Canon Oceania has named four Australian winners in its 2026 Grants Program, which marks its 20th year.
The recipients are Turtles in Trouble Rescue, Smart Pups Assistance Dogs, Charlestown East Public School and Guthrie House. Each will receive AUD $5,000, split between AUD $2,500 in funding and AUD $2,500 in Canon equipment, through a scheme that supports grassroots organisations in Australia and New Zealand.
Guthrie House also received a separate Judges' Award, which includes up to AUD $10,000 in studio time with a professional photographer or videographer at Canon studios in Sydney or Melbourne.
Over two decades, the Grants Program has provided more than AUD $700,000 in funding, technology and related support across both countries. This year's round focuses on community, education, environment and First Nations work.
Kotaro Fukushima, Managing Director & CEO of Canon Oceania, said the program was built to give local groups the tools to tell their stories.
"For 20 years, our Grants Program has been grounded in the simple belief that when you give passionate local people the tools to share their stories, the positive impact ripples right across the community," Fukushima said.
"This year's Australian winners embody the dedication at the heart of our community. We are proud to back their vision and provide the technology and funding they need to drive lasting, positive change."
Community projects
Smart Pups Assistance Dogs received the community grant. The organisation trains assistance dogs for children living with autism, diabetes or mobility challenges, and plans to use the support for a visual project called Through Their Eyes.
The project will document activity at Smart Pups' Community Shed, where families, volunteers and young people contribute to the training program. It is intended to capture interactions between the children, the dogs and the wider support network around them.
Sharni Pinder of Smart Pups Assistance Dogs said the grant would help bring the project to life by capturing the connection between assistance dogs, children with disabilities, families, volunteers and the wider community behind the initiative.
"By sharing stories, we hope to inspire greater understanding, inclusion and awareness of the life-changing impact Smart Pups Assistance Dogs have on confidence, independence, belonging and so much more," Pinder said.
Student newsroom
In the education category, Charlestown East Public School will use the grant to launch a student-led newspaper and photo studio called The Charlestown East Voice. The initiative grew from a proposal by a Year 4 student and is designed to involve pupils from kindergarten to Year 6 as reporters, photographers and editors.
The first reporting project will cover a student effort to turn recycled plastic into a bike rack for the school. Canon cameras and printing equipment will allow students to produce the publication on site for the school community.
Asya Khristosova of the Charlestown East Public School P&C said the grant would help expand the newspaper as a platform for students to share their perspectives, stories and ideas.
She said the initiative would support student voice while helping develop creativity, leadership, collaboration, organisation and production skills. The funding will go towards the tools needed to produce the newsletter and training for student editors.
Conservation work
Turtles in Trouble Rescue won the environment category. Formed after severe flooding on the Fraser Coast, the group responds to callouts involving sick and injured sea turtles.
Until now, volunteers have relied on mobile phones to record images. The grant will provide higher-resolution photography for identifying individual turtles, assessing injuries and supplying data to the Department of Environment, Technology, Science and Innovation, along with a printer for training and community materials.
Sea turtles hold cultural significance for the Butchulla Nation and are a key part of the region's marine ecosystem. Better image quality is expected to improve both the group's internal monitoring and its reporting to government.
Lisa McCudden of Turtles in Trouble said the funding would help cover fuel costs for transporting sick and injured sea turtles to Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital for specialist care, while the Canon equipment would strengthen the group's rescue and conservation work over the long term.
Healing through images
Guthrie House received the First Nations grant and the additional Judges' Award. The organisation is a women's recovery service for people affected by trauma, homelessness and the criminal justice system, and says about 78% of its residents identify as Aboriginal women.
Its Through Our Eyes project uses photography and visual storytelling as part of social and emotional wellbeing work. Participants will use cameras and portable printers to create images and printed "healing cards" linked to identity, culture, belonging and recovery.
Christine Duggan of Guthrie House said the project would give Aboriginal women the opportunity to explore and share stories of healing, identity, culture and belonging through photography and creative expression.
She said the photographs and reflections created would become lasting healing resources, made by Aboriginal women for Aboriginal women.