In 2026, Australia Zoo proudly celebrates a decade of the Crikey! Magazine Photography Competition – a global platform where photography, storytelling, and conservation unite.

Over the past ten years, the competition has brought together photographers and passionate conservationists from around the world, each capturing powerful moments that showcase the extraordinary diversity of life on Earth. Through compelling imagery, these artists help shine a spotlight on the beauty, fragility, and importance of our natural world.

Judged by a distinguished panel of acclaimed photographers and naturalists, we invite submissions of outstanding nature, wildlife, and conservation photography. Winning images not only receive prestigious prizes but are also honoured through exhibitions across Australia, allowing thousands of visitors to experience these remarkable works firsthand.

Now marking its 10th anniversary, the Crikey! Magazine Photography Competition stands as a celebrated showcase of wildlife photography and a powerful voice for conservation. For a decade, it has inspired audiences to look closer, care deeper, and take action to protect the planet we all share.

Join us as we commemorate ten years of extraordinary imagery and continue our mission to connect people with nature, one photograph at a time.

Entries open on Monday 15 June and close Monday 31 August 2026.
Winners announced Friday 9 October 2026.

A winner, highly commended and three finalists will be selected from each category. Finalists will receive a copy of Robert Irwin’s Australia photography book, have their images exhibited at Australia Zoo, featured in Crikey! Magazine and will receive a personalised certificate.

There are a variety of exciting prizes to be won from each category, including an epic Australian holiday, cash prizes, stays at the luxurious Crocodile Hunter Lodge, epic Australia Zoo gift packs, zoo passes and more!

Crikey! Cover

Winners:

• $15,000 Travel Credit towards a once-in a lifetime Australian getaway, courtesy of Tourism Australia (Conditions apply*, details outlined in the T&Cs)
• $2,000 AUD Cash Prize
• Two nights accommodation at the Crocodile Hunter Lodge in a Black Cockatoo or Red Kangaroo Cabin (Conditions apply*) – over $1,800 in value!

Highly Commended:

• $1,000 AUD Cash Prize

Choice of either:

• Australia Zoo family (2 adults, 2 children) admission and giraffe encounter – over $300 in value!

OR

• Australia Zoo signed gift basket – over $300 in value!

Open Categories – The Natural World | Australia

Winners:

• $2,000 AUD Cash Prize
• Two nights accommodation at the Crocodile Hunter Lodge in a Black Cockatoo or Red Kangaroo Cabin (Conditions apply*) – over $1,800 in value!

Highly Commended:

• $750 AUD Cash Prize

Choice of either:

• Australia Zoo family (2 adults, 2 children) admission and giraffe encounter – over $300 in value!

OR

• Australia Zoo signed gift basket – over $300 in value!

Youth Categories – Crikey! Kids 10 Years and Under | Crikey Kids 11 to 14 Years | Crikey! Kids 15 to 17 Years

Winners:

• $1,000 AUD Cash Prize
• Two nights accommodation at the Crocodile Hunter Lodge in a Black Cockatoo or Red Kangaroo Cabin (Conditions apply*) – over $1,800 in value!

Highly Commended:

• $500 AUD Cash Prize

Choice of either:

• Australia Zoo family (2 adults, 2 children) admission and giraffe encounter – over $300 in value!

OR

• Australia Zoo signed gift basket – over $300 in value!

People’s Choice Category

Winner:

• $2,000 AUD Cash prize
• Two nights accommodation at the Crocodile Hunter Lodge in a Black Cockatoo or Red Kangaroo Cabin (Conditions apply*) – over $1,800 in value!

Highly Commended:

Choice of either:

• Choice of Australia Zoo family (2 adults, 2 children) admission and giraffe encounter – over $300 in value!

OR

• Australia Zoo signed gift basket – over $300 in value!

* The stays at The Crocodile Hunter Lodge are subject to availability and not redeemable for bookings over Christmas Day.

$15,000 AUD Travel Credit for an Australian getaway! (Prize is only valid for flights directly to or within Australia, Australian hotels and/or Australian tourism experiences. Must be booked via Tourism Australia’s preferred travel agency partner). Travel must be booked within 12 months of winner announcement, with travel completed within 18 months of winner announcement.

Please read the Terms and Conditions for further information on prizing.

Step 1: Take your most creative wildlife or nature photo that matches the theme/requirements of the category you are entering.

Step 2: Read the Terms and Conditions and the downloadable guide for the full overview of the Crikey! Magazine Photography Competition.

Step 3: The photograph must be in portrait format for the Crikey! Magazine Cover category, and consideration needs to be taken to allow for the ‘Crikey!’ masthead to be positioned over the top quarter of the winning photo.

Step 4: Successful photographs will be high resolution, suitable for printing and web use, and in either JPG or TIF format. No borders, signatures or watermarks are allowed. Submissions not meeting these requirements, or without successful payment of the entry fee, will not proceed to judging.

Step 5: Each photograph must be labelled with your name category, subject of the photo and, if required, a number for multiple images of the same subject. For example, an acceptable file name is: JaneSmith_Crikey!Cover_Lion

Step 6: A panel of judges, consisting of expert, award-winning photographers, will choose the winners for all categories except People’s Choice. Tourism Australia will be involved in the judging process for the Australia category.

Step 7: Wait until 9th October 2026 to find out if you are one of our competition winners!

Note – Children and youth are welcome to enter the open categories too, however entry fees will apply.

Terms and Conditions

Australia Zoo and Wildlife Warriors are committed to wildlife conservation and valuing our natural environment, protecting it for generations to come. The decline of nature is unprecedented with more than one million animals and plant species now threatened with extinction.

Australia Zoo is a world-class zoological facility that is proudly continuing the important work of wildlife conservation through animal breeding programs, field research, educational programs and by supporting their globally-recognised charity, Wildlife Warriors. With 12 global conservation projects and three conservation properties, the charity is carrying on Steve Irwin’s dream of a world where humans and wildlife can harmoniously live alongside each other.