Empire State Building Announces 10th Annual Photo Contest, with Grand Prize of $5k and $500 Gift Card

NEW YORK (June 24, 2021) - Empire State Realty Trust (NYSE: ESRT) announced today that the 10th annual Empire State Building Photo Contest will return on June 24, 2021. Photographers of all skill levels are invited to share their best images of and from the famous building for a chance to win the grand prize of $5,000 and a gift card for photo equipment with a retail value of $500. The second-place winner will receive a $1,500 check. In honor of the Empire State Building’s 90th anniversary, there will be 90 finalists in this year's contest. 

Photographers have a chance to win in eight categories including:  

• Smart Phone Shot, where entrants submit photos taken on their iPhone or similar;  
• Observatory Views, which features the Empire State Building's iconic views taken from one of its Observatories;  
• Sunrise/Sunset, which features photos of or from the Empire State Building during the golden hours;  
• Weather Shot, which captures the building under rain, sleet, snow, or rainbow;  
• Photoshop/Edit, which allows entrants to get creative with edits from unique backgrounds to starry night skies;  
• Amateur Entry, a new category in which photo newbies show their best shots; 
• ESB x City Wide, a new category for shots that show off the building surrounded by large parts of the city;  
• General Entry, where contestants can enter if they don’t fit any of the above. 

 To participate, entrants must submit their photos on www.esbphotocontest.com, or via a public Instagram or Twitter account using both #ESBPhotoContest21 and #contest hashtags. Each category winner will receive a $500 check. 

 “As a global icon and a must-see attraction in New York, the Empire State Building is the most photographed building in the world,” said Jean-Yves Ghazi, president of the Empire State Building Observatory. “We can’t wait to see this year’s entries from our talented visitors.” 

Winners will be prominently featured with credit in a window display located in the building’s landmark Fifth Avenue lobby, the Observatory Experience on the Empire State Building’s 80th floor, and on the Empire State Building’s social channels. 

Submissions must be entered by 11:59 p.m. ET on Aug. 19, 2021. After finalists are chosen, the public is invited to vote for the grand prize and second prize winners on Instagram and Twitter, and the category winners on www.esbphotocontest.com. 

Entrants must be over the age of 18 and legal residents of the United States, excluding California. For official rules and additional information about the photo contest, please visit www.esbphotocontest.com.