Awards, Recognitions, & Prizes

Category and location award winners will receive a variety of honors, including prominent recognition across DarkSky’s communication channels and a curated selection of prizes generously provided by this year’s contest sponsors.

Featured in Nightscape magazine

All category and location winners will be prominently featured in the September issue of Nightscape, DarkSky’s award-winning quarterly magazine. With an international print circulation of 5,000 and an email distribution of 40,000, the feature receives strong attention within the growing dark sky community.

An expanded blog post will accompany the magazine feature, showcasing all winning and runner-up selections along with photographer bios, personal website links, and social media profiles.

Announced in Global Press Release

The awards announcement will be distributed via a press release through EIN Presswire, expanding its global visibility and media reach.

In previous years, the Capture the Dark contest has been featured in renowned publications such as Sky & Telescope and Forbes—which has highlighted the contest for three consecutive years.

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Category Winners

Winners in each contest category will receive an exclusive prize package, including:

  • A feature in Nightscape, DarkSky’s award-winning magazine

  • Recognition in a DarkSky blog post and across social media

     

  • A global press release announcing your win

  • Official DarkSky swag

  • Exciting prizes from our partners at PhotoPills, Lensbaby, and Peak Design

  • A complimentary DarkSky membership

     

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People’s Choice Award

Selected by public vote, the winner will receive:

  • A special prize from Sky View Tents

  • A feature in Nightscape, DarkSky’s award-winning magazine

  • Recognition in a DarkSky blog post and across social media

  • A global press release announcing your win

  • Official DarkSky swag

  • A complimentary DarkSky membership

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Visit Utah Location Award

Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Visit Utah, all photographs taken in Utah are automatically eligible for the Utah Dark Sky Award. The selected winner will receive:

  • A feature in Nightscape, DarkSky’s award-winning magazine

  • Recognition in a DarkSky blog post and across social media

  • A global press release announcing your win

  • Official DarkSky swag

  • A unique prize provided by Visit Utah

  • A complimentary DarkSky membership

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Discover Flagstaff Location Award

Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Discover Flagstaff, all photographs taken in northen Arizona are automatically eligible for the Discover Flagstaff Locaiton Award. The selected winner will receive:

  • A feature in Nightscape, DarkSky’s award-winning magazine

  • Recognition in a DarkSky blog post and across social media

  • A global press release announcing your win

  • Official DarkSky swag

  • A unique prize provided by Discover Flagstaff

  • A complimentary DarkSky membership

A special thank you to this year's prize sponsors for generously providing the special award items.