AWARDS AND WINNERS

2021 TOP INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER OF YEAR
KIMBERLY SMITH - USA

ABOUT THE IIC AND THE PRESTIGIOUS CRYSTAL AWARDS

The International Image Challenge (IIC) is one of todays most prestigious international competitions to enter. The focus of the IIC is not only to reward top talent in the photographic industry but to also help educate novice and growing photographers in the art of photography as they enter the annual competition.
The IIC is part of the Master Photographers International Organization. With the MPI IIC members have the option to work at earning specialized degrees and accreditations in their field of photography. Some members are only interested in entering the annual awards. The MPI IIC offers both options.
The MPI IIC TOP International Photographer of the Year receives,
The International Imaging Cup
The POY Athena Globe Trophy
The POY Category Trophy
$1000.00 cash in USD

VIEW THE TOP SIX CURRENT PHOTOGRAPHERS OF THE YEAR

ABOUT THE CRYSTAL AWARDS

THE PRESTIGIOUS ATHENA CRYSTAL TROPHY

The IIC honors excellence with its Olympian style trophy line from ancient Greece and Rome, symbolizing the Olympics. The “Athena Trophy” the award for the IIC TOP International Winner was custom designed at a cost of $18,000 and took a year to finalize and create. The INTERNATIONAL IMAGING COMPETITION is no ordinary competition, and the founding directors work hard at ensuring the best for members and entrants of the MPI International Imaging Competition and the MPI International Photographic Degree Program. (MPI IPDP)
The MPI International Imaging Competition (MPI IIC), opens calls for entries once annually. MPI tries to keep the call for entries longer to help entrants prepare and enter their best work for the most prestigious imaging event of the year.
The International Photographer of the Year (In a category) trophies which are awarded to one photographer in each of the six categories, were created to symbolize the pillars from histories ancient architecture in Greece and Rome.

MPI INTERNATIONAL IMAGING CUP
The MPI International Imaging Cup is a tremendous honor to bring home for your country.

Bringing the International Imaging Cup home for your country is an honor and statue a photographer should be extremely proud of.

How can you and your country have a better opportunity in earning International Imaging Cup? It is simple, the more photographers that enter the MPI IIC Annual Awards from your country, the bigger chance in earning the International Imaging Cup.

CURRENT WINNERS AND WINNING COUNTRY

2021 - KIMBERLY SMITH

2021 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

PAST WINNERS AND WINNING COUNTRIES

2020 - SWATI CHAKRABORTY	2020 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
2019 - PETER LIK	2019 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
2018 - KRISTIAN BOGNER	2018 CANADA
2017 - ERICH CAPARAS	2017 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
2016 - ERICH CAPARAS	2016 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
2015 - WILLIAM BRANSON III	2015 UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

VIEW THE CLASS AWARDS WINNERS (FIRST IN PLACE)

HOW IT WORKS,

6 winners are selected, one in each category. Each winner is selected with the average of their highest scoring 4 images.

CATEGORIES INCLUDE
Commercial Photography
Digital Art Photography
Fine Art Photography
Nature Photography
Portrait Photography
Wedding Photography
The highest scoring of the 6 International Photographers of the Year earns the title of the MPI IIC TOP International Photographer of the Year and is successful in also taking home the International Imaging Cup home for their country. Bringing the International Imaging Cup home for your country is an honor and statue that a photographer should be extremely proud of.

JUDGING
Judging for the IIC is done privately completed by each judge and each image is reviewed by 5 judges. MPI feels this works best in receiving non-bias feedback on each image. Each images receives a breakdown on the 4 judging criteria and feedback from 1 or more of the judges.