9th SINGAPORE YOUNG PHOTOGRAPHER AWARD
Watch out! The 9th edition of the Singapore Young Photographer Award (SYPA) 2024 returns!
Open to all aspiring photographers and lens-based artists aged 13 to 25, SYPA is the perfect place for you to flaunt your creativity, technical skills and unique perspectives. Youths of all nationalities, ethnicities and gender are welcome to apply as long as you are based in Singapore!
Imagine. Street photography; Portraitures; Edgy conceptual shots, we want to see your best work! SYPA is all about celebrating the fresh and unique perspectives that young photographers are able to bring.
The theme for this year is “Worlds Within”, and we hope to see through your lens what it means to live in harmony in our shared world. All you have to do is to create a body of photographic works that relates to the theme and stand to win prizes worth over $8000!
Though of course it’s not just about the prizes, it’s about getting your work out there and making a name for yourself in the photography world! P.S. SYPA 2024 finalists will also be exhibited in conjunction with the Singapore International Photography Festival (SIPF) 2024 as well!
Need a camera? Don’t worry! Cameras are available for rent from our Official Equipment Rental House, Camera Rental Centre (CRC) at a discount of 30% (capped at $100 savings) for all registered participants of SYPA 2024. Check out our FAQ to find out how to rent from them!
What are you waiting for? Time to go go go!
Deadline
14th March 2025,
Friday, 23:59, GMT+8 (SGT)
Image Credits
From “Some Pictures of Representation” by Woong Soak Teng
(7th SYPA 2018 Youth Category Winner)
WORLDS WITHIN
For this year’s award, we invite you to explore how photography can be used as a tool for rediscovering our environment and connecting with the people who make up our communities.
The competition is not about finding that extraordinary or decisive shot but rather about offering your unique perspective on everyday life — the things that often go unseen and overlooked, the little moments that make our world special.
Through your eyes (and lens), we hope to visualise what makes up your “World Within” and what it means to live in harmony with nature in our shared world. Capture your connection with nature, and share with us the moments that enrich our lives and the world around us.
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
Interested Applicants are required to submit the following, as part of their application via Judgify here, by 14th March 2025 (Friday), 2359hrs:
-
JUNIORS (13 to 18 y/o)
- Portfolio of 5 images that relates to the theme
- A caption of 150 words (max) about your portfolio
-
YOUTHS (19 to 25 y/o)
- Photo Series of 7-10 images that relates to the theme
- A caption of 200 words (max) about your Photo Series
-
PHOTO CLUB (13 to 25 y/o)
- Name of Photo Club/Group/Collective
- Affiliation to School/Institution (if applicable)
- Applicants must have submitted an entry in the Junior or Youth category to be eligible for this category.
- Note: Applicants are to indicate in the form of their intent to participate in this category.
JUNIOR CATEGORY JURY PANEL
YOUTH CATEGORY JURY PANEL
JURY SELECTION PROCESS
All submissions will be reviewed by the DECK team and shortlisted candidates will be reviewed by our esteemed guest judges ranging from past winners and current professionals from varying backgrounds in the photography industry. Do keep a look out here to find out who our jury panellists are!
PRIZE
(X1)
PRIZE
(X2)
P.S. The top 5 finalists in both the Junior and Youth categories will also be featured in a finalist exhibition in November 2024!
TIMELINE
- Workshop 01: Photo Walk
- Workshop 02: Photo Editing
*The timelines detailed are indicative and may deviate.
ABOUT
Founded by City Developments Limited (CDL) and championed by the late Mr. Kwek Leng Joo, the Singapore Young Photographer Award (SYPA) nurtures creativity, imagination, and a keen sense of artistry. It serves as a catalyst for renewing our photographic community, infusing it with young talent and adding vibrancy to Singapore’s ecosystem. Above all, photography is a powerful medium for communication, self-expression, self-efficacy, and self-esteem, all of which are crucial for youth character building.
To date, SYPA remains the only national platform for young photographers aged 13–25 years old and has run successfully for 8 different editions, inspiring and supporting numerous young talents and artists in their photographic journeys, significantly contributing to the Singaporean art scene.
View past winners for SYPA 2018 and 2020 here.
PARTNERS
PRESENTED BY
ORGANISED BY
ART PRINTER
OFFICIAL EQUIPMENT RENTAL HOUSE
TERMS & CONDITIONS
By registering for an account and/or submitting an application for CDL SYPA, you acknowledge and agree:
- You are between the ages of 13 and 25 years old at any time during the year of 2024 and 2025.
- You are submitting a valid entry before 14 March 2025, Friday GMT+8 2359hrs.
- You are willing to receive email updates and communications from DECK and its appointed agents. You may unsubscribe from these emails at any time.
- Your personal data can be used by DECK and its appointed agents for the purposes of SYPA and DECK related activities.
- You have read and agree to the terms and conditions of SYPA 2024 as set by DECK.
By registering for an account and/or submitting an application for SYPA, you grant DECK and its appointed agents the right to use your work free of charge, royalty-free with non-exclusive rights to publish, reproduce, make available the submitted images in any manner and media, including but not limited to the right to publish, adapt, distribute, copy, display and translate across all media worldwide. All published work will be appropriately tagged and credited.
These terms and conditions may be modified from time to time and DECK reserves the right to change these terms at any time, without prior notice and at its sole discretion.
Any changes and updates will be posted on the website linked here containing the full terms and conditions.
FAQs
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Q: Is there an age limit for the competition?
A: The competition is for youths aged between 13 and 25 years old. It is split into three categories:
Junior for applicants aged 13 and 18 years old (at any time during the year 2024 and 2025); Youth for applicants aged between 19 and 25 years old (at any time during the year 2024 and 2025). Only the Photo Club category is open to applicants aged between 13 and 25 years old (at any time during the year 2024 and 2025).
Q: If I only turn 13 in December 2025, am I still allowed to join SYPA 2024?
A: Yes! As long as you are within the age range of 13 and 25 at any time during the year 2025, do feel free to join SYPA 2024.
Q: How can I enter the competition?
A: Please go to judgify.me/sypa24 to submit your application. Do note that there are two forms to submit once you enter the link: The registration form where you register for the event. The submission form where you submit your images for judges review.
Q: How will the works be shortlisted?
A: All submissions will first be reviewed and selected by the DECK team to create a longlist. This longlist will then be further deliberated by the SYPA 2024 Jury Panel, who will decide on the finalists for each category and select the award winners.
Q: How will I know if I have been shortlisted?
A: Shortlisted applicants will receive an email from DECK detailing the important dates to note. It is advisable to be available and present for the awards ceremony, if not, we will reach out to you arrange a stand-in for the awards ceremony.
SUBMISSION CRITERIA
Q: How many images do I need to submit?
A: Junior category applicants are to submit a portfolio of 5 to 7 images relating to the theme with a maximum of 150 words caption describing the portfolio of images and how it relates to the theme.
Youth category applicants are to submit a photo series of 7 to 10 images relating to the theme with a maximum of 200 words caption for the entire series.
For Photo Club category applicants, your submission for the Junior and Youth category will be your submission for this category. You will be required to tag your Photo Club and affiliated school if applicable.
Q: In what format should my images be submitted in?
A: Please submit your images in JPEG (.jpg/.jpeg) format. The file size should not be more than 8MB.
Q: Must I use a DSLR to capture the images?
A: No, it is not necessary to use a camera to capture the images. Do feel free to use any medium to capture the images such as film, digital, drones or phone cameras. Do make sure that your images are of at least 2,000px on the longest side, a maximum of 8MB and be in JPEG (.jpg/.jpeg) format for submission.
Q: What is the difference between a “portfolio of images” and a “photo series”?
A: In the context of SYPA 2024, a “portfolio of images” consists of images that correspond to the theme of the competition but do not necessarily need to be linked to each other. A “photo series” is a collection of images that are connected to each other. This could take the form of a photo story or conceptual work where there is a central subject, idea, or question that runs through the entire series, corresponding to the competition's theme.
For more enquiries, do check out our full FAQ page.
PAST SYPA FINALISTS WORKS
Image Credits
From “Some Pictures of Representation” by Woong Soak Teng
(7th SYPA 2018 Youth Category Winner)
Image Credits
From “A Timeless Tradition” by Teo Rong Brian
(7th SYPA 2018 Youth Category Winner)
Image Credits
From “Echoes of the Core” by Jomel Goh
(8th SYPA 2020 Junior Category Finalist)
Image Credits
From “Trash Jars” by Lisa Peh
(8th SYPA 2020 Youth Category Finalist)
Image Credits
From “Space Sustainable” by Klaus Tan Yihong
(7th SYPA 2018 Junior Category Winner)
Image Credits
From “Ugly Edible - Tea Party Series” by Hamizah Saini
(8th SYPA 2020 Youth Category Winner)
