Congratulations to the winners of the 2025 Free to Be Me Photo Competition — and thank you to everyone who submitted an entry, cast a vote or joined us at the exhibition.

This year's competition and exhibition formed part of the global 16 Days of Activism campaign (25 November–10 December), which calls for an end to gender-based violence.

Free to Be Me invited our community to capture powerful images that challenge gender stereotypes and celebrate respect, equality and safety for all.

Violence against women, girls and non-binary people is preventable. By questioning and challenging the stereotypes about what men, women and non-binary people “should” do, we can all help change the story.

Congratulations to the winners

Youth Category

  • Highly Commended – Juniper for “Expert on Me”
  • Winner – Angel for “Amongst the Flowers”
Make sure you select each image to view it in full and browse the gallery.

Adult Category / People's Choice Award

  • Highly Commended and People's Choice Award Winner – Elle for “Free to Make a Splash”
  • Winner – Rebecca for “Flowering”
Make sure you select each image to view it in full and browse the gallery.

Browse all the shortlisted entries

Make sure you select each image to view it in full and browse the gallery.

Prizes

  • First Place Adult: $200 Cash + $200 Framing by Maddisons
  • First Place Youth (12-25): $150 Cash + $150 Framing by Maddisons
  • Highly Commended Adult: $100 Cash
  • Highly Commended Youth: $50 Cash
  • Zonta Club of Kyneton People’s Choice Award: $200 cash

Macedon Ranges Shire Council is not liable to any entrant and/or winner for any cancellation, changes or unavailability of the prizes. This includes, but is not limited to, the inability to retrieve the prize from the email address it was issued to, for whatever reason.

Where a prize is unavailable for any reason, Macedon Ranges Shire Council reserves the right to provide a substitute prize of equal or greater value.

Macedon Ranges Shire Council is committed to protecting your privacy.

The personal information you provide through this competition is being collected for the primary purpose of attribution alongside your feedback for record-keeping or validation purposes and to enable two-way communication where appropriate, to keep you updated in relation to this competition.

Where required, the personal information being collected will be provided to Macedon Ranges Shire Council staff or contractors, to help inform feedback and enable them to communicate with you in relation to the competition where appropriate. Personal information is required to be de-identified in any public summary of feedback.

Your personal information will not be disclosed to any external party without your consent, unless required or authorised by law.

If you wish to gain access to, or alter any personal information you have supplied through this consultation, please contact Macedon Ranges Shire Council via phone (03) 5422 0333 or email mrsc@mrsc.vic.gov.au.

Information provided will be stored in accordance with Council’s Record Management Policy and destroyed in accordance with the Public Records Act 1973.

You can access our Privacy Policy on Council's website, and it is available for inspection at Council’s customer service centres.