Women Sport Australia (WSA), the national advocacy body for women in sport, has launched the 2023 Women in Sport Photo Action Awards (#WISPAA) after the success of its 2022 campaign. The organization is inviting professional and amateur photographers to submit images of women in action in the sporting arena to generate greater recognition and respect for the power and athleticism of Australian women participating in sports. This year’s #WISPAA is supported by News Corp as a media partner.

WSA President Gen Dohrmann expressed her pride in the growth of #WISPAA over a short period, with an incredible array of images from a wide variety of sports being submitted year after year.

“We are so proud to see the growth of WISPAA over a short period of time. It’s such a great opportunity to provide photographers with a platform and channel to showcase female athletes in action. The breadth and quality of the photographs has been mind-blowing and we look forward to adding even more incredible images of female athletes to the mix in 2023.”

The competition judges this year include award-winning Chief AFL photographer Michael Wilson, Australian sportswriter Sam Lane, Co-Founder of Australian Women in Photography (AUSWIP) Cassie Trotter, and NewsCorp’s Head of Digital Sport Emily Benammar. Last year’s winners included professional photographer Matt King, who took out the top prize with “Lightning Strike” – an image of Cara Koenen in action for the Sunshine Coast Lightning, and David Layden’s “Strength and Determination” shot of Brisbane FC’s Belle Dawes, which captured the crown in the amateur category.

This year, #WISPAA has created a new category for U21 photographers, with Ryan Jones, a uni student and promising photographer from NSW, winning the inaugural prize with his shot “Launch Control” of Pole Vaulter Nina Kennedy taking to the skies at the Australian Athletics Championships.

#WISPAA 2023 will have award categories for both professional and amateur photographers, as well as an “Emerging Photographer” category for those aged under 21. Over the last four years, #WISPAA has generated hundreds of entries from across Australia.

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Courtesy Women Sport Australia