2025 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize: MPB Photography Award Winners Announced!

MPB is proud to partner with Beautiful Bizarre and to sponsor the 2025 MPB Photography Award category. From providing a better way to switch up your setup to celebrating visual storytellers, we’re thrilled to support photographers of all experience levels creating great work. Congrats to the winners and thanks to everyone who submitted shots to this year’s MPB Photography Award!

Berta Amelinaite, MPB

Thank you & Acknowledgements

Once again, we would like to thank all of the artists that entered and shared their work and their artistic passion with us. It was such a pleasure to immerse ourselves in the work of so many creatives, working across varied mediums and styles, and reading their stories.

Beautiful Bizarre Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief Danijela Krha Purssey has the pleasure of curating each issue of the magazine and our exhibitions. The Art Prize entries will continue to give her a plethora of new ideas and choices to pursue in future. So thank you again for your interest in the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, we very much hope to see how your work has grown and developed in next year’s Prize.

We would also like to sincerely thank the 2025 Jury Panel, Emerging Artist category Judge Catherine K. Gyllerstrom, Collector, Art Consultant, Owner & Art Director BearWolf Books; Jana Brike (Painting Category Juror), Annie Murphy Robinson (Drawing Category Juror), Nicolas Bruno (Photography Category Juror), Amber Kowan (Sculpture Category Juror), Matthew Stone (Digital Art Category Juror), Vicki Fox, Owner of Quirky Fox Gallery (Emerging Artist Category Juror), as well as the Owners & Directors of Haven Gallery Erica Berkowitz and Joseph Weinreb.

To our major sponsors: RAYMAR President & Creative Director, Emilie Dietrich; the team at MPB; Prof. Dr. Ulrich Sebert, Art Collector, Law Professor & Philanthropist, Seibert Collection; Yasha Young Projects Founder Yasha Young; Owner & Art Director of BearWolf Books, Catherine K. Gyllerstrom; and Victoria Olt, Artist & Gallerist of Victoria Olt Gallery – our deepest gratitude for supporting this year’s Prize. It is through your support and generosity that the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize is able to acknowledge and uplift so many incredible artists and photographers from around the world.

As always a huge thanks to the Beautiful Bizarre team for their dedication and hard work on behalf of the prize and winners all-year round.

Our sincere thanks to this year’s MPB Photography Award sponsors. It is through their generosity that the Photography Award Winners will be able to enrich their practice.

MPB Photography Award

The MPB Photography Award 1st prize winner will receive:

• $3,000 USD cash generously donated by MPB. Founded in 2011, MPB is the leading reseller of used digital cameras and lenses in the U.S. MPB changes the game by giving you the best prices and the most convenient way to buy, sell and trade used camera gear. With a circular business model, MPB extends the life and creative potential of camera gear by recirculating over half a million cameras and lenses a year. 
• A beautiful, specially commissioned glass art award trophy.
• 20×30 Epic Print + $250 Lab Credit (worth USD$672) by Bay Photo, the trusted partner for Photographers, Artists and Creatives since 1976. The Epic Print includes optional Frame and choice of display options.
• USD$250 worth of printing credit on C-Type Papers, generously donated by Spectrum. Established for nearly three decades, Spectrum is an imaging lab specialising in high quality fine art and photographic printing, mounting and exhibition services working with professional photographers and artists, art galleries, and museums the world over. Please note that prints will need to be 750mm or under on the shortest side, and shipping outside of the UK is not included. Any duties incurred are to be covered by the recipient. Credit applies to Studio printing only and must be used within one year of receipt.
• The opportunity to exhibit in the prestigious Beautiful Bizarre Magazine exhibition at Haven Gallery in Northport, NY, USA, alongside 70+ of the world’s best contemporary representational artists.
• Exposure to a successful commercial gallery’s collector base with the opportunity to sell their work.
• 3 month social media advertising package (Beautiful Bizarre Magazine: 2 million+ followers across all social media platforms).
• Winning artwork printed in the December 2025 issue of Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, as part of the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize editorial.
• Exclusive in-depth interview published on the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize and Beautiful Bizarre Magazine websites + shared across Beautiful Bizarre Magazine social media.
• Profile listing [including artwork gallery] on the Beautiful Bizarre Artist Directory for 12 months. The go-to platform for artists, curators and collectors to discover exceptional artists and explore their work.
• A year’s worth of inspiration – a print subscription to Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

2nd prize winner will receive:

• $1,000 USD generously donated by MPB. Founded in 2011, MPB is the leading reseller of used digital cameras and lenses in the U.S. MPB changes the game by giving you the best prices and the most convenient way to buy, sell and trade used camera gear. With a circular business model, MPB extends the life and creative potential of camera gear by recirculating over half a million cameras and lenses a year. 
• 16×24 Epic Print + $200 Lab Credit (worth USD$532) by Bay Photo, the trusted partner for Photographers, Artists and Creatives since 1976. The Epic Print includes optional Frame and choice of display options.
• The opportunity to exhibit in the prestigious Beautiful Bizarre Magazine exhibition at Haven Gallery in Northport, NY, USA, alongside 70+ of the world’s best contemporary representational artists.
• Exposure to a successful commercial gallery’s collector base with the opportunity to sell their work.
• Exclusive in-depth interview published on the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize and Beautiful Bizarre Magazine websites + shared across Beautiful Bizarre Magazine social media.
• Profile listing [including artwork gallery] on the Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Artist Directory for 12 months. The go-to platform for artists, curators and collectors to discover exceptional artists and explore their work.
• A year’s worth of inspiration – a print subscription to Beautiful Bizarre Magazine.

3rd prize winner will receive:

• $500 USD generously donated by MPB. Founded in 2011, MPB is the leading reseller of used digital cameras and lenses in the U.S. MPB changes the game by giving you the best prices and the most convenient way to buy, sell and trade used camera gear. With a circular business model, MPB extends the life and creative potential of camera gear by recirculating over half a million cameras and lenses a year. 
• 12×18 Epic Print + $150 Lab Credit (worth USD$389) by Bay Photo, the trusted partner for Photographers, Artists and Creatives since 1976. The Epic Print includes optional Frame and choice of display options.
• The opportunity to exhibit in the prestigious Beautiful Bizarre Magazine exhibition at Haven Gallery in Northport, NY, USA, alongside 70+ of the world’s best contemporary representational artists.
• Exposure to a successful commercial gallery’s collector base with the opportunity to sell their work.
• Exclusive in-depth interview published on the Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize and Beautiful Bizarre Magazine websites + shared across Beautiful Bizarre Magazine social media.
• Profile listing [including artwork gallery] on the Beautiful Bizarre Magazine Artist Directory for 12 months. The go-to platform for artists, curators and collectors to discover exceptional artists and explore their work.
• A year’s worth of inspiration – a print subscription to Beautiful Bizarre Magazine..

The winners of the 2025 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize (1st, 2nd & 3rd Prize Winners of the Painting, Drawing, Digital, Sculpture and Photography Awards; and the 1st Prize Winner of the Emerging Artist Award, along with the Grand Prize Winner of the 2025 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize) will be invited to participate in the prestigious Beautiful Bizarre Magazine exhibition ‘Reverie’ at Haven Gallery in Northport, New York, United States, alongside 70+ of the world’s best contemporary representational artists!

Winners may exhibit their prize winning entry if it was created within 12 months of the entry date, and not hung in any other exhibition or prize previously. Work already exhibited or hung in a Prize will not be accepted to the ‘Reverie’ exhibition. If the prize winning work is not eligible to be exhibited in the exhibition, or if the artist chooses, they may create a new work for the exhibition.

Congratulations to the 2025 Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize MPB Photography Award Winners Jeremy Mann, Lunaria & Lillian Liu!

3rd Prize Winner

Lillian Liu

Currently resides: Canada

“Slut Royale: A Feminist Reclamation”, Nikon D850, 85mm lens

Model: Karie Holst, Designer: Brandon Bermudez, Makeup: hiwendychu

Lillian Liu is an award-winning creative photographer who utilizes digital techniques to create unique atmospheres in her work. She is a part of the humanitarian artistic collective Free Spirit, headquartered in Paris, as of 2016. Features, clients, and publications as a photographer include: Marie Claire Taiwan, Vogue Taiwan, HarperCollins, Adobe, Penguin Random House, and many more.

“Slut Royale: A Feminist Reclamation”: My work confronts the loaded language of femininity—specifically the derogatory word “slut,” by dragging it through the wig of history and into stripper boots. Using Marie Antoinette as a decadent symbol of both indulgence and vilification, I re-frame the aesthetics of excess, sexuality, and rebellion to explore how the female body has long been both ornament and threat. In this series, cigarettes are in her hair, punk rock studs are everywhere. She pours pearls from her teapot. Smeared lipstick blurs the lines between elegance and eroticism, between object and agent. These aren’t just props- they are relics of survival in systems that punish female pleasure and visibility. I hope for the work to demand freedom through audacity.

2nd Prize Winner

Augustina Miknevičiūtė – Lunaria

Currently reside: Lithuania

“TENEBRIS”, Canon EOS 6D Mark II, Helios 44 -2

Model – Samanta Bohema

Lunaria originates from the marshy regions of Lithuania. From 2013 to 2016, she studied at the Vilnius College of Technologies and Design, where she obtained a degree in Photographic Technology. The artist’s work carries a distinctive atmosphere, exploring the interaction between natural elements and human presence. The result is a mood that is dreamlike, mystical, and unique. Her photography often has a poetic quality, inviting the viewer into a space of exploration and reflection. Recurring themes of moonlight and night lend her images a mysterious, often fairy tale–like ambiance..

“TENEBRIS”: The years go by… and we keep creating stories, telling tales. We dream. Without sleeping.

1st Prize Winner

Jeremy Mann

Currently resides: Spain

“Anhel’, Homemade Camera: Fuji FP100c Polaroid, Wine Box, Kodak Anastigmat f4.5 126mm

Jeremy Mann (b. 1979) graduated from Ohio University with a Cum Laude degree in Fine Art-Painting. Afterward, he ventured out to California where he earned his Master’s Degree in 2008 with Valedictorian honors at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Since then, Mann has garnered substantial attention in the art world. Praised by critics and collectors alike, his work has graced five covers of American Art Collector magazine as well as Beautiful Bizarre Magazine and International Artist Magazine. Executing paintings on medium to large-scale panels, each exciting work demonstrates the artist’s unmistakable style. Working on wood panels provides a strong support, where Mann can utilize a number of inventive techniques with an ever-expanding array of nontraditional mark making tools achieving everything from broad gritty marks to the finest of sensual strokes. Mann paints with confidence and flair. He addresses complex compositions with a mature eye and his colors are both vivid and atmospheric. He remains unlimited in his creative approach involving a myriad of materials and mediums including analogue photography from homemade cameras, film making and the written word. The artist currently resides in Catalunya with his wife.

“Anhel”: is Ukranian for Angel.