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: May 28, 2026

YellowKorner x Blind Magazine Photo Contest

An international contest celebrating joy through photography For twenty years, YellowKorner has been guided by a simple belief: beautiful photography deserves to be accessible to everyone. Twenty years of discovering talent, sharing images that captivate, move, and transport, and building a network of 80 galleries around the world, so that everyone can enjoy them. To celebrate this anniversary, YellowKorner is partnering with Blind Magazine, a leading online media outlet fo

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Deadline: May 28, 2026

The Lumen Prize 2026

The Lumen Prize for Art and Technology is a globally recognised award celebrating the best in digital and technology-driven art. Since its inception in 2012, the competition has showcased artists who push the boundaries of creative innovation, blending art with cutting-edge technology such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and blockchain. With its mission to promote digital art on an international stage, the Lumen Prize has become a prestigious platfo

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Deadline: May 28, 2026

Reflections in Blue Art Competition

Megalopolitan Art Gallery invites artists worldwide to submit their work for the upcoming online art exhibition Reflections in Blue. We encourage creative and personal interpretations of the theme using subject matter, emotion, symbolism, or blue as the central element. The gallery seeks works that moves beyond the obvious, that finds blue in unexpected places, in tension with other ideas, or transformed through an artist’s singular perspective. All traditional and contemporary media are welco

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Deadline: May 29, 2026

Annual Americana Photo Awards

We are delighted to announce the first annual Americana Photo Awards, a global photography show that transcends borders to celebrate the rich tapestry of America's spirit. From stunning landscapes, architectural wonders to cultural moments and the vibrant people who shape the American identity. The awards international jury encourages you to express your unique perspective and capture the essence of this extraordinary nation. Visit Americana Photo Awards today and submit your best ima

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Deadline: May 29, 2026

Black and White Spider Awards 2026

The 21st edition of Black & White Spider Awards is now open and accepting entries. With over 235 title awards, international press and exposure to the biggest names in photography - it’s your chance to be recognized as the best in the industry. Get exposure and put your work in front of the world's leading galleries, art directors, curators, editors and publishers and be recognized by the industry at the premier international awards show for black and white photography. Enter your best

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Deadline: May 30, 2026

The Homiens Art Prize Spring 2026

Whether you are an emerging artist seeking a definitive career launchpad or an established professional, the Homiens Art Prize represents a meritocratic and prestigious gateway to significant industry recognition. Open to all artists, the Homiens Art Prize is a high-impact, career-defining opportunity engineered to provide a global stage for our winners and finalists, who feature in our quarterly exhibitions. Our contest accepts all artworks, mediums, and art forms, including but not limited to

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Deadline: May 30, 2026

Academy Photo Awards 2026

Celebrating the Beauty of Our Natural World The Academy Photo Awards 2026 is a seasonal photography competition dedicated to showcasing the breathtaking beauty, power, and fragility of nature. From majestic wildlife to serene landscapes, microscopic wonders to dramatic weather phenomena. Prizes: Grand Prize Winner Best Nature Photograph of 2026 $500 USD Includes a $500 cash award, a featured interview on the Academy Photo Awards platform, social

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Deadline: May 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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Deadline: May 30, 2026

In Full Color, Juried by Liz Lidgett

Create! Magazine is pleased to announce the open call for Issue No. 58, In Full Color, juried by Liz Lidgett. This is an international, juried open call open to artists worldwide working in any medium (except AI). We invite you to respond to the concept of color in whatever way feels most true to your current practice. Color as language. Color as structure, memory, or emotion. Your interpretation is the work. All subjects and mediums are welcome.

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Deadline: May 31, 2026

10th Singapore Young Photographer Award

Calling all aspiring photographers and lens-based artists aged 13 to 25! SYPA is your stage to showcase creativity, technical finesse, and bold perspectives. Whether you’re a local or an international youth living in Singapore, this is your chance to shine. From street photography to portraiture and conceptual work, we want to see your strongest, most compelling images. SYPA celebrates the fresh viewpoints and visual storytelling that only young photographers can bring.

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Deadline: May 31, 2026

Photometria Awards Open Call 2026

As the festival reaches its 18th edition, it symbolically enters a phase of maturity, capable of reflecting on and exploring central issues of transition. Coming of Age (18+) focuses on the process of coming of age, not as a chronological or legal milestone, but as a multifaceted condition shaped by internal and social ruptures, redefinitions, and acts of self-determination. Innocence does not disappear, but is transformed, while the subject is constituted as conscious, responsible, a

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Deadline: May 31, 2026

HIPA 2026 - Family

The Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) has unveiled ‘Family’ as the theme for its Fifteenth Season Competition. This season will feature five main categories, with ‘Family’ serving as the primary theme. ‘Sports Photography’ category is now a staple along with ‘General (Black & White and Colour)’ category and ‘Portfolio (Story-Telling)’ category. The other new category is ‘Dreams Through AI’, rounding off the categor

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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

CPW Announces 2026 Vision Awards Recipients

CPW is proud to announce the recipients of its 2026 CPW Vision Awards. Each of the honorees has had a significant impact on the field of photography, and will be celebrated in person at the CPW Vision Awards gala on May 16, 2026, at CPW’s headquarters in Kingston, New York.

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Contest

The Powerful Winning Images of AAP Magazine 55 Women

AAP Magazine #55 explores women in photography through the work of 25 winning photographers—17 women and 8 men—representing 12 countries across 3 continents. From fine art to street photography and documentary, this global selection highlights diverse perspectives and celebrates the strength, creativity, and evolving representation of women in contemporary photography.

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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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Contest

Raw Photo Fest Announces its 2026 Open Call Winners

Feb 27, 2026 | Source: The Raw Society
The International series winner is Marcus DeSieno (USA), with his powerful project Geography of Disappearance: Migrant Deaths on the US/Mexico Border, while the International Singles Winner, Ryan Murphy (USA), also won with his shocking photograph showing a man being detained by U.S. Border Patrol agents inside a fast-food restaurant under construction. The man sustained injuries to his face while agents wrestled him to the ground after he attempted to ﬂee.

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Best Photo Contests

Featured Competitions

AAP Magazine 58: Black and White

Photographer of the Week 23 - 2026

AAP Solo Exhibition June 2026

The 2026 Paula Riff Award

Contests Closing Soon

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