The breathtaking beauty, profound fragility, and untamed mystery of Earth’s oceans took center stage in Sydney, Australia, as the winners of the third annual Underwater Awards Australasia were officially announced. Culminating in a high-profile ceremony at the Go Diving Show ANZ, this year’s competition distributed a substantial prize pool of 70,000 Australian dollars (approximately $50,000 USD) among the ocean’s most talented visual chroniclers.
Designed specifically to spotlight marine photographers, videographers, and conservationists operating within Oceania and across international waters, the competition has rapidly ascended to become one of the premier fixtures in the global underwater imaging calendar. This year’s exhibition showcased metal prints of finalist entries, offering attendees an immersive glimpse into the hidden realms of the sea.
Main Facts
The 2026 edition of the Underwater Awards Australasia featured nine distinct categories, challenging participants to capture everything from minute behavioral interactions on local reefs to vast, pelagic migrations in the open ocean.
The crown jewel of the competition—the prestigious "Best of Show" title—was awarded not to a still photograph, but to a moving image. Kat dos Remedios secured the overall victory with her captivating short film Dragon, which also claimed the top spot in the Reels Showcase category.
The individual category winners represent a masterclass in modern underwater imaging, spanning professional setups, action cameras, and smartphones:
- Best of Show / Reels Showcase: Kat dos Remedios (Dragon)
- Conservation: Annika Dahlberg
- Sydney: Talia Greis
- Australian: Jake Wilton
- International Waters: Simone Caprodossi
- Portfolio: Giacomo Marchione
- Smartphone / Action Cam: Enrico Somogyi
- Tough TG: Qian Kun
- Only Water: Tom Healy
Co-organized by industry heavyweights DivePhotoGuide (DPG), Underwater Australasia, and UW Images, the competition continues to serve as an essential platform for raising ecological awareness through art.
Chronology of the Competition
The path to the 2026 awards ceremony was a months-long journey of submission, rigorous judging, and public anticipation, culminating in the live reveal on September 5 in Sydney.
Phase 1: Open Submissions and Global Reach
Earlier in the year, underwater photographers and videographers from across Oceania and beyond submitted thousands of entries. Entrants were tasked with navigating challenging marine environments, often enduring hours of decompression stops, unpredictable currents, and freezing temperatures to secure a single fleeting moment of animal behavior or coastal drama.
Phase 2: Shortlisting and Technical Evaluation
A panel of expert judges evaluated submissions based on technical execution, artistic composition, emotional impact, and behavioral significance. Unlike traditional terrestrial photography, underwater imaging presents unique physics-based hurdles—including light attenuation, backscatter from suspended particles, and the erratic movement of aquatic subjects. The shortlisted portfolios reflected an extraordinary mastery of strobes, ambient natural light, and macro optics.
Phase 3: The Live Reveal at Go Diving Show ANZ
On September 5, the competition reached its climax at the Go Diving Show ANZ in Sydney. The venue transformed into an underwater gallery, featuring high-quality metal prints of the finalist entries. The atmosphere shifted from tense anticipation to widespread celebration as category victors and the ultimate Best of Show winner were announced to an audience of diving enthusiasts, marine scientists, and fellow creators.
Supporting Data and Category Breakdown
The immense talent pool of the 2026 competition is best understood through the winning images and the remarkable stories behind them. Each category highlighted a different facet of aquatic life and photographic technique:
The Overall Triumph: Dragon by Kat dos Remedios
Taking home the "Best of Show" honor, Kat dos Remedios’s short film Dragon is a cinematic tribute to the weedy seadragon (Phyllopteryx taeniolatus). Native to the southern waters of Australia, these intricate, leaf-like fish are icons of local marine life. Dos Remedios’s intimate framing and fluid camera movements brought viewers directly into the kelp forests, capturing the mesmerizing sway and subtle behaviors of the creature in a way static photography cannot always achieve.
Australian Category: Jake Wilton’s Dolphin Herd
Jake Wilton claimed the gold in the Australian category with a striking image of two bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) executing a coordinated maneuver to herd a dense, shimmering school of parrotfish in crystal-clear blue water. The frame illustrates complex marine mammal intelligence and cooperative hunting strategies, frozen in time against the vast blue backdrop.
Conservation Category: Annika Dahlberg’s Urgent Plea
Highlighting the perils faced by megafauna, Annika Dahlberg’s harrowing conservation entry captured a young humpback whale entangled in thick, industrial ropes near the ocean surface. The image portrays a tense rescue operation, showing a diver holding a rope attached to the struggling juvenile’s tail. Thanks to local authorities and a courageous diver, the whale was eventually freed, but the image serves as an enduring reminder of ghost nets and marine debris.
Sydney Category: Talia Greis’s Tiny Passenger
Talia Greis won the Sydney category with a macro shot featuring a small, orange, blue-spotted clingfish riding on the back of a weedy seadragon. Clingfish utilize a specialized suction disc formed from modified pelvic fins to anchor themselves to reefs, kelp, and occasionally mobile hosts. Greis’s crisp composition against a stark black background highlights a fascinating example of commensalism—where the smaller fish utilizes the host for effortless travel and predator evasion.
International Waters: Simone Caprodossi’s Gentle Giants
Venturing far beyond Australian shores, Simone Caprodossi captured a breathtaking scene in the Gulf of Tadjoura, Djibouti. His winning entry depicts three majestic whale sharks cruising through deep, dark waters, flanked by a glittering cloud of baitfish. The scale and ethereal lighting underscore the sheer grandeur of the world’s largest fish.
Portfolio Category: Giacomo Marchione’s Deep-Sea Phantoms
Giacomo Marchione triumphed in the Portfolio category with a series of ethereal black-water dives. His images featured a transparent, glass-like octopus revealing its delicate internal organs, as well as a paper nautilus octopus showcasing a metallic gold head and an iridescent green-and-blue shell. These pelagic organisms, rarely seen by casual divers, were rendered with clinical precision and artistic flair.
Smartphone / Action Cam: Enrico Somogyi’s Hidden Master of Camouflage
Proving that world-class imagery is no longer exclusive to bulky DSLR rigs, Enrico Somogyi won the Smartphone/Action Cam category using a smartphone housed in a specialized setup equipped with Nauticam’s "bugeye" lens. His subject—a brilliant green Halimeda ghost pipefish—blends seamlessly into a bed of lush reef algae, illuminated by the distant glow of a scuba diver’s light.
Tough TG Category: Qian Kun’s Clownfish Encounter
Captured using compact rugged technology, Qian Kun’s winning Tough TG entry features a bright orange clownfish peering defensively from the billowing tentacles of a tan sea anemone. In the background, the photographer’s dive boat looms softly on the surface, grounding the micro-world of the reef in human context.
Only Water: Tom Healy’s Sunrise Barrel
Focusing entirely on the raw power of the ocean without animal subjects, Tom Healy’s "Only Water" winner captures a translucent ocean wave curling into a golden barrel off the south coast of New South Wales at sunrise. The interplay of morning light through churning saltwater illustrates the dynamic energy of Australia’s coastal geography.
Official Responses and Perspectives
The organizers and judges of the Underwater Awards Australasia emphasized that the competition is much more than a contest of technical skill; it is an active bridge between marine science and public conservation consciousness.
Representatives from DivePhotoGuide noted that the standard of entries has risen exponentially year over year. The inclusion of the Reels Showcase category reflects a broader industry shift toward dynamic video content, which engages younger demographics and digital audiences who consume visual media primarily through social platforms and short-form video feeds.
Conservationists within the judging panel particularly praised images like Annika Dahlberg’s humpback whale rescue. They noted that visual documentation of marine entanglements and habitat degradation cuts through statistical fatigue, eliciting immediate emotional responses that drive grassroots environmental activism and policy discussions regarding sustainable fisheries and ocean cleanup initiatives.
Furthermore, category winners expressed deep gratitude for the platform provided by the awards. Many noted that shooting in challenging aquatic environments—such as high-current coastal waters or deep pelagic night dives—requires immense patience, specialized gear, and a profound respect for marine life ethics, all of which the competition actively promotes.
Implications for Marine Conservation and Underwater Imaging
The success and growing prominence of the Underwater Awards Australasia carry significant implications for both the photography industry and global marine conservation efforts.
Democratization of Underwater Media
The triumphs of Enrico Somogyi in the Smartphone/Action Cam category and Qian Kun in the Tough TG division underscore a democratization of underwater photography. Advanced imaging technology is no longer restricted to professionals wielding heavy, expensive housing systems. High-end smartphones paired with innovative wet optics and rugged compact cameras allow everyday divers, snorkelers, and marine biologists to capture professional-grade imagery. This accessibility broadens the scope of global ocean monitoring, as more eyes beneath the waves can document ecological shifts, rare species sightings, and pollution incidents.
Amplifying Conservation Narratives
In an era defined by climate change, coral bleaching events, and increasing marine plastic pollution, imagery serves as a vital communicative tool. Photos and films like those awarded in Sydney do not merely document nature; they advocate for it. By bringing the hidden inhabitants of the twilight zone, kelp forests, and open oceans into mainstream view, the competition fosters a sense of stewardship. When viewers connect emotionally with a glassy octopus, a camouflaged ghost pipefish, or an entangled whale, they are far more likely to support marine protected areas, sustainable seafood practices, and global carbon-reduction goals.
As the Underwater Awards Australasia looks toward its fourth year, the event has firmly cemented its legacy as a cornerstone of Oceanic marine culture—proving that art, technology, and science can unite in a powerful shared mission to protect the blue heart of our planet.
