Terms & Conditions

1Important Information

1.1These Terms and Conditions govern the International Steampunk Art Prize 2026, referred to in these Terms as the Competition.

1.2The Competition is organised and promoted by Digital Education Systems Pty Limited, ABN 46 685 560 963, trading through the Steampunk Australia brand, referred to as the Promoter, Steampunk Australia, we, us or our.

1.3By submitting an entry, an entrant confirms that they have read, understood and agreed to be legally bound by:

1. these Terms and Conditions;
2. the Competition Privacy Collection Notice;
3. the Steampunk Australia Privacy Policy;
4. any lawful and reasonable instructions published by the Promoter concerning the Competition; and
5. any additional entry requirements clearly displayed on the official entry form before the entry is submitted.

1.4Entrants should save or print a copy of these Terms when entering. The version applying to an entry will generally be the version published when that entry was submitted, subject to the amendment provisions in these Terms.

1.5Participation is voluntary and free of charge. No purchase, donation, subscription, membership or payment is necessary to enter or win.

1.6This Competition is intended to be a game of skill. Chance does not determine the winner of the Judges’ Grand Prize or resolve a tied result.

1.7The People’s Choice Prize is determined by the number of valid public votes received by eligible entries, subject to verification, fraud controls, these Terms and the tie-breaking process stated below.

1.8These Terms should be read carefully. Failure to comply may result in an entry or vote being rejected, removed or disqualified.

1.9Nothing in these Terms excludes, restricts or modifies any right, guarantee, remedy or protection that cannot lawfully be excluded under the Australian Consumer Law or any other applicable law.

2Competition Name And Status

2.1The official name is the International Steampunk Art Prize 2026.

2.2The Competition is presented by Steampunk Australia and legally promoted by Digital Education Systems Pty Limited.

2.3The Competition replaces the previously announced Australian-only Steampunk Australia Art Competition.

2.4The previous Australian-only competition closed without receiving any entries. No person acquired a right to a prize under the previous competition.

2.5The international Competition is a new and separate promotion with new eligibility requirements, dates, prizes, judging procedures and Terms.

2.6References in publicity to the Competition being international, worldwide or global mean that entries are invited from eligible people in multiple countries. They do not mean that entry is lawful in every country or jurisdiction.

3Competition Period

3.1Entries open on 16 July 2026.

3.2Entries close on 30 November 2026.

3.3All times and dates are based on the time in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, using the Australia/Sydney time zone, including Australian Eastern Standard Time or Australian Eastern Daylight Time as applicable.

3.4Entrants outside Australia are responsible for converting the opening and closing times into their local time.

3.5An entry is received when it has been successfully recorded by the Promoter’s entry system, not when the entrant begins completing the form, uploads a file, sends an email or attempts transmission.

3.6Entries received after the closing time will not be accepted unless:

1. the Promoter publicly extends the closing date before judging begins;
2. the delay resulted from a verified technical failure within the Promoter’s systems; and
3. accepting the delayed entry would not materially disadvantage another entrant or undermine the integrity of the Competition.

3.7The Promoter is not responsible for an entrant’s local internet failure, device failure, time-zone error, incomplete upload, email filtering, incompatible file, browser problem or misunderstanding of the closing time.

3.8Public voting is expected to open at 9:00 am on Monday 7 December 2026 and close at 11:59 pm on Sunday 24 January 2027 (Australia/Sydney time).

3.9Finalists are expected to be announced on or around 1 February 2027.

3.10Winners are expected to be announced on or around 8 February 2027.

3.11Announcement dates are estimates unless expressly stated to be fixed. The Promoter may reasonably delay judging, verification or announcements where additional time is required to investigate eligibility, authorship, AI use, voting irregularities, legal complaints or technical issues.

4Eligibility

4.1Entry is open to natural persons worldwide who:

1. are at least 18 years old at the time of entry;
2. satisfy all requirements in these Terms;
3. are legally permitted to enter a skill-based art competition in their location;
4. can lawfully receive a cash prize from an Australian company; and
5. can provide reasonable proof of identity, age, country of residence, authorship and payment details if selected as a finalist or winner.

4.2Entry is void where prohibited or restricted by applicable law.

4.3A person must not enter if doing so would breach:

1. a law applying to the person;
2. sanctions, trade controls or financial restrictions applying to the Promoter or its payment providers;
3. the terms of the entrant’s employment, commission, representation or gallery agreement;
4. another person’s intellectual property rights; or
5. a court order, contractual obligation or professional restriction.

4.4The following people are not eligible:

1. directors, officers or employees of the Promoter;
2. Competition judges;
3. contractors materially involved in administering, building, securing, promoting or judging the Competition;
4. anyone who has had access to confidential judging information; and
5. immediate family members of the people listed above.

4.5For this clause, immediate family includes a spouse, de facto partner, parent, step-parent, child, stepchild, sibling, step-sibling, grandparent or person residing in the same household.

4.6An entrant may use a professional, stage or artist name publicly. The Promoter may still require the entrant’s legal name privately for eligibility, payment, taxation, sanctions screening, recordkeeping or legal compliance.

4.7Groups, collectives and collaborative teams may enter only if:

1. all contributors are identified at entry;
2. every contributor satisfies the eligibility requirements;
3. one adult is nominated as the authorised representative;
4. every contributor agrees to these Terms;
5. the authorised representative has written authority to act for the group; and
6. the group accepts that any cash prize will be paid once to the authorised representative, who is responsible for distributing it.

4.8Companies, incorporated associations, trusts and other legal entities cannot enter in their own name unless the Promoter expressly creates a separate category for them.

4.9The Promoter may request evidence of eligibility at any stage.

4.10Failure to provide reasonably requested evidence within the time stated by the Promoter may result in rejection or disqualification.

5How To Enter

5.1Entries must be submitted through the official Competition entry form unless the Promoter has approved an accessible alternative in writing.

5.2Each entrant may submit a maximum of three entries.

5.3Each artwork must be submitted separately.

5.4Entry is free.

5.5An entry must include:

1. the entrant’s legal name;
2. the public artist name, if different;
3. email address;
4. country of residence;
5. confirmation that the entrant is at least 18;
6. artwork title;
7. artwork category or medium;
8. year of completion;
9. dimensions or duration where relevant;
10. a description of the artwork;
11. an explanation of its connection to steampunk;
12. a short artist biography;
13. the required photographs, video, audio or digital files;
14. an authorship and non-AI declaration;
15. agreement to these Terms; and
16. any other information reasonably required on the entry form.

5.6The entrant is responsible for checking that all information is accurate and that uploaded files are complete, readable and correctly oriented.

5.7The Promoter may permit an entrant to correct an obvious administrative error before judging begins but is not required to permit substantive replacement or improvement of an artwork after the closing date.

5.8An entrant may withdraw an entry by contacting the Promoter before the public voting period begins.

5.9Once public voting has begun, withdrawal may still be requested, but previously published promotional material, cached pages, social media shares and archived records may not be capable of complete removal.

5.10An entry will not be accepted solely because an automated receipt or confirmation email was issued. Acceptance remains subject to eligibility, technical review, moderation and compliance with these Terms.

6Accepted Art Forms

6.1Eligible work may include:

1. painting;
2. drawing;
3. illustration;
4. printmaking;
5. sculpture;
6. assemblage;
7. metalwork;
8. woodwork;
9. leatherwork;
10. jewellery;
11. textile art;
12. costume design;
13. wearable art;
14. prop making;
15. model making;
16. photography;
17. non-generative digital art;
18. mixed media;
19. kinetic art;
20. mechanical art;
21. sound or audio-visual art; and
22. another form approved by the Promoter.

6.2The artwork must display a meaningful connection to steampunk through its subject, materials, design, story, technique, imagined technology, historical influence or aesthetic.

6.3Merely attaching a decorative cog, gear, brass colour or Victorian-style font to an otherwise unrelated work does not automatically establish a meaningful steampunk connection.

6.4The judges may consider the depth and originality of the steampunk interpretation.

6.5Physical artworks remain with the entrant. Entrants must not send physical works to the Promoter unless specifically requested in writing.

6.6Physical works will ordinarily be judged using photographs and, where requested, video evidence.

6.7Digital entries must be supplied in the file formats, dimensions and resolution stated on the entry form.

6.8Videos must not exceed one minute (60 seconds) unless prior permission is granted.

6.9The Promoter may compress, resize, crop or convert files for website display, judging, security or accessibility purposes.

7Originality And Authorship

7.1Every entry must be the entrant’s own original work.

7.2The entrant must have personally made the creative decisions and substantially performed the artistic work represented by the entry.

7.3An entrant may receive ordinary technical assistance, such as:

1. help safely moving or photographing a large sculpture;
2. assistance operating specialised machinery under the entrant’s direction;
3. routine printing or fabrication performed from the entrant’s original design;
4. accessibility assistance; or
5. ordinary studio support that does not transfer authorship to another person.

7.4Material assistance must be disclosed where it could reasonably affect the assessment of authorship or craftsmanship.

7.5Collaborative work must identify all contributors.

7.6An entry must not falsely represent:

1. another person’s work as the entrant’s work;
2. purchased, commissioned or licensed artwork as original work made by the entrant;
3. mass-produced goods as handmade work;
4. stock imagery or templates as wholly original work;
5. a fabricated process as genuine; or
6. AI-generated imagery as human-created work.

7.7The entrant must hold all rights necessary to enter and permit use of the work under these Terms.

7.8An artwork may have been previously displayed, sold, published or entered in another competition unless:

1. an earlier agreement prevents entry;
2. another party owns exclusive rights that conflict with these Terms;
3. the work has previously won the Judges’ Grand Prize in this Competition; or
4. the entry creates a misleading impression that the work is new when that fact is materially relevant.

8Artificial Intelligence Policy

8.1The purpose of the Competition is to recognise human imagination, human artistic decision-making and human craftsmanship.

8.2AI-generated and AI-assisted artwork is prohibited.

8.3For these Terms, Generative AI means a computational system, model, service, feature or application that generates, synthesises, predicts, reconstructs or materially invents visual, textual, audio, three-dimensional or other creative content in response to prompts, examples, masks, selections, instructions or source material.

8.4Prohibited Generative AI includes, without limitation:

1. text-to-image generation;
2. image-to-image generation;
3. generative fill;
4. generative expand or outpainting;
5. prompt-based object creation or replacement;
6. AI-generated backgrounds, textures, characters, props or design elements;
7. AI style transfer;
8. AI-generated photomontage elements;
9. AI-generated three-dimensional models;
10. AI-generated animation;
11. AI-generated video;
12. AI-generated audio forming part of an entry;
13. diffusion-model output;
14. synthetic image generation;
15. using an AI output as a substantial compositional template that is then traced, painted over or reproduced; and
16. combining human-created work with prohibited generated elements.

8.5An entry is not made eligible merely because an entrant:

1. edited an AI output;
2. painted over an AI output;
3. traced an AI output;
4. recreated an AI output using physical media;
5. used only part of an AI output;
6. concealed the use of an AI tool; or
7. describes the AI system as inspiration rather than assistance when the output materially influenced the composition or content.

8.6Ordinary non-generative digital tools may be used where they do not invent substantial visual content. Examples may include:

1. exposure and white-balance adjustment;
2. cropping and rotation;
3. dust and scratch removal;
4. manual masking;
5. manual colour correction;
6. manual brushwork;
7. manual vector drawing;
8. ordinary layer compositing;
9. scanning;
10. focus stacking;
11. panorama stitching; and
12. file conversion.

8.7Automated correction features are permitted only where they make routine technical adjustments and do not generate or materially invent artistic content.

8.8Because software terminology changes, the name used by a software provider does not determine eligibility. The Promoter will consider what the tool actually did.

8.9Entrants who are uncertain whether a tool is permitted should contact the Promoter before entering and provide the software name, feature name and intended use.

8.10The Promoter is not required to approve a proposed workflow and may decline to provide advance approval where the facts are unclear.

8.11By entering, the entrant declares that:

1. no prohibited Generative AI was used in the entry;
2. no prohibited Generative AI output was used as a hidden source, underdrawing, template or substantial reference;
3. all material tools and contributors have been truthfully disclosed; and
4. the entrant can provide reasonable evidence of the creation process.

9AI and Authorship Verification

9.1The Promoter may investigate an entry where there is a reasonable concern about authorship, originality, AI use, manipulation or compliance.

9.2An investigation may be started because of:

1. visual inconsistencies;
2. metadata;
3. publicly available material;
4. a complaint;
5. similarity to known AI outputs or existing works;
6. inconsistencies in the entrant’s explanation;
7. missing process evidence;
8. a judge’s concern; or
9. another reasonable indicator.

9.3The Promoter will not rely solely on an automated AI-detection score when making a final determination.

9.4The Promoter may request:

1. dated work-in-progress photographs;
2. sketches;
3. drafts;
4. source files;
5. raw photographs;
6. layer files;
7. version history;
8. export history;
9. material receipts;
10. studio photographs;
11. screenshots of the creative process;
12. a list of tools used;
13. a written explanation;
14. a live or recorded video showing the work;
15. a video call with the entrant;
16. evidence of possession of the physical artwork; or
17. other proportionate evidence.

9.5Process evidence will be treated as confidential except where:

1. publication is necessary to resolve a public dispute;
2. the entrant agrees to publication;
3. disclosure is required by law; or
4. limited disclosure is reasonably necessary to a judge, expert adviser or service provider.

9.6The entrant must respond within the reasonable period stated in the request.

9.7The entrant bears responsibility for providing sufficient evidence to support their declaration where a legitimate concern has been raised.

9.8A lack of traditional sketches does not automatically establish AI use. The Promoter will consider the medium, process, accessibility needs and normal working practices of the entrant.

9.9The Promoter may consult an independent artist, technical specialist, conservator, photographer, digital forensics specialist or other adviser.

9.10An entrant may be asked to comment on adverse information before a final disqualification decision is made, except where:

1. urgent action is required to protect systems or participants;
2. the entrant has already admitted the breach;
3. contact is impossible; or
4. providing the information would compromise security or reveal confidential anti-fraud methods.

9.11The Promoter may reject or disqualify an entry where, acting reasonably and on the information available, it concludes that:

1. prohibited AI was used;
2. authorship was materially misrepresented;
3. requested verification was not provided;
4. evidence was altered or fabricated; or
5. the entry otherwise breached these Terms.

9.12A disqualified entrant may submit a written review request within seven calendar days of notification.

9.13The review request must identify the alleged error and provide supporting evidence.

9.14The review will be conducted by a person not primarily responsible for the original determination where reasonably practicable.

9.15The outcome of the review is final, subject to any rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.

10Prohibited Content

10.1An entry must not contain or promote:

1. unlawful material;
2. child sexual abuse material;
3. sexual exploitation;
4. non-consensual intimate imagery;
5. credible threats;
6. instructions for serious criminal activity;
7. targeted harassment;
8. unlawful hate speech;
9. defamatory allegations;
10. malicious impersonation;
11. stolen or unlawfully obtained material;
12. content that infringes copyright, trade marks, privacy, confidentiality or other rights;
13. undisclosed personal information about another person;
14. malware or malicious code; or
15. content that would expose the Promoter to material legal or safety risk.

10.2Artistic depictions of fictional weapons, conflict, horror, death or dark themes are not automatically prohibited.

10.3The Promoter may consider context, artistic purpose, public display restrictions, age accessibility and platform rules.

10.4The Promoter may decline to publish or may restrict public display of material that is eligible for judging but unsuitable for unrestricted website or social media publication.

10.5The entrant must have permission from identifiable people depicted in photographs or recordings, unless a lawful exception clearly applies.

10.6Where a child appears in an entry, the entrant must hold written permission from the child’s parent or legal guardian and provide it if requested.

10.7The Promoter may decide not to accept entries depicting identifiable children due to privacy or safeguarding concerns.

11Intellectual Property

11.1Ownership of the artwork remains with the entrant or existing rights holder.

11.2Entry does not transfer copyright ownership to the Promoter.

11.3By entering, the entrant grants the Promoter a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to:

1. receive and store the entry;
2. reproduce it for administration and judging;
3. publish it on Competition and Steampunk Australia websites;
4. display it in the online exhibition;
5. publish it on social media;
6. include it in press releases, radio, video and promotional material concerning the Competition;
7. reproduce it when announcing or promoting finalists and winners;
8. retain it in a historical Competition archive; and
9. permit contractors and platforms to do these things on the Promoter’s behalf.

11.4The licence begins when the entry is submitted.

11.5The licence for active Competition promotion continues during the Competition and for five years after the winner announcement.

11.6The Promoter may continue retaining and displaying historical finalist and winner records after that period as part of its archive.

11.7The Promoter will not manufacture or sell merchandise featuring an entrant’s artwork without a separate written agreement.

11.8The Promoter will not sell copyright in an entrant’s artwork.

11.9The entrant consents, to the extent permitted by law, to reasonable editing necessary for display, including:

1. resizing;
2. compression;
3. cropping that does not materially distort the work;
4. format conversion;
5. adding the artist’s name, artwork title or Competition branding;
6. creating thumbnails; and
7. excerpts from videos or descriptions for promotional purposes.

11.10The Promoter will use reasonable efforts to credit the entrant using the public artist name provided.

11.11Accidental failure to provide a credit is not a transfer of ownership and will be corrected within a reasonable time after notice where practicable.

11.12The entrant warrants that the permitted use of the entry will not infringe another person’s rights.

11.13If an entry incorporates third-party material, the entrant must disclose it and hold all necessary permissions.

11.14References to historical objects, styles or public-domain works may be accepted, but the entrant remains responsible for confirming their lawful use.

11.15Trade marks, logos and fictional characters owned by others should not be used unless the use is lawful and does not create a false impression of sponsorship.

12Entry Review And Moderation

12.1The Promoter may conduct an administrative review before an entry is published or judged.

12.2Administrative acceptance does not mean the entry has been finally verified.

12.3The Promoter may:

1. request missing information;
2. correct obvious formatting errors;
3. classify an entry into an appropriate category;
4. reject corrupt or unsafe files;
5. withhold an entry from public display while investigating it;
6. remove personal information accidentally included in a public description; or
7. reject an entry that materially breaches these Terms.

12.4The Promoter is not required to publish every entry immediately.

12.5Moderation delays do not extend the closing date.

12.6The Promoter may remove public comments on Competition pages that contain abuse, threats, spam, personal information, defamatory claims, unauthorised allegations of cheating or other unlawful or disruptive material.

12.7Legitimate criticism of the Competition is not prohibited merely because it is negative.

13Judges’ Grand Prize

13.1The Judges’ Grand Prize is:

1. AUD $1,500 cash;
2. the honorary title International Steampunk Artist of the Year 2026;
3. a permanent featured artist page on Steampunk Australia, subject to continued website operation;
4. an interview or feature on Steampunk Radio, subject to the winner’s reasonable availability;
5. up to 12 months of reasonable promotional exposure through Steampunk Australia channels;
6. a digital winner’s seal;
7. inclusion in the online finalist exhibition; and
8. the featuring of the winning artwork as the promotional face of the 2027 competition, where a 2027 competition is held.

13.2The total cash value of the Judges’ Grand Prize is AUD $1,500.

13.3Non-cash promotional elements have no guaranteed monetary value.

13.4Promotional exposure does not guarantee sales, commissions, followers, website traffic, media coverage, commercial success or any particular audience size.

13.5The Grand Prize will be determined by skill using the following criteria:

1. Originality and imagination — 30 points;
2. Craftsmanship and technical execution — 30 points;
3. Interpretation of the steampunk theme — 25 points;
4. Overall artistic impact and presentation — 15 points.

13.6The maximum score is 100 points per judge.

13.7The eligible entry with the highest final aggregate or average score, using the scoring method announced to the judges, will win.

13.8Judges may consider only the materials properly submitted or reasonably requested during verification.

13.9Judges must not base their decision on the entrant’s follower count, popularity, nationality, personal relationship, commercial status or public vote total.

13.10The Promoter may appoint, replace or add judges where reasonably required.

13.11Judges must disclose actual or reasonably perceived conflicts of interest.

13.12A conflicted judge may be required to abstain from scoring the affected entry.

13.13The Promoter may remove or replace a judge whose conduct threatens the integrity of the Competition.

13.14Judges may discuss entries but must score honestly and independently.

13.15The Promoter may moderate extreme scoring anomalies or exclude a score only where there is documented evidence of error, bias, conflict or failure to follow the judging criteria.

14Judges’ Prize Ties

14.1If two or more entries receive the same final score, the tie will be resolved without chance.

14.2The tied entry with the highest originality and imagination score will rank first.

14.3If still tied, the tied entry with the highest craftsmanship and technical execution score will rank first.

14.4If still tied, the tied entry with the highest steampunk interpretation score will rank first.

14.5If still tied, the judging panel will reassess only the tied entries and select the entry it considers strongest overall under the published criteria.

14.6The tie will not be resolved by random draw, coin toss, lottery or chance.

15People’s Choice Prize

15.1The People’s Choice Prize is:

1. AUD $500 cash;
2. the honorary title World Steampunk People’s Choice Winner 2026;
3. a featured artist page;
4. up to three months of reasonable promotion through Steampunk Australia and Steampunk Radio;
5. a digital winner’s seal; and
6. inclusion in the finalist exhibition.

15.2The total cash value of the People’s Choice Prize is AUD $500.

15.3The eligible entry receiving the highest number of valid verified votes during the voting period will win.

15.4The same entrant and the same artwork may win both the Judges’ Grand Prize and the People’s Choice Prize.

15.5A public vote is not final until voting records have been reviewed and invalid votes have been removed.

15.6The vote count displayed publicly, if any, may be delayed, approximate, hidden, audited or corrected.

15.7The Promoter’s verified count will prevail over screenshots, browser displays, social media reactions, comments or third-party counts.

16Voter Eligibility And Voting Rules

16.1Voting is free.

16.2Voters must be at least 18 years old.

16.3A voter may cast one verified vote in total during the People’s Choice voting period.

16.4A voter must use a valid email address and complete any verification step.

16.5The Promoter may use cookies, IP addresses, timestamps, device information, browser information, security tokens, email verification and other proportionate controls to detect duplication or abuse.

16.6Voting for oneself is permitted unless the entrant uses false, duplicate, automated or manipulated methods.

16.7Entrants may lawfully ask friends, family, customers, followers and community members to vote.

16.8Entrants may share their official entry link.

16.9The following are prohibited:

1. automated voting;
2. bots or scripts;
3. purchased votes;
4. vote farms;
5. multiple fake identities;
6. disposable or fabricated email accounts;
7. bypassing verification controls;
8. manipulating cookies, network addresses or device identifiers to cast duplicate votes;
9. offering cash, gifts, discounts, prizes or material benefits in exchange for votes;
10. threatening, harassing or misleading people to obtain votes;
11. falsely claiming endorsement by the Promoter;
12. interfering with another entrant’s voting;
13. denial-of-service attacks or technical interference;
14. submitting fraudulent complaints to suppress another entrant; or
15. any conduct that materially undermines a fair public vote.

16.10Ordinary unpaid sharing and personal requests for support are allowed.

16.11Paid advertising that merely directs people to an entry page may be allowed, provided it does not offer a benefit in exchange for a vote and complies with advertising laws and platform rules.

16.12Entrants must disclose material paid promotional campaigns if requested.

16.13The Promoter may remove invalid votes without disqualifying the entrant where there is no evidence the entrant caused or encouraged the misconduct.

16.14The Promoter may disqualify an entrant who caused, purchased, organised, knowingly encouraged or materially benefited from prohibited voting conduct.

16.15The Promoter may temporarily suspend voting while investigating security issues.

16.16The Promoter may require re-verification of votes.

16.17The Promoter is not required to reveal security controls where doing so could enable circumvention.

17People’s Choice Ties

17.1If two or more eligible entries have the same verified vote total, the tie will be decided by the judging panel.

17.2The panel will apply the same published judging criteria used for the Judges’ Grand Prize.

17.3The tied entry receiving the highest judging score will win the People’s Choice tie.

17.4If the judging scores are also tied, the tie-breaking process in clause 14 will apply.

17.5No tied result will be determined by chance.

18Finalists And Online Exhibition

18.1Up to 20 eligible entries may be selected as finalists.

18.2The Promoter may select fewer than 20 finalists where fewer suitable or eligible entries are received.

18.3Selection as a finalist does not guarantee a prize.

18.4Finalists may receive:

1. an online exhibition page;
2. a finalist seal;
3. social media promotion; and
4. reasonable opportunities for editorial coverage.

18.5After the active exhibition period, finalists will be acknowledged on the Steampunk Australia Top 20 Finalists of the Past page under the 2026 Competition, subject to continued website operation.

18.6The Promoter does not guarantee equal numbers of posts, impressions, interview time or promotional exposure for every finalist.

18.7Differences arising from artwork format, entrant responsiveness, scheduling, platform performance or editorial suitability do not necessarily constitute unfair treatment.

18.8The Promoter will nevertheless seek to present finalists honestly and reasonably.

19Winner Verification

19.1A provisional winner is not confirmed until eligibility and compliance checks are complete.

19.2A provisional winner may be required to provide:

1. government-issued identification;
2. proof of age;
3. proof of country of residence;
4. proof of authorship;
5. process evidence;
6. bank or payment information;
7. tax information reasonably required for payment or reporting;
8. sanctions or identity information required by a payment provider; and
9. a signed winner declaration.

19.3Identification will not be published unless required by law or separately agreed.

19.4A provisional winner must respond within 14 calendar days after the Promoter’s first reasonable notification attempt.

19.5If the provisional winner does not respond, the Promoter will make at least one further reasonable attempt using the contact information supplied.

19.6A provisional winner may be disqualified if they:

1. cannot be contacted;
2. fail to provide required verification;
3. are ineligible;
4. materially breached these Terms;
5. supplied false information;
6. cannot lawfully receive the prize; or
7. refuse the prize.

19.7If a winner is disqualified, the prize will be offered to the next highest-ranked eligible entry using the relevant judging or voting method.

19.8The Promoter may announce a provisional result and later correct it if a verification problem, counting error or breach is discovered.

19.9A correction will not be made lightly and will be explained to affected entrants to the extent reasonably appropriate.

20Prize Payment

20.1The total cash prize pool is AUD $2,000.

20.2All cash prize values are stated in Australian dollars.

20.3Payment will ordinarily be made within 30 business days after:

1. the winner is confirmed;
2. all required information is received; and
3. a lawful and practical payment method is agreed.

20.4Payment may be made by bank transfer, PayPal, Wise or another method selected or approved by the Promoter.

20.5The Promoter is responsible for paying the stated Australian-dollar prize amount.

20.6Currency conversion rates, correspondent bank fees, receiving-bank fees, platform fees and local withdrawal costs may affect the amount ultimately received in another currency.

20.7The Promoter will not intentionally deduct an administration fee from the prize.

20.8Winners are responsible for personal taxation, reporting, foreign-exchange and financial obligations arising in their jurisdiction.

20.9The Promoter does not provide tax, financial or legal advice to winners.

20.10A winner must not be required to pay a release fee, processing fee or tax to the Promoter before receiving a prize.

20.11The Promoter will never ask a winner to provide a password, security code or remote access to a device.

20.12If payment is legally prohibited or repeatedly rejected, the Promoter will make reasonable efforts to identify another lawful payment method.

20.13If no lawful method is available, the Promoter may select the next eligible entrant after giving the original winner a reasonable opportunity to resolve the issue.

20.14A prize cannot be assigned or sold before payment without the Promoter’s written approval.

20.15The Promoter may provide a replacement non-cash promotional benefit if a stated platform, radio service or website feature becomes unavailable, provided the replacement is reasonably comparable.

20.16The cash component will not be replaced with a lower-value product or service without the winner’s written agreement.

21Winner Publicity

21.1Winners and finalists agree that their public artist name, country, artwork title, artwork images, biography and submitted statement may be published.

21.2Legal names, home addresses, identity documents, payment details and private contact details will not be published merely because a person wins.

21.3A winner may be invited to participate in:

1. an interview;
2. a written profile;
3. an audio recording;
4. a video call;
5. a social media feature; or
6. reasonable promotional activity.

21.4A winner is not required to disclose private medical, family, financial or personal information.

21.5A winner may decline a live interview without forfeiting the cash prize, although a reasonable alternative written feature may be offered.

21.6Publicity must not falsely imply that a winner endorses unrelated products or services.

22Entrant Warranties

22.1Each entrant warrants that:

1. all information supplied is true and complete;
2. they satisfy the eligibility requirements;
3. the entry is original;
4. they own or control the required rights;
5. no prohibited AI was used;
6. the entry does not unlawfully infringe another person’s rights;
7. all contributors are disclosed;
8. required permissions have been obtained;
9. the entry does not contain malicious code; and
10. participation does not breach another agreement or law.

22.2The entrant must promptly notify the Promoter if a warranty becomes inaccurate.

22.3The Promoter’s publication of an entry does not amount to an endorsement or independent confirmation of the entrant’s warranties.

23Complaints About Entries

23.1A person who believes an entry infringes their rights may submit a written complaint.

23.2A complaint should include:

1. the complainant’s name and contact information;
2. identification of the entry;
3. the nature of the alleged infringement;
4. evidence of ownership or authority;
5. relevant links or documents; and
6. a declaration that the complaint is made honestly.

23.3The Promoter may temporarily remove or restrict an entry while investigating.

23.4The Promoter may provide the substance of the complaint to the entrant so the entrant can respond.

23.5The Promoter may disclose contact information where required by law but will not routinely publish it.

23.6The Promoter may restore, remove or disqualify an entry after considering available information.

23.7The Competition process is not a court and cannot conclusively determine ownership disputes.

23.8A knowingly false, malicious or abusive complaint may itself breach these Terms.

24Disqualification

24.1The Promoter may reject or disqualify an entrant or entry for a material breach of these Terms.

24.2Grounds may include:

1. ineligibility;
2. false information;
3. plagiarism;
4. undisclosed collaboration;
5. prohibited AI use;
6. copyright infringement;
7. vote manipulation;
8. harassment of judges, entrants, voters or staff;
9. security interference;
10. fabricated evidence;
11. failure to cooperate with reasonable verification;
12. bribery or attempted influence;
13. impersonation; or
14. conduct that materially compromises the Competition.

24.3Disqualification will be proportionate to the conduct where reasonably possible.

24.4The Promoter may remove invalid votes without disqualifying an innocent entrant.

24.5The Promoter may issue a warning or request correction for minor, unintentional administrative breaches.

24.6Serious dishonesty, security interference or fabricated evidence may result in immediate disqualification.

24.7Disqualification may occur after finalist or provisional winner status if the relevant breach is discovered later.

24.8Where a paid promotional announcement has already been scheduled, disqualification may result in its cancellation.

25Judging Integrity And Records

25.1The Promoter will keep reasonable records of:

1. eligible entries;
2. judge appointments;
3. declared conflicts;
4. judging criteria;
5. scores;
6. vote verification;
7. investigations;
8. winner verification; and
9. prize payment.

25.2Records may be retained for legal, tax, audit, complaint and historical purposes.

25.3Individual judges’ private comments are confidential and will not ordinarily be supplied to entrants.

25.4The Promoter may publish aggregate judging information or selected feedback.

25.5Entrants are not entitled to demand judges’ personal information, private deliberations or security information.

25.6Clerical or mathematical errors may be corrected.

25.7An error correction does not entitle an entrant to compensation beyond any rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.

26Communications

26.1Competition notices may be sent using the email address supplied at entry.

26.2Entrants are responsible for monitoring that address, including spam and junk folders.

26.3The Promoter may also publish general notices on the official Competition website or Steampunk Australia social media pages.

26.4A social media comment is not a reliable method for sending a formal complaint or legal notice.

26.5Entrants must use the official contact email for formal Competition correspondence.

26.6Administrative Competition messages are not marketing messages. They may include entry confirmations, verification requests, voting notices, finalist notices, changes, security notices and result notifications.

26.7Entry does not automatically subscribe an entrant to unrelated marketing.

26.8Marketing emails will be sent only where the recipient has separately consented or another lawful basis applies.

27Social Media Platform Disclaimer

27.1The Competition may be promoted through Facebook, Instagram and other platforms.

27.2The Competition is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by or associated with Facebook, Instagram, Meta or another social media platform unless expressly stated.

27.3Entrants release social media platforms from claims arising solely from the administration of this Competition to the extent permitted by law.

27.4Entrants must comply with the terms of any platform they use.

27.5Likes, shares, reactions and comments are not votes unless the official rules expressly say otherwise.

27.6Platform outages, account restrictions, algorithm changes or content moderation may affect promotional reach.

27.7The Promoter does not guarantee that every post will remain visible or reach a particular audience.

28Technical Problems And Security

28.1The Promoter will take reasonable steps to maintain the entry and voting systems but does not guarantee uninterrupted operation.

28.2The Promoter may suspend, delay or modify technical processes to address:

1. cyberattack;
2. database corruption;
3. vote manipulation;
4. service-provider failure;
5. unauthorised access;
6. software defects;
7. malware;
8. data loss; or
9. another serious technical problem.

28.3Where reliable records exist, the Promoter may reconstruct entries or votes from backups, logs, verification records and other evidence.

28.4The Promoter may require votes to be recast where a material technical failure prevents reliable verification.

28.5The Promoter will seek to avoid changes that unfairly favour or disadvantage a particular entrant.

28.6Entrants must not test, scan, attack or attempt to circumvent Competition systems without written permission.

28.7Security vulnerabilities should be reported privately.

29Changes To The Competition

29.1The Promoter may amend these Terms where reasonably necessary to:

1. correct an obvious error;
2. clarify an ambiguity;
3. comply with law;
4. protect entrants or voters;
5. address fraud or security threats;
6. reflect a service-provider change; or
7. preserve the Competition’s fair operation.

29.2The Promoter will not materially reduce an advertised cash prize after valid entries have been accepted, except where required by law or genuinely impossible due to circumstances beyond reasonable control and a lawful equivalent arrangement is offered.

29.3A material change will be published clearly.

29.4Where practicable, affected entrants will be notified directly.

29.5If a material change substantially affects an entry, the entrant may withdraw.

29.6Minor formatting, spelling, contact-detail or clarification changes may be made without individual notice.

29.7The Promoter will maintain a version date and may publish a change summary.

30Postponement, Suspension Or Cancellation

30.1The Promoter does not intend to cancel the Competition merely because fewer entries are received than expected.

30.2If at least one eligible entry is received, the Promoter intends to award the advertised prizes in accordance with these Terms.

30.3The Promoter may suspend, postpone or cancel the Competition only where reasonably necessary because of:

1. a legal prohibition;
2. regulatory direction;
3. serious fraud;
4. cyberattack;
5. corruption or loss of essential records;
6. widespread platform failure;
7. natural disaster;
8. war, civil disorder or public emergency;
9. death or incapacity of essential personnel where no reasonable replacement is available;
10. insolvency; or
11. another circumstance beyond the Promoter’s reasonable control that makes fair administration impossible or unlawful.

30.4If the Competition is cancelled before a winner can lawfully be determined, no prize will be awarded unless the Promoter can fairly determine a winner from reliable existing records.

30.5Because entry is free, no entry fee refund applies.

30.6Cancellation will be publicly announced with a reasonable explanation.

30.7This clause does not permit the Promoter to advertise prizes with no genuine intention of awarding them.

31Liability

31.1To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Promoter is not responsible for loss arising from:

1. an entrant’s breach of these Terms;
2. inaccurate information supplied by an entrant;
3. unauthorised use of third-party material by an entrant;
4. local currency movements;
5. tax consequences;
6. third-party banking delays;
7. social media platform decisions;
8. internet or device failure outside the Promoter’s reasonable control;
9. an entrant missing an email; or
10. an entrant’s unlawful participation from a restricted jurisdiction.

31.2The Promoter does not exclude liability for fraud, wilful misconduct, death or personal injury caused by negligence, or any liability that cannot lawfully be excluded.

31.3Nothing in these Terms limits rights under the Australian Consumer Law where those rights apply.

31.4Where liability can lawfully be limited, the Promoter’s liability will be limited to the remedy required by law or, where permitted, the value of the relevant prize.

31.5Entrants are responsible for safely creating, transporting, photographing and storing their work.

31.6The Promoter is not responsible for physical injury or property damage occurring during the creation of an artwork merely because the artwork is later entered.

31.7Entrants must follow applicable safety, workplace, weapons, electrical, chemical and transport laws.

32Indemnity

32.1To the extent permitted by law, an entrant indemnifies the Promoter against direct losses, liabilities, damages and reasonable costs arising from a third-party claim caused by the entrant’s:

1. infringement of intellectual property rights;
2. unlawful use of a person’s image or private information;
3. deliberate misrepresentation;
4. malicious technical conduct; or
5. material breach of the warranties in these Terms.

32.2The indemnity does not apply to the extent the loss was caused or contributed to by the Promoter’s negligence, unlawful conduct or breach.

32.3The Promoter must take reasonable steps to mitigate loss.

32.4The Promoter must not settle a claim in a manner admitting personal wrongdoing by an entrant without giving the entrant a reasonable opportunity to respond, where practicable.

33Privacy

33.1Personal information will be handled in accordance with:

1. the Privacy Policy;
2. the Competition Privacy Collection Notice;
3. applicable Australian privacy law; and
4. applicable overseas privacy law where it legally applies.

33.2Public entry information may include:

1. artist name;
2. country;
3. artwork title;
4. artwork images or recordings;
5. artist biography;
6. artist statement; and
7. social links supplied for publication.

33.3Private information may include:

1. legal name;
2. email address;
3. identity evidence;
4. age confirmation;
5. IP and device information;
6. process evidence;
7. payment details; and
8. complaint correspondence.

33.4Entry information may be disclosed to judges, contractors, hosting providers, security providers, payment providers and professional advisers where reasonably necessary.

33.5Entrants outside Australia acknowledge that their information may be processed in Australia and in countries where the Promoter’s service providers operate.

33.6Separate, express consent will be sought for unrelated electronic marketing where required.

34Confidentiality

34.1Entries are intended for public exhibition unless withdrawn before publication.

34.2Entrants must not submit confidential trade secrets, unreleased client material or information they are not authorised to publish.

34.3Judges’ deliberations, security procedures, internal fraud indicators and legal advice are confidential.

34.4The Promoter may keep process evidence confidential.

34.5Nothing in this clause prevents a person from:

1. obtaining legal advice;
2. reporting unlawful conduct;
3. making a protected disclosure;
4. contacting a regulator; or
5. exercising a legal right.

35Complaints And Review

35.1Competition complaints should first be sent to steampunkau2026@gmail.com.

35.2A complaint should include sufficient information to understand and investigate the issue.

35.3The Promoter aims to acknowledge a complaint within five business days.

35.4The Promoter aims to provide a substantive response within 20 business days, although complex AI, copyright, voting or international matters may require more time.

35.5The complainant will be advised if additional time is reasonably required.

35.6Complaints about a provisional result should be submitted within seven calendar days after the relevant announcement.

35.7The Promoter may decline to repeatedly reconsider a matter where no new evidence is provided.

35.8Nothing in this clause prevents a person from contacting a regulator, consumer protection body or court.

36Governing Law

36.1These Terms are governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia.

36.2The parties submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of New South Wales and courts entitled to hear appeals from them.

36.3The use of non-exclusive jurisdiction recognises that mandatory consumer or privacy laws in another jurisdiction may apply despite this clause.

36.4The entrant is responsible for checking laws applying in their location.

37General Terms

37.1If part of these Terms is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, it will be read down to the minimum extent necessary or severed, and the remainder will continue.

37.2A failure or delay in enforcing a right is not a waiver.

37.3A waiver must be in writing and applies only to the specific matter stated.

37.4Headings are for convenience and do not limit interpretation.

37.5Singular words include the plural and vice versa where appropriate.

37.6References to a person include an individual and, where relevant, a lawful representative.

37.7“Including” means including without limitation.

37.8An obligation not to do something includes an obligation not to assist or permit it.

37.9These Terms, the entry form and the incorporated privacy documents contain the principal agreement relating to the Competition.

37.10Promotional summaries do not override these Terms.

37.11If publicity conflicts with these Terms, the interpretation that is lawful, fair and most consistent with the clearly advertised material prize will apply.

37.12The Promoter may obtain professional legal, technical or artistic advice when administering these Terms.

38Promoter Contact

International Steampunk Art Prize 2026

Digital Education Systems Pty Limited

ABN 46 685 560 963

Trading as Steampunk Australia

Competition email: steampunkau2026@gmail.com

Privacy email: steampunkau2026@gmail.com

Postal address: PO Box 2420, Canberra ACT 2601, Australia

Website: steampunk.au/competition

End of Terms and Conditions