2026 Best Photo Contests, Photography Contests, Competitions & Awards

All About Photo has selected the best photo contests, photography competitions and call for entries. This list of international photo competitions and photo contests is thoroughly curated to help photographers find their next creative breakthrough and keep up with all the current opportunities to gain exposure. Exhibition, cash prize, publication... find the photo contest that is right for you.

Stay up-to-date with call for entries, deadlines and other news about exhibitions, galleries, publications, & special events.

Contests Closing Soon

Deadline: June 28, 2026

URBAN 2026 Photo Awards

There is still time to enter the 17th edition of URBAN Photo Awards: the submission deadline has been extended to Sunday 28 June 2026. Don’t miss the chance to bring your work to an international stage and have it seen by some of the most respected names in photography today. Categories There is still time to enter the **17th edition of URBAN Photo Awards: the submission deadline has been extended to Sunday 28 June 2026.** Don’t miss the chance to bring your work to an in

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Deadline: June 29, 2026

12AWARDS International Photography Competition 2026

The 12AWARDS International Photography Competition is a premier global event dedicated to celebrating exceptional vision and the art of visual storytelling.Under the theme "12 AWARDS - 12 VISIONS," the competition seeks to discover and honor twelve definitive pieces of a global visual mosaic, showcasing diverse photographic talents from around the world.Photographers are invited to submit their most impactful work across 12 distinct categories, with entries judged by an esteemed panel of

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Deadline: June 30, 2026

The Shape of a Moment

There are moments that pass like a breath, yet leave an indelible mark. This call invites you to capture the mystery of the fleeting: those subtle intersections of light, emotion, and time that, for a second, reveal something essential. The Shape of a Moment celebrates photography’s ability to hold what slips away — to give form to the intangible. Because sometimes, a single instant is enough to tell an entire story. Awards Group Exhibition in Exposu

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Deadline: June 30, 2026

Hariban Award 2025

Presented by Benrido, the Hariban Award combines a 170-year-old analogue technique with contemporary photography. Glass plates have been used as the base for collotype printing plates which still continues today. The award is called “Hariban” as “Hari” means glass plate, and “ban” means printing plate in Japanese. This Award invites professionals and amateurs alike to submit black and white photographs for a chance to win. Submissions are judged by an international group of Jurors, a

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Deadline: June 30, 2026

World Nature Photography Awards 2027

When great science and great art combine, amazing things can be achieved. That’s the philosophy behind the World Nature Photography Awards, a global nature and wildlife photography contest for planet Earth. We believe in the power of photography to put a spotlight on the majesty and wonder of the natural world around us, reminding us to take action now to secure a better tomorrow for us all. Now celebrating our seventh year, the mission of the World Nature Photography Aw

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Deadline: June 30, 2026

21th Arte Laguna Prize

Arte Laguna Prize is the Venice-based International Contemporary Art Competition that welcomes and exhibits emerging artists of all ages, countries, genders and artistic backgrounds. The competition is free-themed and it embraces 10 different artistic disciplines, including photographic art, video art and digital graphic art. With two decades of experience, the competition offers numerous opportunities for participants to expand their contacts, gain global visibility and access crucial resources

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Deadline: June 30, 2026

2026 Audubon Photography Awards

This contest is open to all nature photographers aged eight and older, with $200 prizes awarded separately to 8 ― 18 year olds and ages 19 and up. Three of the categories (waterscapes, birds, and single bloom) are judged by a panel of two judges. Additionally, a $200 community choice award goes to the youth and adult photo with the most votes. Prizes Eight $200 Winners: One in each judged category for youth and adult, as well as one community choice award for youth and adul

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Deadline: June 30, 2026

13th Portrait

TERAVARNA announces their "13th Portrait" International Juried Art Competition. From striking faces to soulful figures, capture the essence of your subject in any style or medium, with power & personality. Win cash prizes, prestigious certificates, global exposure, and a featured showcase on TERAVARNA’s platform seen by thousands. Let your portraits speak louder than words - and show the world what only you can see! CONDITIONS FOR PARTICIPATION This is an estee

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Deadline: June 30, 2026

2026 APA Awards: Call for Entries

Here are the details: Our annual competition is open to all photographers at every level, worldwide -- everyone from emerging photographers to established professionals. Our Judges will select 46 APA Award Winners this year from 15 categories and one Best of Show. APA members save on each entry. APA Professional and Leader level members save 50% on each image. All winning photographs are featured in our annual awards publication. The new "Series" i

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Deadline: June 30, 2026

Life Framer Street Life 2026

From the pulsing arteries of a bustling metropolis, to the quiet solitude of its empty backstreets. Glistening glass and steel, against crumbling brickwork and eroded stone. Chance encounters and random moments. From Los Angeles to Lagos; as a stranger in a foreign land or on a habitual stroll in the village you’ve always known. Life exists in the streets. Take us there. Urbanscapes, observational photography, accidental revelations, street encounters, city scenes… Inspire us with street pho

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Deadline: June 30, 2026

Photobook Feature: In Focus

er Greif invites publishers and artists to submit recently published photobooks and artist books for consideration. This open call is conceived as a space of encounter between practices, geographies, and ways of thinking through the book as a critical and poetic form. Photobooks are more than containers for images. They are sites of authorship, collaboration, circulation, and resistance. They shape how work is read, shared, and remembered. In a moment defined by accelerated image flow

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Deadline: June 30, 2026

23rd IPA Photography Competition

The 11 Category winners in the Professional Categories will each receive a cash prize of $1,000, while the 11 Category winners in the Non-Professional Categories will each receive $500. All category winners will also receive two tickets to attend the IPA Awards Gala, where they will be considered for the following distinctions: The International Photographer of the Year (Professional Categories) Discovery of the Year (Non-Professional Categories) In total, I

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Contest

Winners Announced: AAP Magazine 57 Portrait Awards

Portrait photography is far more than a mere physical record of a face. It is a profound artistic genre operating at the crossroads of technical mastery and raw human sensibility. While early portraiture in 1839 mimicked the stiff aesthetics of classical paintings for the upper class, modern portrait photography has evolved into a dynamic celebration of the subject. A truly great portrait captures a privileged, fleeting moment where alchemy happens, allowing the photographer to peer beneath the surface and capture the very personality of the subject.

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Contest

Shapes Photography Contest 2026: International Call for Entries

Enter the AAP Magazine Photography Contest: Showcase Your Best Projects on the Theme of Shapes. Show us the elements that abstract into light, texture, shape and shadow. $1,000 Cash Prizes and printed magazine.

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Contest

Marisol Mendez named winner of the 2026 Saltzman-Leibovitz Photography Prize

The Saltzman-Leibovitz Photography Prize was founded in 2025 by photographer and philanthropist Lisa Saltzman, through the Saltzman Family Foundation, in collaboration with internationally renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz.

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Contest

AAP Magazine #56: Shadows - Striking Award-Winning Photography

All About Photo is proud to reveal the winners of AAP Magazine #56: Shadows, a compelling new edition dedicated to one of photography’s most essential—and most evocative—elements.

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Contest

AAP Magazine #58 B&W: International Photography Competition Now Open

AAP Magazine #58 B&W invites photographers worldwide to submit powerful black-and-white photography portfolios for international publication and awards.

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Contest

Separated by ICE by Carol Guzy Wins World Press Photo 2026

When Carol Guzy was announced as the winner of the World Press Photo of the Year 2026, it was not just a recognition of visual excellence. It was an acknowledgment of the enduring power of photojournalism to confront, to reveal, and to hold systems accountable. Her image, Separated by ICE, does not rely on spectacle or ambiguity. It is devastatingly clear: a family, shattered in real time, inside a government building meant to deliver justice.

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Contest

All About Photo Awards 2026: Winners Selected by Steve McCurry

The 11th edition of the All About Photo Awards – The Mind’s Eye reaches a powerful crescendo with the unveiling of its top five winning images, selected by renowned photographer Steve McCurry. Known for his deeply humanistic and visually striking work, McCurry brings his singular vision and decades of experience to this year’s selection, confirming the competition’s place among the most respected global platforms for contemporary photography.

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Contest

World Press Photo Reveals 2026 Contest Winners

The World Press Photo organization has unveiled the winners of its 2026 World Press Photo Contest, once again spotlighting the most compelling visual storytelling from across the globe. This year’s selection underscores the organization’s enduring mission: to connect audiences worldwide with stories that matter through the lens of exceptional photojournalism and documentary photography.

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Contest

AAP Magazine 57 Portrait Photography Contest – Call for Entries

Enter the AAP Magazine #57 Portrait Photography Contest, an international call for entries celebrating powerful portrait photography. Submit your work to gain global exposure, win cash prizes, and be published in AAP Magazine.

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Contest

Prix Picto de la Mode Winners

Jun 08, 2026 | Source: Picto Foundation
The Picto Fashion Photography Award was awarded to Marie Blampain, le19M Award for fine craft photography to Cassandre Lafon, the Fillipo Roversi Award to Jérémie Monnier and the LGA Management / JANVIER Award to Ode.

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Contest

2026 open submission - spotlight award recipients

May 01, 2026 | Source: Belfast Photo Festival
Congratulations to our 2026 Spotlight Award recipients - Louise Desnos with her project ‘Acedia’, and Laura Pannack with her project ‘The Journey Home From School’.

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Contest

On the Block 2nd Edition Winners Announced

Apr 26, 2026 | Source: Lucie foundation
A Street Photography Competition
Lucie Foundation invites you to join us “on the block”, where stories unfold in the open and every corner hides unexpected beauty. ‘On the Block’ celebrates the unposed, unfiltered, and fleeting moments that define the art of documenting everyday life, whether in dense urban streets or sleepy rural towns. From street photography to urban landscape, this competition seeks images that reveal the quiet truths and vivid stories concealed beneath everyday moments. Join us june 13th at house of Lucie los angeles for the opening reception of the winner and finalist group exhibition!

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Contest

Results PhMuseum 2026 Photography Grant

Apr 21, 2026 | Source: PhMuseum
Ukranian photographer Sergey Melnitchenko receives the PhMuseum 2026 Photography Grant Main Prize with the project Frontline Rolls.

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Contest

MFAH Announces Establishment of $50,000 Edelman Impact Award in Photography and First Winner

Apr 20, 2026 | Source: The Museum of Fine Arts
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, is pleased to announce Yael Martínez as the first winner of the newly established Edelman Impact Award in Photography. Martínez will receive a cash prize of $50,000 in recognition of his achievements in photography.

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Contest

Istanbul Photo Awards 2026 winners

Apr 06, 2026 | Source: Istanbul Photo Awards
Palestinian EPA photographer Haitham Imad wins Photo of the Year award for his work titled ‘Gaza, No Hope’. The image captures a heart-wrenching moment asher mother held 2 year old Sham at the Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, southern Gaza.

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Best Photo Contests

Featured Competitions

AAP Magazine#59: SHAPES

Photographer of the Week 28 - 2026

AAP Solo Exhibition August 2026

Critical Mass 2026

Contests Closing Soon

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