AWARDS AND WINNERS

2021 TOP INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER OF YEAR
KIMBERLY SMITH - USA

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” award for the IIC TOP International Winner was custom designed to be bigger and more prestigious at a cost of $18,000 for the design alone 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 only 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 honors 6 top photographers, one in each category. The Category trophies were created to symbolize the pillars from histories ancient architecture in Greece and Rome.

VIEW THE CLASS AWARDS WINNERS (FIRST IN PLACE)

VIEW THE TOP SIX CURRENT PHOTOGRAPHERS OF THE YEAR

ABOUT THE IIC

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 and inspire photographers of all levels.
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 POY Athena Globe Trophy
The POY Category Trophy
Any first place Awards they enter
$1000.00 cash in USD

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.