Guide to NZCS Awards

Awards event
A black-tie awards dinner will be held on Saturday 18th October 2025. 

How to enter

1. Before you begin, read this page and the new categories page with the updated categories.
2. Register each of your entries online and make payment with your debit or credit card.
3. Read the new comprehensive media submission guide page and collect the information the judges will need to evaluate your entry.
4. Fill out the streamlined media submission form with the information from step 3. 
5. Upload your media files in the Aspera Department of Post media submission portal.

Deadline for entries

Entry submission for the 8th NZCS Awards will open on Friday 13th June 2025 and close at midnight Sunday 13th July 2025. Registration must have been completed and the media submission form and media uploaded by that date. 

Subscribe to the NZCS mailing to to make sure you don't miss the call for entries.

Who can enter

You need to be a member of NZCS to enter, or join you may join before entering. You must be the principal photographer/director of photography of the entry, the episode or segment entered - meaning you had overall responsibility for the visual content and lighting. 

The exceptions to these rules applies to the Specialised and Second Unit category and the Technology and Innovation category where you may enter with clearance from the principal DP. A Specialised entry is also the only type of entry where a camera operator may enter, again with clearance form the principal DP. For more details see categories page. 

The media submission form requires specific cinematography contributions of others to be noted. 

You may enter more than one production.

Relevant information

The judges will take into account notes to the media submission, so entrants are strongly advised to provide relevant information for judges.

AI, CGI or other computer manipulation must be clearly identified in media submission. Entrants who do not disclose such relevant information may put their entry at a disadvantage.   However if your project is largely AI or CGI and you had control over the visual content and lighting, you may enter in the Technology and Innovation category.

Eligible productions

Any production shot by a member of NZCS and publicly released in the period from 1st January 2023 through to 13 June 2025 is eligible. The production may have been released via any distribution channel or audience.

A production that was entered in past NZCS Awards is not eligible to be entered again.

Providing media

After you have registered your entry, you must separately provide the media for upload along with the required information. Department of Post is managing the entry media but is unable to provide media from archives.   Media uploads use the Aspera platform that may require a browser extension which you can uninstall after the upload.

Common HD or 4K media are acceptable for upload. If media files are not available for upload, links to Netflix, Disney, Neon or Apple can be supplied as a last resort. DCP files restrict viewing and should be avoided if possible. See Media submissions.

Entry Categories

Please check the category definitions before submitting your entry, because categories are refined each year. See the categories page.

NZCS Awards recognition

In additional to listing and publicity on this website, winners receive a prestige engrave plaque, and for cinematographers and productions listed on IMDB, the award will be listed against your name.

Highlight clip

This is a scene that you highlight for the judges as your best work. If you in an award this is the clip that will be played at the awards dinner.

Not necessary for commercials, music videos, corporate and other short form productions.

Category Awards

The judges make awards only to the extent that the entries warrant, with a maximum of 2 gold and up to 5 awards in total per category.

To offer more opportunities for a wider range of entrants you can only win one award per category – you may choose to enter more than one production in a category, and your highest scoring entry may win an award. In this case your other entries in that category will be put to one side and will not appear in the programme.

Turtz award for contribution to cinematography

The Turtz award for contribution toward cinematography is made in memory of the influential camera department icon Ian Turtill.

This award is wide ranging and may cover any type of contribution to cinematography in New Zealand. NZCS members make nominations for this award, which is usually made to someone who is not a working professional cinematographer themselves, and is not a member of NZCS. 

Nominations for this award will be called for in a midyear newsletter.

Al Guilford Emerging Cinematographer Award

These awards are a memorial to cinematographer Al Guilford NZCS and are awarded by the judges to the best cinematography entries from emerging New Zealand-based cinematographers, that is members who have been professional cinematographers for less than five years.  Cinematographer members, accredited members, life members. are not eligible for this award.

To extend more opportunities to entrants to be recognised the AL Guilford Emerging Cinematographer award has been extend to equal a category award, that is: to the extent warranted, up to a maximum of 2 gold and up to 5 awards in total per category.

Cinematographer of the Year

The Cinematographer of the Year Award will be the climax of the awards dinner and is a best-in-the-show award selected by the judges from all the entries. The Cinematographer of the year trophy is held for one year by the recipient.