Melbourne photographer James Bugg has won Australia’s richest photography prize, awarded by the Moran Arts Foundation.
The 22-year-old was awarded the $50,000 Moran contemporary photographic prize for Zach, a portrait of his friend outside his home in south-east Melbourne.
Bugg, who graduated from photography school last year, was chosen from 30 finalists, with the judges calling him a “an exciting, intelligent young photographer”.
Established in 2007, the prize recognises photography that reflects contemporary life in Australia, with an emphasis on day-to-day life.
“I loved James Bugg’s authentic portrait of Zach from the outset,” said judge Cheryl Newman. “It is fresh, surprising and beautifully articulates life on the fringes of Australian society. In his hands the lens does not exploit his subject.”
Jon Jones added: “[Zach’s] direct gaze and awkward stance, surrounded by the discarded pots and garden ornaments that speak of a different time, offers a glimpse of Australian society rarely visible.”
Isabella Moore’s The Significance of Ceremony and Matthew Abbott’s Wrestlers Cooling Off were highly commended.
Bugg’s winning photo is part of a wider series called The Pines, which documents life in Frankston North, a suburb of Melbourne dominated by the former Pines Forest housing estate. Another photo from that series, Billy and Cooper, was also selected as a finalist.
The prize also has three student divisions, which were won this year by Luca Johns from Eltham High School in Victoria, Noah Dawson from Newcastle High School and Claire Herbert from Mater Dei Catholic College in NSW.
In past years, the Moran photography prize has been awarded at the same time as the Doug Moran national portrait prize. This year, the portrait prize will be announced in October.
• All 30 finalists are currently in show at Juniper Hall in Sydney. The exhibition is open Thursday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm, until 27 May
