Contest

Between 1996 and 2022, the NWFP honoured ten outstanding talents in the field of photography each year. Following the merger of the vfg with the SBF and the uspp to form SIYU professionelle fotografie schweiz, the time has come to organise the award again. In doing so, SIYU is emphasising its claim to sustainably promote young local photographers and help young talents gain visibility. Works can be submitted online via Picter between 1 February and 30 April.

Ten of all the works submitted to the professional and independent jury of three experts will be presented to the interested public at an exhibition and other events and documented in a publication. In addition, workshops and events will be organised to facilitate networking, exchange with other photographers and artists and engagement with the general public.

Schedule

01.2. – 30.4.2025
Call for entries SIYU AWARD 2025

Until mid-June 2025
Judging via Picter

21.6.2025
Announcement of the ten finalists on the occasion of Photo Basel 2025

16.10.2025
Vernissage of the group exhibition at Photobastei Zurich, 18h

16.10. – 2.11.2025
Duration of the exhibition at Photobastei Zurich, embedded events if possible

Terms and conditions

Eligibility to participate

All photographers with Swiss citizenship and all photographers of other nationalities who live, study or work in Switzerland at the time of submission are eligible to enter. They are entitled to submit entries until they reach the age of 39. The deadline is the date of submission to Picter. No correspondence will be entered into regarding the conditions. Unauthorized entries will be disqualified. Refunds of registration fees are not possible.

Requirements for the project to be submitted

Only original, self-created work will be accepted. None of the works entered may have already won an award elsewhere, either in Germany or abroad.
If AI (or similar) is used as an aid or creative element, this must be clearly indicated.
The topic of the work(s) is free.
Any number of projects per person may be submitted.
A project consists of a series of at least 3 to a maximum of 8 photos/images, a project description approx. 1000-1500 characters long and a presentation plan (a sketch of how the work would be presented in the exhibition space). Images, text and exhibition plan are considered integral parts of a submitted project.

Application fee

The application fee is CHF 45 per submitted project. This is due upon submission via Picter. The fees are earmarked for the organization of the award.

Jury, judging and financial support

The jury consists of three people, each of whom works in a photo-related field. The jury's decision is final. The judging tool is provided by Picter.

The names of the ten finalists will be presented for the first time and exclusively at the 10th Photo Basel 2025, before the group exhibition “SIYU AWARD 2025” takes place at Photobastei Zurich in October 2025. All finalists will each receive a production contribution of CHF 500 for the realization of their work (prints, frames...).

In addition, the jury will honor one work with the SIYU AWARD, which is endowed with CHF 3000. The winner will be announced at the vernissage.

Further information will follow shortly and will be communicated on the website (siyu-award.ch).

Exclusion of liability

The insurance of the works shown in the exhibition is the responsibility of the participants. The SIYU AWARD declines all responsibility (e.g. in the event of damage or theft). Participants undertake to ensure that all submitted works are free of third-party rights (e.g. third-party copyrights, design rights, personal rights) or that these have been properly cleared. Participants shall indemnify the organizer SIYU AWARD against any infringement of third-party rights.

All submitted images may be used by SIYU AWARD for the further promotion and advertising of the award free of charge in terms of time and space.