Finalists for the 2025 Women in Sport Photo Action Awards (WISPAA) have been announced, after close to 500 powerful images of women in sport were submitted.
The national advocacy body Women Sport Australia (WSA) hosts Australia’s largest photography competition dedicated exclusively to women’s sport. The competition aims to generate greater recognition and respect for the power and athleticism of Australian women in actively participating in sport.
The awards have run since 2019 and this year WISPAA judges Shane Tohl, Michelle Escobar, Michael Wilson and Chloe Dalton narrowed down their picks for the finalists among professional, amateur and female photographer entries.
Track and field, netball and all codes of football feature prominently in the stunning collection.
“It was great to see the myriad of entrants and sports represented this year,” said President of Women Sport Australia, Helena Wurf. “The finalists not only depict some of Australia’s most popular sports but others like BMX and rodeo and the amazing female athletes participating and showing other women and girls what is possible.”
“It is an artform to capture these change-making moments in freeze- frames for everyone to enjoy and a powerful way to spark conversation about the great athletes’ strength, confidence and skill.”
These images are conversation starters to guide the direction of positive discourse surround women’s sport and athletic skills and talent first, with lifestyle and other details second, according to WISPAA.
This year, a new female photographer category was added among the professional and amateur categories, as Wurf said this was intended “to create a welcoming space for female photographers who may be new to photography or hadn’t taken the next step in formal competition yet.”
“The new category has been a great success seeing over 35 female photographers, from students to new grads and seasoned hobbyists, participating in WISPAA for the first time and showcasing their work,” Wurf said. “I commend everyone who entered and encourage them to continue to hone their craft whether featured in the finalists or not.”
All of the finalists images will be on display at the WISPAA exhibition and awards evening taking place at Palangi Gallery in Surry Hills, Sydney on Thursday 17th July 2025. The winners of the professional, amateur, female photographer and people’s choice awards will also be announced.