LONDON.- The AOP Awards gather together the best of the best in the photography world to celebrate the captured image. Now in its 35th Year, the Awards are seen as the Oscars of the photography world and this year have had over 2,000 entries in the various categories, a 15% rise on last year.

With the Photography Awards only open to members of the AOP, anyone is eligible to enter the Open Awards, making it a great starting point for new and upcoming talent. A first for 2019, the “Innovation” category highlights the use of technology to make images, reflecting the changes in the industry as a whole.

Tim Flach, AOP President: “The 2019 Awards have seen higher entry levels than in previous years. One of the big events we had last year was the AOP50 retrospective which was at One Canada Square, and we are very proud to have been invited back to showcase our Awards, where we expect to receive as many as 50,000 visitors over the 7 week period.

We have seen many more entries into the Moving Image category this year, along with the introduction of a new category, Innovation, which accommodates areas such as AR and VR for example. These are a true reflection of our changing industry.”

Returning to last year’s AOP50 exhibition venue, the images will be displayed in the Lobby of One Canada Square for 7 weeks starting in mid-April, making this year the longest running public exhibition in the Awards’ history.

Seamus McGibbon, AOP Executive Director: “This year’s curators have had a very hard task on their hands making their selection of finalists from the thousands of entries received, their dedication and passion has shone through, resulting in an exceptional selection of finalist images. We look forward to revealing the winners of each category at our Awards Presentation Party in May.”

All 240 finalist images will be on display for the public to view free of charge, and the winners will be announced at a special event on 14th May in the East Wintergarden in Canary Wharf attended by 1,000 people, with a book featuring all the images unveiled on the night.

The exhibition will go on show in April as part of Canary Wharf’s ongoing temporary exhibition programme. Since the inception of Canary Wharf’s cultural master plan, the arts have played an important role in the development and success of the 128-acre Estate. Canary Wharf has one of the UK’s largest collections of public art, with more than 70 permanent works by over 50 world-renowned artists.

Below is a list of all the awards categories and their curators.

Photography Awards
• Lifestyle – Sponsored by Broncolor, Curated by Rhiannon Reid, Head of Production, 24 Productions

• Photojournalism – Curated by Jillian Edelstein, Photographer and Documentary film maker

• Portrait – Sponsored by Fixation, Curated by Portrait Salon

• Environment – Sponsored by Fujifilm, Curated by Jane Briers, Creative Director, mcgarryhowen

• Still Life & Object – Curated by Kristie Girvan, Head of Production, The Corner London

• Fashion & Beauty - Sponsored by MOT Models, Curated by Clara Mercer, Communications Director, British Fashion Council

• Food & Drink – Curated by Helen Parker, Co-Founder & Executive Producer, Another

• Project – Sponsored by Direct Digital, Curated by Ben Nash, Deputy Head of Creative Production, Karmarama

• The Discovery Award – Sponsored by Direct Digital

Open Awards
• Stills – Sponsored by Lumix, Curated by Fiona Shields, Head of Photography, The Guardian

• Moving Image – Sponsored by Lumix, Curated by Paul MacKay, Director of Photography, BAFTA

• Innovation, Sponsored by Stanley’s Post, Curated by Matt Beveridge, Executive Director and Co-Founder, Pebble Studios

Student Awards 2018
Sponsored by Fixation
Showcasing the 4 winning images from the Student Awards 2018
• People - Curated by Lulu Ash
• Places - Curated by Jason Hawkes
• Things - Curated by Kelvin Murray