News Release

Canon announces entry acceptance schedule for the final New Cosmos of Photography competition

TOKYO, February 3, 2021—Canon Inc. announced today that the company will begin accepting entries for its New Cosmos of Photography 2021 (44th edition) photo competition on March 17. Having reached the milestone of its three-decade anniversary, the competition will be held for the 44th and final time this year.

Entries for New Cosmos of Photography 2021 will be accepted between March 17 and May 31, 2021, while the Excellence Award Selection Committee is to meet in June to choose seven Excellence Award winners and fourteen Honorable Mention Award winners. Later, in November, the Grand Prize selection committee is scheduled to meet to select one Grand Prize winner from among the seven Excellence Award-winning entries.

The Grand Prize winner of this year's competition will receive not only JPY 1 million in prize money and a Canon product, but as an added bonus will be granted the right to hold a solo exhibit during the following year. Additionally, to support the continued pursuit of their creative activities, 2021 Excellence Award and Honorable Mention Award winners will each receive prize money and the right to display their works at an exhibition of winning entries to be held in 2022.

This year, the New Cosmos of Photography competition will come to a close. Over its long and rich history as a "project to discover, nurture and support new photographers who pursue new possibilities in creative photographic expression," the competition has come to be known and celebrated in Japan and abroad, with last year's competition receiving a record amount of applications. Society has changed greatly since the competition first began three decades ago—such technological revolutions as the internet and social media now provide individuals with the ability to share information as well as create and express themselves freely on a global scale.

As society enters this new age, Canon has decided this 30-year milestone is a suitable time to conclude this competition. Once plans for the New Cosmos of Photography from 2022 have been decided, they will be announced on the New Cosmos of Photography website.

The New Cosmos of Photography is Canon's cultural support project to discover, nurture, and support new photographers who pursue new possibilities in creative photographic expression. Launched in 1991, this year marks the 30th iteration of the annual contest. What's more, promoting the competition as a global photo contest that elevates photographers and videographers playing an active role in the current art scene, this year's seven judges will include Japanese art critic Noi Sawaragi and Japanese photography critic Minoru Shimizu.

The New Cosmos of Photography encourages the creation of original works that advance the art of photography by pushing the boundaries of its potential, and systematically assists and nurtures award winners. To date, the New Cosmos of Photography contest has accepted 33,359 entries from both individuals and groups, and has turned out a great number of outstanding photographers who are enjoying widespread success around the world. As a result, the contest has come to be regarded today as a gateway to success for new photographers.

For additional information about this year's New Cosmos of Photography competition, visit the New Cosmos of Photography homepage at: https://global.canon/en/newcosmos

Entry Information

Entry eligibility

• There are no restrictions on nationality, age, gender, or experience (both professional and amateur photographers may enter).
• Both individuals and groups may enter the Contest. Entry by groups, however, is restricted to groups that plan to continue activities as a group in the future.

Entry conditions

• Entries are limited to original photographic works that have not been selected for awards or distinctions in other contests or competitions. We cannot accept works that have been submitted to other contests or competitions that are still being judged.
• Works that infringe upon third-party rights (copyrights, trademark rights, portrait rights, etc.) may not be submitted. Applicants are required to obtain prior permission from rights owners to enter photographic works that contain copyrighted or other protected materials (works of art, films, photos, music, etc.) owned by others.
• There is no restriction on the form and the number of elements or items that make up a photographic work.
• Works may be submitted by post, as well as online. Separate conditions apply for stills¹ and video² submissions.

• 1Stills submissions must total no more than 1,000 MB for digital data, or 100 prints for physical copies. It is recommended that images are of a size or 1200 x 1600 pixels or larger. Recommended file format: JPEG 72dpi. Color space used during the judging process based on sRGB. Any type of equipment may be used.
• 2Video submissions must be no larger than 1,000 MB in size. Must be in MP4 format. Any type of equipment may be used.

Entry fee

Entering the Contest is free. Please note, however, that the applicant (individual or group) is responsible for all costs related to the submission and return of their entry if submitted by postal mail or courier.

Entry application and submission period

Before submitting works, entrants must complete the application on the New Cosmos of Photography website.

Entry application and submission period
Wednesday, March 17, 2021 (10:00 JST) – Monday, May 31, 2021 (23:59 JST)
*Online submissions (still images / videos) will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. (JST), May 31, 2021. Submissions by post or courier must arrive no later than 5 p.m. (JST), May 31, 2021.
New Cosmos of Photography Entries Application Center
Broadcasting Movies Production Co.,ltd.
Akasaka DT Bulding 2F
6-6-20, Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo
TEL : +81-3- 5544-9460 (M-F 10:00 – 17:00)
E-mail : newcosmos@hosoeiga.co.jp

Prizes, gifts, and publicity

One Grand Prize winner

• Prize money totaling JPY 1 million (which includes the JPY 200,000 prize money for the Excellence Award)
• Gift of a Canon products
• Permitted to hold a solo exhibition
• All Excellence Award publicity

Seven Excellence Award winners

• Prize money totaling JPY 200,000
• Works exhibited at the New Cosmos of Photography Exhibition 2021
• Invited to the Public Grand Prize selection committee meeting
• Works showcased on the New Cosmos of Photography website
• Works published in the next issue of the New Cosmos of Photography Magazine

Fourteen Honorable Mention Award winners

• Prize money totaling JPY 30,000
• Works exhibited at the New Cosmos of Photography Exhibition 2021
• Works showcased on the New Cosmos of Photography website
• Works published in the next issue of the New Cosmos of Photography Magazine

Judges

Noi Sawaragi (art critic), Minoru Shimizu (photo critic) and five others.
For more information on judges, please see the New Cosmos of Photography website (https://global.canon/en/newcosmos)

Application method

The Excellence Award Selection Committee is to meet in June to choose seven Excellence Award winners and fourteen Honorable Mention Award winners. Later, in November, the Grand Prize selection committee is scheduled to meet to select one Grand Prize winner from among the seven Excellence Award-winning entries.

Announcement of prize winner

After the judging process, the Secretariat will contact the winners directly by the end of July 2021. The winners will be announced on the New Cosmos of Photography website (global.canon/en/newcosmos/) by the beginning of August 2021. Please note that we do not accept enquiries about the competition results.

Reference: the Grand Prize winner of the 2020 competition (43rd edition)

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