Rules
- Pictures must have been taken in 2020.
- Videos must have been produced in 2020.
- No more than 20 total entries per entrant.
- Any person from any country is eligible to submit.
- Single photographs can be entered into only one individual photo category. (Does not include MVA Photographer of the Year)
- Single videos can be entered into only one individual video category. (Does not include MVA Videographer of the Year)
- Photos submitted with watermarks will be disqualified.
- Submission captions and/or metadata must not include entrant’s name.
- Submissions must comply with the “MVA Ethics Statement”.
News
A scheduled or unschedule event.



Feature
A storytelling picture, not news related, usually a situation that has a strong human interest or a fresh view of a commonplace occurrence.



Pictorial
Exploits the visual qualities of the subject with primary emphasis on composition and aesthetics.



Hardware
A military asset such as aircraft, tanks, guns, etc., with emphasis on objects rather than people.



Illustrative
Produced to convey a preconceived theme, concept or idea. Does not include text or graphics.



Combat Documentation Operational
Depicts real-world operations to include combat operations, disaster relief and any contingency event, not related to a training exercise or simulation.



Combat Documentation Training
Depicts combat training operations to include simulation of contingency support.



Picture Story
A series of at least 5 and not more than 10 pictures that depict a storyline or theme. Individual photos from within a picture story may also be submitted into any of the individual photo categories.
MVA Photographer of the Year
A portfolio of 5 to 10 photo entries that consists of at least 4 individual photos & 1 picture story but not more than 8 individual photos & 2 picture stories.
Single Entries
Picture Story Entry
MVA Videographer of the Year
Must consist of at least one Spot, one Short Form and one Long Form video. No more than 6 videos can be included in the MVAVOY submission. Each video must also be submitted in the appropriate, individual video category.
MVA ETHICS STATEMENT:
We do not allow any sort of manipulation to the content of an image, except for the Illustration category. This includes Instagram-type effects or filters on photos taken with phones or other devices. Only basic color correction and cropping are allowed to maintain the integrity and ethical standards of the industry. Normal burning and dodging is acceptable, so long as not to eliminate or obscure subject matter. It is our responsibility as photojournalists to document and present images in an honest manner. As a result, the judging panel or members of the board may disqualify any images that do not meet the ethical standards put forth. We also reserve the right to request RAW files if the image is in question. Entrants are responsible for the integrity and public releasability of any and all parts of their submissions.