eligible for this year’s Awards.
Note: Any image from 2020 (Nov 1st 2019 – Oct 31st 2020) that’s been curated into the 10 Awards Topics are automatically submitted to this year’s Awards. We will show the number of submitted photos you have for each category under the Submit button and in the pop-up modal.
Got questions about the new submission process? Head over to our FAQs for all the answers.
Unsplash Awards Categories
Architecture
From brutalist buildings to minimalist structures, this category showcases the art of architecture, looking to understand and reflect on the structures that shape a place's narrative.
Official Judge: François Hoang
Chief Editor & Partner, Abduzeedo
François is a Canadian designer currently residing in Geneva, Switzerland where he is serving as a senior product designer in a Fintech startup. He is the Chief Editor & Partner at Abduzeedo, an award-winning digital publication about design and a side-project that has become the source of inspiration for millions of designers and enthusiasts.
Current Events
Photography is a powerful tool when it comes to reflecting our reality back to us— capturing moments in history from around the world that can help educate and inform. From Black Lives Matter protests in cities across the United States, to empty public spaces due to the COVID-19 pandemic – this category covers the latest important events and movements around the world. When submitting, please add a quick photo description so our Judges can understand the full context of the photograph.
Official Judge: Erika Allen
Executive Managing Editor, VICE
Erika Allen is executive managing editor for global news at VICE Media. Prior to that role she worked as executive managing editor for VICE Digital, culture editor at New York Magazine‚ The Cut, executive editor as well as managing editor at The Outline, deputy editor of VICE Magazine, and was editor of Times Insider at The New York Times. She has also worked as co-editor of Slutever.com and the east coast correspondent for Brief.
Erika is from Washington, DC and graduated from Eugene Lang College at The New School where she also recently taught as part time faculty.
Experimental
Through photography, we can continue to push creativity forward by showcasing our surroundings in new, intriguing ways. This category challenges us to incorporate unlikely textures, experiment with new formats, and reevaluate how we look at the world around us.
Official Judge: Slava Kim
Head of Design, Zora
Slava Kim is a co-founder and head of design at Zora, previously worked at Coinbase designing experience for core products. Born and raised in Moscow, currently based in San Francisco.
Fashion
From fashion fads to timeless style, this category explores what our clothes say about us. So submit the street-style shots. The piles of clothes in the corner of your bedroom. The editorial photographs. Let's explore what our clothes communicate to those around us.
Official Judge: Francesca Wallace
E-commerce editor, Vogue, Vogue Living and GQ
Francesca is a fashion, design and travel editor who has worked across a number of Australian magazines, including Vogue, Vogue Living, Marie Claire and InStyle. She lives and works in Sydney.
Film
In a world where technology continues to advance, and the tools and gadgets we rely on to take photographs become more and more sophisticated, it's important to remember where it all started: the film camera. So from the 35mm shots to the latest Polaroids, this category pays tribute to the world of analog.
Official Judge: Laura Brown
Social Media Manager, Polaroid
Laura Brown is the Global Social Media Manager at Polaroid. She’s a lover of all things analog and her favorite camera is the Polaroid Sun 660. She regularly co-creates with emerging and established photographers on campaigns and social initiatives, and she has a sharp eye for thumb-stopping film photography.
Health & Wellness
A morning jog as the sun rises. Dinner parties with friends. Soothing Sunday baths to end the weekend. All of these practices represent a celebration of the mind, body and soul. This category is all about what health & wellness means to you – whether that's a trip to the gym, an evening face mask, or a moment of quiet meditation.
Official Judge: Emma Nemtin
Director of Media Partnerships, Headspace
Emma Nemtin is the Director of Media Partnerships at Headspace, the global leader in mindfulness and meditation based in Los Angeles. She builds meaningful relationships with some of the world's largest brands including BBC, YouTube, Sesame Street, Nike, Spotify, Mattel, Starbucks, and Amazon. In university, Nemtin studied psychology before shifting to marketing and communications. In the years to follow Emma worked for the Olympic Broadcasting Services, Hubba a B2B Retail Platform and built brand experiences at Lululemon.
Interiors
From peaceful bedrooms to cluttered kitchens – the spaces that are hidden from plain view often tell us the most about the people who inhabit them. This category showcases interior spaces, and examines how our environments can evoke specific moods and emotions.
Official Judge: Livia Antolik
Online Merchandising Specialist, IKEA
Livia is an Online Merchandising Specialist based in Zurich, Switzerland. She’s passionate about data and UX and is always looking for new ways to create a better everyday life for the many through innovative online experiences. Over the past years, she’s worked for several startups leading their advertising and growth strategies. When she isn’t working, you’ll find her exploring the beautiful Swiss outdoors.
Nature
Our relationship with Nature is complicated and ever evolving. With the plastic problem to the impending climate crisis — the world around us requires our attention and care more than ever, which has renewed an appreciation for our planet and the miracles it holds. This category celebrates our planet and beyond — exploring seascapes, wildlife, shifting landscapes, starry skies and more.
Official Judge: Cyrill Gutsch
Founder & CEO, Parley for the Oceans
Cyrill Gutsch is an award-winning designer and founder of Parley for the Oceans. Based in New York, Parley is a global collaboration network where creators, thinkers and leaders from the creative industries, brands, governments and environmental groups come together to raise awareness for the beauty and fragility of the oceans and collaborate on projects that can end their destruction. The organization has formed alliances with major partners and collaborators spanning the worlds of science, art, fashion, design, entertainment, sports, space and ocean exploration.
People
People, relationships and emotions — captured. Photography has the power to represent the realities of the world around us, and lift up those who often go underrepresented. We therefore welcome submissions that look to challenge the norms of stock photography and media representation as a whole, while giving a voice to individuals and groups within our communities.
Official Judge: Jane Wong
Senior UX Designer, SSENSE
Jane is a product designer who helps ambitious brands improve their digital channels while building a distinctive point-of-view in an era of digital transformation. Notably, she led the design of the SSENSE Shopping App. Previously, she launched PayByPhone's suite of native apps. She continues to support small and local brands with their online presence and is devoted to advocating for diversity and representation through her practice.
Street Photography
From early morning commutes to neon-tinted nights, our streets have become the fabric of our shared history. Whether you live in a crowded city or a deserted town, our streets have the ability to tell the story of who we are, where we’ve been, and where we’re going. By capturing the gritty street scenes, the candid portraits, the known landmarks — street photography has the power to translate a singular moment into a larger narrative that tells the story of people and place.
Official Judge: Tyler Kealey
Design Director, Nike
Tyler is a digital creative director, and designer. Originally from Canada, Tyler has spent the past 6 years working in the US at Apple and Nike, leading digital content and commerce projects. When he's not doing that he can be found biking or skiing down mountains, sometimes even with his two young children.
Photo of 2020
We’ve teamed up with 10 community panelists to create a collection that represents 10 of the most impactful photographs on Unsplash from 2020. And now, we’d love to hear from you. Vote for the image that resonates most with you, and the photograph with the most votes will be selected for the Photo of 2020 Award.
↪ Vote for the Photo of 2020