SkyPixel 9th Annual Photo & Video Contest Now Open

SkyPixel’s Aerial Photo & Video Contest was launched back in 2016, the same year the FAA released the Part 107 rules, which formally codified commercial drone operations in the U.S.

SkyPixel is a community drone photo/video platform owned and run by DJI, and that first contest was held to celebrate DJI’s 10th anniversary and SkyPixel’s 2nd anniversary.

It’s now nine years later, and SkyPixel has held the contest every year since then. And every year the competition has gotten more and more fierce.

Last year’s contest drew over 65,000 submissions and the winning photos and videos were quite impressive.

Watch last year’s Grand Prize video on the SkyPixel website.

This year’s contest runs from November 7, 2023, to February 2, 2024 and is encouraging creators to push their creative boundaries, foster breakthroughs, and pioneer new trends in aerial photography and videography.

Here are all the details…

Credit: DJI

Contest History

The SkyPixel Annual Photo & Video Contest is all about celebrating the remarkable stories that have shaped the art of image capture. Over nine incredible years, SkyPixel has taken an inclusive approach, shaping a contest that genuinely reflects the desires and aspirations of the global community. With a whopping 260,000 submissions and over a billion views worldwide, this platform has become a place where exceptional works and photographers receive the recognition they deserve. It’s all about the joy of creation, the exploration of new trends, and the advancement of aerial photography.

New This Year

Credit: SkyPixel

This year, things are taking an exciting turn. The introduction of three new Monthly Competitions adds an extra layer of intrigue. Each month focuses on a unique category – Multi-focal length in November, FPV images in December, and Handheld photography in January. What’s cool is that submissions to the monthly competitions can also be entered into the main competition, giving you a shot at both monthly and overall awards. There’s also a new creative category for video creators, providing even more opportunities for you to showcase your talents.

Industry-Leading Judges

Now, what’s a competition without some expert judges? The panel of judges this year is downright impressive. In the photography category, we’ve got seasoned experts like Wen Huang, a World Press Photo judge and Senior Editor, Anne Farrar, Assistant Photography Chief Editor at National Geographic, Nan Li, the Photo Director of Southern Weekly, and Daniel Kordan, a renowned landscape photographer.

Credit: SkyPixel

In the video category, you’re in for a treat as well. The judges include Michael Fitzmaurice, the Aerial Director of Photography of “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” Xiaoshi Zhao, known for his award-winning work on “Forever Enthralled,” Bing Xi, a prominent figure in the Chinese TVC industry, and celebrated filmmaker Brandon Li. With these experts evaluating your work, you know you’re in good hands.

Credit: SkyPixel

Impactful Prizes

And now, the moment you’ve been waiting for – the prizes! This year, SkyPixel and DJI are offering a grand total of 79 awards, with a staggering value of over $200,000. The Best Work accolade winners will take home an Inspire 3 in the video category and a Hasselblad X2D 100C in the photo category, each worth $20,000 and $14,000, respectively. Not to mention, they’ll be signed as an official SkyPixel Creator and receive a prestigious trophy and an award certificate.

But that’s not all. There are plenty of other fantastic prizes, including the DJI Mavic 3 Pro, DJI Air 3, DJI Avata, Osmo Pocket 3, Osmo Action 4, and Osmo Mobile 6, providing even more opportunities for you to expand your creativity.

Key Contest Details

• Submission Start Date: November 7, 2023, 12:00 (UTC+8)
• Submission End Date: February 2, 2024, 23:59 (UTC+8)
• Award Announcement: March 19, 2024, 12:00 (UTC+8)

Video Categories:

• Nature
• Sports
• Travel
• City
• Creativity

Photo Categories:

• Nature
• Sports
• Architecture
• Portrait

Read the full contest rules and details here.