The International Photography Awards (IPA) is an annual juried competition that invites all professional and non-professional photographers worldwide to submit their photographic work for consideration of the following titles - The International Photographer of the Year, The Discovery of the Year and the Deeper Perspective International Photographer of the Year. These top honors are announced at the annual Lucie Awards gala ceremony, the photography industry's answer to Oscars, Grammy's and Emmy's, where each of the 3 top winners is presented with the coveted Lucie Statue and a cash prize.

THE 2009 COMPETITION RECEIVED NEARLY 18,000 ENTRIES FROM 104 COUNTRIES WORLDWIDE.

There are 8 professional categories, 7 non-professional categories and 1 category entitled The Deeper Perspective, which was introduced in 2007 and celebrates BOTH the photographic image and the story behind the image. At the end of the competition, the IPA invites a visionary thinker within the photography community to curate the IPA Best of Show, culled from the over 350 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners. This exhibition opens in conjunction with the annual Lucie Awards and then travels to various international venues throughout the year.

Individuals who place in the competition are also printed in the IPA Annual book, showcasing not only the winners of competition, but also the master photographers honored at the Lucie Awards Ceremony.

The Titles and Prizes Include:

International Photographer of the Year
$10,000 cash prize provided by AtEdge
Lucie Statue

The Discovery of the Year
$5,000 cash prize
Lucie Statue

Deeper Perspective Photographer of the Year
$5,000 cash prize
Lucie Statue

To learn more about the submission process and the previous year's winners, please visit www.photoawards.com