The AMB Photo Awards presented by Shimano are back again, after a huge year in 2023! Last year we had a huge volume of entries and voting, with a big influx of entries from young photographers. In 2024 were are following on from last year, so the AMB Photo Awards presented by Shimano will not only have a stand alone social media video category, but it will only be open to entrants from Australia and New Zealand. The subject matter can be from anywhere in the world.

As in previous years there will be four main categories. Each will have a winner, second and third place as voted by readers on a microsite from a short list put together by a judging panel. There will be an overall winner for the most complete portfolio, selected by a judging panel including pro photographer Tim Bardsley-Smith, 2023 AMB Photographer of the Year Kristina Vackova and our editor Mike Blewitt. The youth category remains and is determined by being under 20 during the competition period. This will be a one off image submitted in any of the categories. This winner will also be chosen by public voting from a short list selected by our judges.

The social media video will need to be a raw upload without music, under 60 seconds and optimised for social media. We want you to capture being out riding and having fun. Let's hear the trail, the stoke and the natural environment we get to play in. All videos will be uploaded to our social media accounts to be shared, but the winner will be decided by our voting panel.

Our judging panel will select the overall AMB Photographer of the Year. The photography categories will have a winner, plus second and third place, as voted by readers from a short list. The Raw Reels winner will be selected by our guest judge and 2024 Raw Reels winner, Jasper Da Seymour.

 

VIEW WINNERS

Categories

Gravity

This category is about celebrating everything that is good in downhill, dual slalom, enduro, freeride, dirtjumping, high speed trail rides and push runs. We want to see the action, dedication and scenery that comes from riding with gravity. This could be a photo from your local enduro event, something from the Downhill World Cup, an image from your local trails where your buddy hits the fall line chute... we want to see high impact photos that showcase gravity riding and racing, with exceptional framing and composition.

XC Whoa!

Cross-country riding and racing has evolved, and this category celebrates that. Photos entered in this category may come from your club XC race, a big all-day pedal into the backcountry, big action from the XCO World Cup, a marathon race, a stage race, or training for any of these events. What does XC mean to you? We want to see the grit and determination, the bar-to-bar action and the features and settings that really make XC come alive. Our judges will look for unique images that tell a story and capture the sole of XC, with top level composition and framing.

Outback and Beyond

Away from the stacked loops, our playground is immense. A bike is one of the best tools for adventure out there, and it is only limited by your imagination. In this category we want to see the places your bike can take you. Show us the wild environments. Show as the vertiginous places, the serpentine trails along never ending ridgleines and capture the vast nothing in the centre of Australia. A winning photo in this category is going to give the judges a sense of being in the environment, and the dedication required to be there. We'll still be looking for amazing composition and framing – but most of all we want to be inspired. We want your photo to capture our imagination to spur us on to get out and ride!

Women who ride

In 2021 we brought a category to showcase women in sport back to the competition. Mountain biking is diverse and we want to ensure that it continues to be so and grows from here. Women have been underrepresented in the photography of the AMB Photography Awards, and that doesn't match who we see riding and ripping the trails. This category is designed to encourage a broader representation of who makes up our sport. Make it fun, make it inspiring, and make it inclusive. A winning photograph in this category will be all about excellent composition, so make sure it's unique to stand out from the crowd.

Gravity

This category is about celebrating everything that is good in downhill, dual slalom, enduro, freeride, dirtjumping, high speed trail rides and push runs. We want to see the action, dedication and scenery that comes from riding with gravity. This could be a photo from your local enduro event, something from the Downhill World Cup, an image from your local trails where your buddy hits the fall line chute... we want to see high impact photos that showcase gravity riding and racing, with exceptional framing and composition.

XC Whoa!

Cross-country riding and racing has evolved, and this category celebrates that. Photos entered in this category may come from your club XC race, a big all-day pedal into the backcountry, big action from the XCO World Cup, a marathon race, a stage race, or training for any of these events. What does XC mean to you? We want to see the grit and determination, the bar-to-bar action and the features and settings that really make XC come alive. Our judges will look for unique images that tell a story and capture the sole of XC, with top level composition and framing.

Outback and Beyond

Away from the stacked loops, our playground is immense. A bike is one of the best tools for adventure out there, and it is only limited by your imagination. In this category we want to see the places your bike can take you. Show us the wild environments. Show as the vertiginous places, the serpentine trails along never ending ridgleines and capture the vast nothing in the centre of Australia. A winning photo in this category is going to give the judges a sense of being in the environment, and the dedication required to be there. We'll still be looking for amazing composition and framing – but most of all we want to be inspired. We want your photo to capture our imagination to spur us on to get out and ride!

Women who ride

In 2021 we brought a category to showcase women in sport back to the competition. Mountain biking is diverse and we want to ensure that it continues to be so and grows from here. Women have been underrepresented in the photography of the AMB Photography Awards, and that doesn't match who we see riding and ripping the trails. This category is designed to encourage a broader representation of who makes up our sport. Make it fun, make it inspiring, and make it inclusive. A winning photograph in this category will be all about excellent composition, so make sure it's unique to stand out from the crowd.

AMB Photographer of the Year: Shimano Deore XT M8100 group set and $3000 cash!
AMB Young Photographer of the Year: Shimano SLX M7100 group set
Category prizes: $500 thanks to Shimano Australia

 

PRESENTING PARTNER

Shimano

SUPPORTING PARTNER

 

Thermos

 

Raw Reels

Show us what mountain biking is for you via a social media video. Keep it fun, keep it raw and deliver some stoke! We want to see the trails where you get to ride and why it's so good. Submit your sub 60 second video via the instructions on our competition page. We want the raw sounds, no soundtrack. This category will be judged on video editing proficiency and how engaging the video is.

Raw Reels

Young Photographer of the Year

In this category, our judges select a short list from all the images submitted by photographers under 20. So the entries can come from any of the four photography categories. We'll be looking for proficient composition and editing, capturing the moment and really nailing the category. The winner will receive a Shimano SLX M7100 12-speed group set. There will also be an interview in Issue #210 of AMB.

AMB Photographer of the Year

To win the overall title you need to enter a photo in each of the photography categories. You need to blow our judges away as the level to win the overall title has been set really high. Study the categories and shoot to suit. The winner will collect $3000 and a Shimano Deore XT M8100 12-speed group set, plus have a full feature in Issue #210 of AMB.

Meet the judges

F.A.Q’S

A FEW ENTRIES