Saturday night’s awards event at SFU Harbour Centre was absolutely buzzing. With a full house and photographers from every corner of BC mixing, mingling, and cheering each other on, the 80th annual image competition felt more like a family reunion than a formal ceremony.
Our emcee, the always-fabulous Aura McKay, kicked things off by celebrating some truly outstanding achievements earned in 2025. Huge applause went up as Kathryn Gardner and Brian K. Smith were each awarded the Honour of Fellowship in PPOC-BC; one of the most meaningful designations we have. Fellowship recognizes years of service on boards and committees and consistently creating images at the top tier of BC’s competition standards. A massive accomplishment for both!
Brian kept the spotlight a little longer as he received the Regional Citation of Service, honouring an individual or trade partner who goes above and beyond in supporting PPOC-BC. Well deserved, thank you, Brian!
Then it was time to celebrate our newest Master of Photographic Arts Bar recipients.
Mary Jenson earned her Sixth Bar, Robert Coates received his Fifth, and Steve Pelton picked up his First. These Bars are a big deal, they reflect ongoing excellence, growth, community contribution, and the kind of dedication that lifts our whole photographic community higher.
A huge shoutout to Jani Lakatos for capturing the magic of awards night so beautifully! Your images bring the whole evening back to life, thank you, Jani!
And now… the moment everyone was waiting for: the image competition awards!
Congratulations to every photographer who submitted this year. Your creativity, courage, and craft inspire our entire community, and the standard of work was nothing short of incredible.
Here’s the full list of this year’s winners, let’s celebrate them all!
Photographer of the Year
Anna Beaudry, MPA, F/PPOC-BC
Best in Class Awards
Animal Portrait: I Rhino – Dan Brodie
Animals (Wild): Silent Ascent – Eric Seemann
Architecture – Ralph Bradatsch Memorial Trophy: Saint Paul Watches – Jayme Dunn, MPA
Child Portrait: I’ll Carry You Forever – Nikki Harrison
Conceptual Illustration: The Offering – Diane Hanna, CPA
Experimental / Unclassified: Cosmic Eye – Michel Ingram
Fashion: Echoes in the Deep – Curtis Look
Feature Album: Live Theatre Stills – Philomena Hughes, MPA F/PPABC
Figure Study: In the Spotlight – Manpreet Sokhi, CPA
Fine Art: Arthur Edwardson Memorial Trophy: Ranching Relics – Jayme Dunn, MPA
Floral: Spring Blooms – Lisa Geddes
Group Portrait: Working to Change the World – Anna Beaudry, MPA, F/PPOC-BC
Industrial: Prairie Power – Paul Wright, MPA
Pictorial: Dorse McTaggart Trophy: Majestic Skyline – Jim Camozzi
Portrait: The Wish – Diane Hanna, CPA
Press: Keep Your Eyes on the Ball – Marissa Baecker
Product Illustration: Size Doesn’t Matter – Ross Outerbridge, MPA SPA F/PPOC-BC
Unique Awards
Jan de Haas Award: The Wish – Diane Hanna, CPA
Best First-Time Entry: Silent Ascent – Eric Seemann
Best Non-Accredited Entry: The Lookout – Joann Bergeron
Alvin Schafer – Langara Alumni Award: Saint Paul Watches – Jayme Dunn, MPA
Best Out-of-Province Entry: Fearless Beauty – Becky Fleury, MPA
Student Awards
Best Student Entry (General): Hastings & Cambie Streets 100 Years Apart – Akeem Nermo
Best Student Entry (Commercial): Screenbound – Hargunpreet Kambo
Best Student Entry (Portrait): The Gentleman – Santveer Singh
Judges’ Choices
Judge – Alph Leydon: Back To The Future – Nataliya Bilgen
Judge – Cheri Kellington: Ranching Relics – Jayme Dunn
Judge – Len Grinke: Rocko’s Diner – Anna Beaudry
Judge – Jennifer Gilbert: Jamming Jon on Saxophone
Judge – Kathryn Gardner: Fearless Beauty – Becky Fleury
Judge – Kayla Gordon: Ms Cruella – Nikki Harrison
Jury Chair – Robert Coates: On The Move – Margaret Krause