Art
Photography lovers, this is your week
It’s Unveiling Week for the world’s greatest adventure and action sports imagery contest, Red Bull Illume. Prepare to be amazed as winners are revealed.
The contest's sixth edition, Image Quest 2021, is once again bringing together phenomenal work from photographers and content creators across the globe. It's a unique showcase for artists who go to extreme lengths to tell the stories of adventure and action sports athletes. It also gives the rest of us an opportunity to discover and be inspired by their breathtaking imagery.
Over the years, the exposure of Red Bull Illume has jumpstarted the careers of numerous photographers, and participants and fans alike have been looking forward to Unveiling Week ever since this year’s contest opened globally on March 1.
Since then, a judging panel of 53 renowned photo editors and experts has reviewed a total of 41,447 submissions, gradually narrowing the field. Now, 56 finalists are anxiously waiting to hear if they will top one of 10 categories – or achieve the pinnacle of being named the overall winner of Red Bull Illume Image Quest 2021.
The standard of action sports photography has once again surprised us
For the first time, fans everywhere can experience the winning moments simultaneously with the creators themselves. Beginning November 29, a packed Unveiling Week schedule will announce new category winners every day on Instagram Live and redbullillume.com, right up until the best overall winner is declared on December 4.
The broadcasts will be joined by special guests from the world of action sports and photography, including world champion snowboarder Anna Gasser, adventure legend Will Gadd, entrepreneur and former freestyle skier Jon Olsson and photographer Chris Burkard, who was the overall winner in 2010. “Red Bull Illume put my work on the map,” says the Californian.
2013 Spirit category winner Stuart Gibson
© Stuart Gibson/Red Bull Illume
The climax of Unveiling Week will be the announcement of the overall winner in Aspen Snowmass, USA, on Saturday, December 4, during the opening of the first Red Bull Illume Exhibit Tour stop. The tour will subsequently hit the road, displaying the top images in large format on lightboxes for the public to experience worldwide.
“The standard of action sports photography has once again surprised us with its quality and originality, and in many cases, it has been a difficult call for the global panel of judges,” says Ulrich Grill, the founder of Red Bull Illume. “We can’t wait to reveal the winning shots.”