The theme of this year’s NEXT-IMAGE Awards is ”Better Together” and Huawei users around the world can submit their photographic and video masterpieces for the chance to win one of 70 amazing prizes, including the new HUAWEI P50 and cash prizes up to $10,000. The deadline for entries is November 30, 2021.
An important part of Huawei’s NEXT-IMAGE Plan, which started in 2017, the annual NEXT-IMAGE Awards is committed to inspiring mobile phone users worldwide to create a new visual culture. The “NEXT” in NEXT-IMAGE refers to the photographers using next generation tools to create and spread cutting-edge visual content. “IMAGE” refers to both static imagery as well as new forms of dynamic visual expression. HUAWEI proposed the “NEXT-IMAGE” concept not only to highlight the many years of innovation it has brought to the field of visual expression, but also to create a concept that represents a new growing school of photography.
As smartphones become more and more sophisticated, allowing for better capture of both photography and video, more international competitions and other events promote the use of the cameras in these devices to show the world around us. Touted as the world’s largest smartphone photography competition, the NEXT-IMAGE Awards embody Huawei’s dedication to the craft and artistry of modern photography. By equipping aspiring photographers with cutting-edge technology, Huawei hopes to provide the outlet for an outpouring of creative inspiration.
Huawei’s NEXT-IMAGE Awards launched in 2017 and the competition has now reached over 2 million entries, according to Huawei NEXT-IMAGE Awards organizing committee. With an easy entry mechanic and over 70 chances to win, amateur smartphone photographers and visual storytellers across the world are set to light up the competition for a fifth consecutive year.
This year’s NEXT-IMAGE Awards will be judged by a team of photography experts, from a diverse range of backgrounds and countries around the world, from North America to China. Canadian extreme sports photographer Reuben Krabbe will be joined by Karen Smith, the renowned art critic from the UK, and French radio and TV producer Olivier Chiabodo.
The judging panel have a sense of what it is to win photography prizes, as Pulitzer-winning photographer and founder of the Shanghai Center of Photography, Liu Heung Shing, is joined by one of the grand prize winners of the Next-Image Awards 2020, Lin Haiyin. Professor of School of Journalism and Communication, BNU, Yu Guoming, and Vice Minister of the Consumer Strategy Marketing Dept at the HUAWEI Consumer Business Group, Li Changzhu, complete the judging panel.
Unlike other competitions which search for one overall winner, Huawei is encouraging entrants to explore different perspectives, formats and light conditions. Insisting that users discover the diversity and beauty of life, the NEXT-IMAGE Awards 2021 has 10 distinct categories to keep things interesting. Perfectly matched with Huawei’s strengths in smartphone photography, the categories encourage users to make the most of their devices’ innovative features while telling original, compelling stories through photos and videos.
- Portrait
At its best, portrait photography tells rich and compelling human stories better than words ever could. Whether it’s of yourself, of a loved one, or a model, submit your best portrait shots. - Monochrome
Monochrome images remove distracting colours, helping the viewer focus on the subjects, textures, shapes, patterns and composition. Use black and white photography to reflect the atmosphere, fun or originality of the shot. - Colour
Huawei smartphones are renowned for their ability to produce vibrant photos that are bursting with vitality. Show your true colours by expressing yourself through smartphone photography. - Snapshot
Photography lets you live in the moment, encouraging you to capture defining moments and scenes. Create a snapshot that tells a powerful story, or immortalise an important memory forever. - Night
Thanks to the power of AI, Huawei smartphones capture incredible night scenes without the need for a flash. Get creative under cover of darkness, and make a night shot to remember. - Telephoto
For many smartphone users, zoomed-in photos are usually blurry or low quality. That’s not the case with Huawei. Use your telephoto lens to home in on the important details, and show off the clarity of your zoomed-in shots. - Super Wide Angle
Wide angle lenses allow photographers to get as close to the subject as possible without excluding crucial elements in the background. Use your mobile photography skills to make viewers feel as though they’re viewing the scene with their own eyes rather than through a photograph. - Super Macro
In photography, as in life, the small details are important. Explore different macro photography subjects and techniques, as you show off your camera’s ability to capture tiny details up close. - Story Creator
Shoot and produce a mobile-shot movie of 15 minutes or less to express your creativity and share your story through moving images. Assume the director’s chair as you create a cinematic masterpiece to show to the world. - Storyteller
Different from the other categories that only allow single photo to be uploaded, in this catalogue, you can use a group of photos (3-9 photos) to express emotions, tell a story, record changes or discover trends.
These award categories highlight some of the leading features of Huawei smartphones, with the latest flagship devices from Huawei offering unparalleled performance in zoom and low light photography. Every category is tailored to a unique photography scenario that Huawei devices excel in, challenging users to elegantly capture emotion as they get creative with NEXT-IMAGE Award entries.
Huawei’s NEXT-IMAGE Awards 2021 encourage mobile photography enthusiasts to create freely. Capturing artistic inspiration and sharing the beauty of life, participants also have many chances to win incredible rewards, including its hotly anticipated smartphone, the HUAWEI P50, award-winning new smartwatch, the HUAWEI Watch 3, and cash prizes up to the value of $10,000.
The HUAWEI P50, released this October, has a 50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), PDAF, Laser AF, OIS main camera, with a 12 MP, f/3.4, 125mm (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 5x optical zoom and a 13 MP, f/2.2, 16mm (ultrawide). With Leica optics, dual-LED flash, panorama, HDR, the smartphone captures video at 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30/60fps, 1080p@960fps and has gyro-EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization). The selfie-camera is a 13 MP, f/2.4, (wide) featuring Panorama and HDR, able to capture video at 4K@30fps, 1080p@30/60/240fps. The HUAWEI P50 pro version comes with 50 MP, f/1.8, 23mm (wide), PDAF, Laser AF, OIS, 64 MP, f/3.5, 90mm (periscope telephoto), PDAF, OIS, 3.5x optical zoom 13 MP, f/2.2, 13mm (ultrawide) and 40 MP, f/1.6, 23mm (B/W).
The 10 categories designed to celebrate the beauty of visual storytelling allow a variety of users to participate with their photographic and video masterpieces for the chance to win one of 70 amazing prizes. Here is a list of the prizes available for the Huawey NEXT-IMAGE Awards 2021:
- Grand Prize: Photographer of the Year (three winners)
- $10,000 NEXT-IMAGE Creation Fund
- Electronic award certificate
- Category Winners (27 winners)
- $1,000 NEXT-IMAGE Creation Fund
- Electronic award certificate
- Winners (30 winners)
- HUAWEI Watch 3
- Electronic award certificate
- Student Focus Award (10 winners)
- HUAWEI P50
- $1,000 NEXT-IMAGE Creation Fund
- Electronic award certificate
The Student Focus Award introduced this year is a new category for the NEXT-IMAGE Awards 2021, and reaffirms Huawei’s commitment to fostering creativity in young people. Open to students between the ages of 18 and 24, the talented winners will not only receive the upcoming HUAWEI P50, but also a NEXT-IMAGE Creation Fund of $1,000, which will help them reach their artistic potential.
The most straightforward way to enter is by visiting https://gallery.consumer.huawei.com to submit your images directly on the competition homepage. Alternatively, entrants can visit https://consumer.huawei.com/en/community to enter via HUAWEI Community staying connected to Huawei fans around the world via the online message board which is available in multiple languages. The deadline for entries is November 30, 2021.