RULES

Official rules

All information regarding participation in the Beer Photography award.

Acceptance of the regulations

Participation in the Beer Photography award constitutes full and unconditional acceptance of these Regulations.

Table of Contents

  1. Promoter
  2. Purpose of the competition
  3. Theme
  4. Categories
  5. Eligibility
  6. Duration
  7. Eligible works
  8. Ethics, responsibility and authenticity
  9. Participation procedure
  10. Jury
  11. Evaluation criteria
  12. Intermediate selections and editorial valorisation
  13. Final selection and exhibition
  14. Promotion of the competition
  15. Sponsor and partner
  16. Prizes
  17. Rights of use
  18. Impact and future perspectives

1. Promoter

The Beer Photography photography competition is promoted by Extra Moenia Srl, Viale Mazzini 120 scala D – 03100 Frosinone – P.IVA 02238620609. Extra Moenia is the publisher of Birra&Sound, a magazine and editorial project dedicated to HoReCa and, in particular, to beer culture and its visual languages. The Promoter can be contacted at: beerphotography@birraandsound.com

2. Purpose of the competition

The competition aims to narrate, through photography, the entire beer supply chain as a cultural, productive and social phenomenon, highlighting people, territories, labour and contexts.

The project seeks to expand the visual imagination associated with beer, moving beyond a representation limited to the finished product alone.

3. Theme

The theme of the competition is “From land to glass – the beer supply chain”, understood as a journey that includes:

  • agricultural production of raw materials
  • processing in maltings and breweries
  • distribution and service
  • consumption, sociality and beer culture

Both documentary and artistic approaches are welcomed, provided they are coherent with the theme.

4. Categories

The categories represent narrative areas of the beer supply chain:

  • Land and Origin – Agriculture & Raw Materials
    Focus: photographs portraying the relationship between beer, land, crops and agricultural labour.
  • Craft and Process – Production
    Focus: images documenting production processes, workplaces and the people involved in brewing.
  • The Beer Ritual – Distribution & Service
    Focus: photographs dedicated to the places and moments in which beer meets the public: venues, taps, publicans and service contexts.
  • Community and Culture – Culture & Consumption
    Focus: images representing the social, cultural and convivial dimension of beer.
  • Beyond Reality – Artistic Experimentation
    Focus: free and authorial visual interpretations, provided they are coherent with the theme of beer and its supply chain.

Each participant may compete in one or more categories.

The jury reserves the right to reassign a submitted work to a more appropriate category if deemed necessary.

5. Eligibility

The competition is open to:

  • professional photographers
  • amateur photographers

Participation is individual. Collectives or companies are not admitted. Only individually authored works are eligible. Collaborative or jointly created works are not permitted.

6. Duration

The competition takes place over one year:

  • official launch: during Beer & Food Attraction 2026
  • closing date for submissions: 15 January 2027

The indicated dates may be subject to change due to organizational needs or force majeure. Any changes will be communicated through the official channels of the competition.

7. Eligible works

Each author may submit a maximum of 5 photographs.

The images must be original, created by the author and under their exclusive ownership. 

The works must have been created no earlier than 1 January 2024.

Works created on commission for promotional or advertising purposes for companies operating in the beverage sector or related industries are not eligible, nor are images currently subject to active commercial exploitation (including, by way of example, advertising campaigns, packaging, or product communication).

Works previously published in editorial contexts or on the author’s personal channels are permitted, provided they are not part of ongoing commercial use.

Submitted images must not contain signatures, watermarks, logos, frames, or any other identifying graphic elements.

File names and metadata must not include any reference to the participant’s identity.

The presence of such elements may result in exclusion from the competition.

Post-production is permitted, provided it does not alter the essential content of the image.

Images generated wholly or partially using generative artificial intelligence systems are not permitted. The use of digital post-production tools is allowed provided that they do not substantially alter the photographic and documentary nature of the work.

The Promoter reserves the right to request the original file (RAW/JPEG camera + metadata) in case of doubt. Failure to deliver will cause exclusion from the competition.

Any original files requested for verification purposes will be used exclusively to assess the authenticity of the work and will not be retained beyond the time strictly necessary for technical evaluation.

8. Ethics, responsibility and authenticity

The competition promotes honest, conscious and respectful photography.

Images must not:

  • substantially falsify the documented reality
  • represent misleading or undisclosed situations

Participants are responsible for:

  • obtaining any required permissions from portrayed subjects
  • complying with applicable laws and regulations in the shooting locations

If recognizable persons appear in the images, and in particular minors, the participant guarantees that all necessary permissions for the creation and publication of the images have been obtained, including authorization from the legal guardians in the case of minors.

The participant agrees to indemnify and hold the Promoter harmless from any liability, claim, or compensation request arising from the publication of images that may infringe the rights of third parties.

The Promoter may request a written declaration confirming the authenticity of the work and its compliance with these rules.

9. Participation procedure

Image submission will be possible starting from March 30th 2026 until the official closing date of the competition, according to the procedures communicated to registered participants.

Works must be received by 12:00 PM on January 15th, 2027 (closing date).

Participation is open to anyone aged 18 or over, excluding:

  • individuals involved in the organisation of the competition
  • employees or collaborators of Extra Moenia Srl

Participation takes place through image upload on a platform designated by the organisation, following completion of the registration form and acceptance of these rules.

Images must be submitted in JPEG format, sRGB color profile, with a minimum long side of 2500 pixels and a maximum file size of 10 MB per image.

10. Jury

The works will be evaluated by an independent jury composed of:

  • photography professionals
  • representatives of Birra & Sound
  • representatives of the trade fair organisation

The final composition of the jury will be communicated at a later date.

The evaluation process will take place in multiple stages:

  • An initial selection phase will be conducted anonymously, based on the criteria set out in these rules.
  • In subsequent stages, the jury may access the identity of the authors for the purpose of defining the final selection and awarding the prizes.

In all cases, the jury’s decisions remain final and not subject to appeal.

Any expressions of interest or contact requests from third parties concerning participants may be handled exclusively after the conclusion of the final exhibition, in order to ensure the full independence and neutrality of the selection and evaluation process.

11. Evaluation criteria

Photographs will be evaluated according to:

  • coherence with the theme and category
  • narrative strength and storytelling ability
  • originality and authorial vision
  • awareness of the photographed context
  • technical quality

12. Intermediate selections and editorial valorisation

The competition includes a process of progressive selection of works.

During the year, curated shortlists may be published for exclusively editorial and cultural purposes.

Shortlist:

  • do not constitute prizes
  • have purely editorial and cultural purposes
  • do not involve public voting or evaluation based on social interactions
  • may be showcased through digital and social channels of Birra&Sound
  • do not anticipate the final outcome of the competition

13. Final selection and exhibition

A selection of submitted works will be:

  • exhibited in a dedicated photographic exhibition during Beer & Food Attraction 2027
  • promoted through Birra&Sound editorial and digital channels

Selection for the final exhibition does not automatically imply the awarding of a prize.

14. Promotion of the competition

For the promotion of the competition and related activities, submitted and/or selected photographs may be exhibited and showcased in

  • a dedicated photographic exhibition at the international fair Beer&Food Attraction following the closing of the competition
  • subsequent editions of the exhibition during future editions of Beer&Food Attraction
  • travelling exhibitions or temporary displays curated and managed by the Promoter, also in collaboration with institutional or cultural partners.

15. Sponsor and partner

The Beer Photography competition may be supported by institutional, cultural or technical sponsors and partners, identified by the Promoter in accordance with the cultural, independent and non-commercial nature of the project.

Sponsors and partners do not intervene in any way in the selection, evaluation or awarding processes, which remain the exclusive responsibility of the jury.

Sponsors’ contributions may consist solely of organisational, cultural or technical support, or the provision of editorial, educational or experiential prizes, as provided for in these rules.

Any prizes made available by companies operating in the beer sector may be awarded exclusively as special prizes outside the main competition.

The Promoter does not communicate or transfer participants’ personal data to sponsors, partners or third parties.

Should cultural institutions, companies or industry operators express interest in contacting a participant for professional opportunities consistent with the cultural purposes of the project, the Promoter may forward the request to the participant exclusively after the conclusion of the final exhibition.

Any direct contact between the parties shall occur solely on the initiative of, or with the explicit consent of, the participant.

16. Prizes

The competition provides for the awarding of:

  • one overall main prize;
  • one prize for each category;
  • any special prizes outside the competition and special mentions, awarded at the jury’s discretion.

The main prizes are primarily intended for photographers, professional or amateur, who demonstrate a professional approach and an authorial research coherent with the project.

Prizes consist exclusively of editorial, educational, professional or experiential recognitions, including, by way of example and not limitation:

  • editorial assignments or collaboration contracts with Birra & Sound;
  • editorial or educational scholarships;
  • access to masterclasses, workshops or training programmes;
  • cultural or professional experiences consistent with the theme of the competition.

Prizes do not constitute random winnings of material goods or money, but recognitions of artistic and professional merit.

The awarding of prizes may represent compensation for the acquisition of publication rights for selected works or for the performance of future editorial services, where applicable.

This competition has an exclusively cultural and artistic nature and does not fall within the scope of prize competitions regulated by Italian Presidential Decree DPR 430/2001.

17. Rights of use

Authors retain full and exclusive ownership of the submitted works.
By participating in the competition, each author grants Birra&Sound and the Promoter Extra Moenia S.r.l. a non-exclusive, royalty-free and non-transferable license to use the works solely for the following purposes

  • editorial purposes
  • cultural
  • promotion of the Beer Photography project and related activities;
  • exhibition purposes, including exhibitions, showcases and cultural events.

The license granted is unlimited in duration, unless otherwise agreed in writing between the parties.

Selected works may be retained within the editorial and cultural archive of the Beer Photography project for documentary, exhibition and historical valorisation purposes.

The works may be used, by way of example and not limitation, for:

  • publication in Birra&Sound magazine, in print and digital formats;
  • publication on Birra&Sound official websites and social media channels;
  • communication materials related to the competition, the exhibition and connected cultural initiatives.

In all cases, the author’s credit is mandatory for every use of the works, wherever technically possible, including in abbreviated form or by reference (caption, credit line, credits page or equivalent).

This license does not imply any exclusive transfer of rights nor any financial compensation, unless otherwise agreed in writing between the parties.

Any commercial use of the works by third parties — including, by way of example, sponsors, partners, companies, breweries or other commercial entities — such as advertising campaigns, product communication, packaging or corporate promotional materials, is expressly excluded.Any commercial use by third parties may only take place subject to a separate written agreement directly with the author.
The Promoter is not authorized to grant commercial usage rights of the works to third parties.

18. Impact and future perspectives

The competition aims to contribute to the growth of a conscious visual culture within the beer sector. Beer Photography also positions itself as a space for observation and scouting of photographers capable of narrating beer in a consistent and aware manner, fostering connections between photography, publishing and the production chain.