The Underwater Photographer of the Year (UPY) 2025 contest is open, with entries accepted from 1 November 2024 until 4 January 2025.
2025 marks the 60th anniversary of the contest, first held in 1965, and also sees PADI teaming up with UPY for the first time as a category sponsor.
UPY is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading underwater photography competitions, attracting thousands of entries each year.
Winners are announced at a prestigious award ceremony in Mayfair, London, and showcased around the world in the mainstream media.Â
The three previous editions of this internationally renowned contest have been won by Alex Dawson (Sweden), Kat Zhou (USA) and Rafael Fernandez Caballero (Spain).
Chair of the judges, Alex Mustard said ‘UPY is the most important contest for underwater photographers, and is always packed with astonishing images being revealed for the first time.
2025 marks 60 years since Phil Smith was first awarded the title Underwater Photographer of the Year. Today the contest is truly international with winning images coming from across the globe.
‘Our last three overall winners were taken under ice in the Arctic Ocean, in the tannin-stained waters of the Amazon River, and at night close to the equator in the Maldives.
The contest is open to all styles of underwater photography; pictures taken in flooded mines to swimming pools have been awarded previously.’
Two additions for the 2025 iteration of the contest include a new category dedicated to coral reefs, with photographers invited to submit any style of underwater photography as long as it is linked to coral reefs.
More from Underwater Photographer of the Year:
- Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 winners
- Underwater Photographer of the Year 2023 winners
- Underwater Photographer of the Year 2022 winners
This year also sees PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) join the competition as a sponsor of the highly prized Up & Coming category which celebrates new talent.
PADI’s Dave Murray said, ‘As the world’s largest purpose-driven diving organisation, PADI is committed to making the underwater world accessible for all and creating positive ocean change.
‘Sponsoring the “Up & Coming” category in the Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025 competition aligns with our mission to inspire ocean exploration and conservation.’
UPY 2025 has 12 main categories, including Wide Angle, Macro, Wrecks, Behaviour, Portrait, Coral Reefs, Black & White, Compact, Up & Coming, British Waters Wide Angle, British Waters Macro, and British Waters Living Together.
The contest also features an additional, 13th category, the ‘Save Our Seas Foundation’ Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year, a unique category which permits both underwater and surface shots that highlight an important marine conservation story.
The experienced judging panel consists of some of the world’s best underwater photographers Peter Rowlands, Tobias Friedrich and Alex Mustard, who will meet in person to judge every image entered into UPY2024.
Entrants will be given feedback as to how far each of their photographs has progressed during the competition – an additional benefit to taking part that most competitions do not provide.
For more information and to submit competition photographs, head to www.underwaterphotographeroftheyear.com
