Ah, the Gary Award—a gloriously twisted celebration of the intrepid souls who dare to point their cameras into the chaotic abyss of life and say, "I see you, you bastard." Named after the mythical Gary, a character who may or may not have existed but whose legend haunts darkrooms and art galleries alike, this award is less about the pristine world of buttoned-up gallery curators and more about raw, unbridled vision.

This isn’t some sterile industry pat on the back. No, the Gary is a call to arms for every half-mad shutterbug with a battered Leica and an eye for beauty in the grotesque. It’s a whiskey-soaked, nicotine-stained salute to those who shoot first and ask questions later.

Portrait Photography – For those who stare into the human soul and catch it off-guard, pants down and raw.

Documentary Photography – For the war junkies, street rats, and chaos chasers who live on the edge of reality, dragging truth kicking and screaming into the light.

Nature & Wildlife Photography – For the lunatics who hike into the wilderness, risking life and limb to capture the primal beauty of a world that doesn’t give a damn about them.

Fashion Photography – Where style meets psychosis. Think haute couture as seen through the lens of a fever dream.

Emerging Photographer Award – For the young guns under 30, still too naïve to realise what they’re up against, but brave enough to try.

Lifetime Achievement Award – For the legends who’ve spent decades playing chicken with reality—and winning.

Forget your art school rubrics. The Gary is judged by a cabal of renegades who know the difference between a safe shot and one that burns itself into your brain like an acid trip gone right. They’ll ask questions like:

Does this image make us laugh, cry, or question our own sanity?

Is there genius in the chaos, or is it just a lucky accident?

Did the photographer risk something—anything—to capture this moment?

Winners walk away with:

The legendary Gary Trophy, a hulking piece of metal and glass that doubles as a weapon, should you need one.

$10,000 in cold, hard cash—no strings attached, no questions asked.

Immortality, or at least as close as you can get in this business: your work splashed across magazines, galleries, and the fevered minds of anyone who looks at it.

Access to an underground network of lunatic creatives who will either inspire you or drag you into their madness.

Picture this: a wild, sweaty, no-holds-barred gala in some questionable venue. Think cheap whiskey, loud music, and a crowd that looks like they wandered in off the set of a Hunter S. Thompson fever dream. Speeches devolve into rants, rants evolve into fights, and somehow, amidst all the chaos, awards are handed out.

The Gary Award isn’t about playing it safe. It’s a middle finger to convention and a high-five to anyone willing to shoot the world as it is—messy, beautiful, and a little bit insane.