2020 Governor's Photo Contest underway

Gov. Doug Burgum and the North Dakota Tourism Division, in partnership with AAA of North Dakota and North Dakota Council on the Arts, are launching the 2020 North Dakota Governor’s Photo Contest for Travel and Tourism.

The contest celebrates the talents of North Dakotans and the appeal of the state’s wide-open spaces, where you can follow your curiosity, not the crowds. Photographers are asked to respect physical distancing, closures and executive orders in place while gathering imagery in this unprecedented time. The contest is open through August 31, 2020.

“The images captured for the Governor’s Photo Contest for Travel and Tourism will help us show the story that we have been telling, that North Dakota is a great place to live, work and do business,” Gov. Doug Burgum said.

Photographers can submit photos to one or more of the following categories: Road Trips, #InThisTogetherND, Wildlife, Badlands Scenery, Beyond Badlands Scenery and Our Town.

One winner will be selected in each category and a $200 cash prize will be awarded to the photographer of each selected photo. Additional honorable mentions may be selected in each category, with photographers receiving $50 and North Dakota merchandise. A Best in Show photo will be selected from the winning photographs, and the photographer will receive an additional $300 cash prize and a one-year basic membership to AAA.

In addition to the prize money:

• Winning photographs will be published in North Dakota Tourism’s promotional materials and on Tourism’s website.
• Winning photographs will be eligible for display in AAA North Dakota branch offices and may be printed in AAA regional publications.
• Winners also will be published in North Dakota Tourism’s newsletter and likely in future promotional publications and marketing efforts.
• Winning photographs will be featured in a public display at the North Dakota Capitol building during the fourth quarter, through a partnership with North Dakota Council on the Arts.

Launched in 2004, the annual Governor’s Photo Contest has grown significantly since its beginnings. In its first year, the contest attracted more than 300 submissions. Approximately 10,900 photos have been submitted in the years since.

“The diversity found in North Dakota is captured each year in these unique and compelling photos,” North Dakota Tourism Division Director Sara Otte Coleman said. “It is always fun to see the artistic talent that exists across the state and we love to share these fresh images to recruit new and returning visitors to North Dakota.”

Full contest rules available at www.ndtourism.com/sites/default/files/2020-04/2020-Gov-photo-contest-rules.pdf