TORONTO, Feb. 27, 2013 /CNW/ - The names of the three finalists for the Scotiabank Photography Award (SPA) will be announced on Tuesday March 5, 2013. Now in its third year, the SPA was created to raise the international profile of Canada's leading photographic artists and is the largest annual peer reviewed celebration of excellence in Canadian contemporary photography.

The SPA was founded on behalf of Scotiabank by internationally renowned Canadian photo artist Edward Burtynsky, Chair of SPA, and Jane Nokes, Director, Scotiabank Archives, Corporate Records and Fine Art Collection and Executive Director of SPA. The award was conceived and designed to profile an established Canadian photo-based artist, raising him or her to the next level of national and international recognition. The winner receives a cash prize of $50,000 and a book published and distributed world-wide by esteemed photography publisher Steidl (Germany) and overseen by Edward Burtynsky. The winner's work is also featured at a curated exhibition at the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, the world's largest photography festival. The two shortlisted artists receive cash prizes of $5,000 each.

SPA is a Canada-wide peer driven search with twelve nominators selected from a national sweep of experts in the fields of contemporary art, inclusive of art gallery directors, curators, practicing artists, professors, writers and critics. They will each nominate one candidate. The nominees will be adjudicated by three jurors with renowned Canadian photographic artist Edward Burtynsky as jury chair.

For more information about the jury, nominators and prize please visit: http://www.scotiabankphotoaward.com/index.html

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank is committed to supporting the communities in which we live and work, both in Canada and abroad, through our global philanthropic program, Scotiabank Bright Future.  Recognized as a leader internationally and among Canadian corporations for our charitable donations and philanthropic activities, Scotiabank has provided on average approximately $47 million annually to community causes around the world over each of the last five years. Visit us at www.scotiabank.com.

SOURCE: Scotiabank