Photography contests are a great way to showcase your images to the world. You can share your photos with a wider audience by entering these competitions. And you perhaps get some feedback from professionals or fellow photographers.
You might not win any money. But posting your images on the competition’s website has a lot of benefits. We’ve updated our page for the best daily, monthly, and yearly photo contests. Check back often for updates!
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What Are the Best Photography Contests to Enter in 2026?
These 22 best photography contests feature impartial judging, clear criteria, and diverse categories. These best photo contests for 2026 all encourage creativity, originality, and technical skill. For your convenience, we have split this list into multiple categories:
Read the fine print for photo submission guidelines. You want to be sure you’re sending photos in the proper size and format. Most contests don’t accept purely AI-generated images but may allow AI edits.
You can enter Guru’s daily and Life Framer’s monthly contests as much as you like. We checked every contest’s dates in October 2026. And we’ll update the deadlines as new ones come out. Don’t miss out on competing for prestigious awards and prizes! We hope you are inspired and have fun with them.
Contests for Beginners
1. GuruShots Photography Contests
- Deadline: New challenge every day
- Fee: Free to play; exhibition challenges need a paid application
- Prizes: Coins, in-app rewards, and sponsor prizes, listed in each challenge
GuruShots takes a unique approach to photography contests. A new photo challenge is posted daily, and it’s up to each individual to decide how many challenges to enter.
Some of the winning artworks are exhibited in galleries worldwide. To take part in an exhibition challenge, you pay an application fee before the challenge ends. A curator then picks photos to print or show on screens at photo fairs and galleries.
The GuruShots website and application also lets you connect with photographers worldwide. Besides winning prizes, you can gain exposure and feedback from other artists, which can help you improve as a photographer.
2. Life Framer Competitions
- Deadline: End of each month
- Fees: $20 to $100
- Prizes: $2,000 for each monthly 1st prize winner ($24,000 a year). Each month, the 1st and 2nd prize winners have their images exhibited and published.
Life Framer competitions are suitable for photographers from all photo niches.
Every month, a new photo category is introduced. These include black-and-white, street photography, travel, portraits, and animal kingdom. Industry-leading photographers judge each category individually.
Entering one image costs $20, three cost $30, and six cost $40. A $100 membership lets you enter up to 10 images in each of 12 monthly competitions.
You can also pay $35 for detailed written feedback on your photos. This can significantly help to improve your photography.
3. iPhone Photography Awards
- Deadline: March 31, 2027
- Fee: $9.50 (one entry) to $150.50 (50 entries)
- Photographer of the Year (Grand Prix, 1st, 2nd, 3rd): Prizes to be announced
- 1st Place in Each Category: Gold bar and certificate
- 2nd Place in Each Category: Platinum bar and certificate
- 3rd Place in Each Category: Platinum bar and certificate
This is the world’s first and most respected iPhone photo contest. The IPP Awards are the Oscars of the mobile photography world. They have launched the careers of many iPhone photographers globally.
This year marks the 20th awards. Last year, thousands of entries were received from more than 140 countries. There are 12 categories to join, including architecture, portrait, abstract, and landscape.
The rules of this photo contest are simple. Every image must be taken from an iPhone or iPad and be no smaller than 1,000 pixels. You can submit bundles of one to 50 images for fees between $9.50 and $150.50.
Check out our Urban Smartphone Minimalism eBook to help perfect the images you take with your smartphone camera.
4. Amateur Photographer of the Year Competition
- Deadline: Ten monthly rounds; the last round closes on February 1, 2027
- Fees: £8 (1 image), £24 (4 images), £48 (12 images), £100 (40 images)
- Eligibility: Amateur photographers anywhere in the world
- Grand Prize after 10 rounds: £1,000 Park Cameras voucher and a £100 Bob Books voucher
- Each Round: The winner gets a £300 Park Cameras voucher, DxO software, and more; two runners-up get a DxO Nik Collection licence and a £25 Bob Books voucher
- Young APOY (ages 13 to 21, free to enter): £250 Park Cameras voucher and a £100 Bob Books voucher
The Amateur Photographer of the Year Competition provides a great platform for beginners and amateur photography enthusiasts. Its unique format encourages experimentation in different genres of photography.
You will have ten subjects over ten monthly rounds to submit work for. There are winners for each round, and the overall winner is the photographer with the most points across all rounds. The 2026 subjects include black and white, street, close-up and macro, landscapes, and more.
This format is ideal if you need an extra boost to try new genres of photography. It is also perfect for photographers who have a lot of creativity but find it hard to direct.
5. Anthology Creative Awards
- Deadline: November 30, 2026
- Theme: The World As You See It
- Fee: €18 per image
- Grand Prize: €500 and publication opportunity
Anthology Creative Awards is open to photographers working at any level. Therefore, it is a great platform for beginners to test their favorite photos. The 2026 theme, “The World As You See It”, is broad, so your strongest images will likely be eligible.
There are also no restrictions on eligibility for photographers. You can enter if you work from anywhere in the world, and there is no limit to how many photos you can enter.
Anthology suggests looking at previous winners and their magazine, Anthology, before entering. This will give you a good idea of the kind of work they like and the type of photography that is likely to win in the future.
Contests for Black and White Photographers
6. MonoVisions Black & White Photography Awards
- Early Deadline: January 17, 2027
- Final Deadline: May 16, 2027
- Fees: $20 or $25 (single), $25 or $30 (series)
- Black-and-White Series of the Year: $3,000 award
- Black-and-White Photo of the Year: $2,000 award
This photo contest is meant to discover the best black-and-white photographers. (Only monochromatic submissions are allowed.) You can enter photos taken with both digital and analog cameras.
Apart from the two main categories (single and series), there are 12 subcategories. These include abstract, conceptual, and nude photography and other standard subcategories.
The entry fee for a series is $30, and for a single image, it is $25. There is an early-bird discount for entries submitted before January 17.
7. Monochrome Photography Award
- Deadline: November 15, 2026
- Winners Announced: January 3, 2027
- Fees: $22 (amateur) or $27 (professional) per entry
- Professional Section Prize: $2,000 and certificate
- Non-Professional Grand Prize: $1,000 and certificate
- 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Category Winners: Certificate, online winners’ gallery, and the annual book
Are black-and-white photos your thing? Then this is the photo competition for you. There are 13 categories to enter, including landscape, fashion, and abstract photos.
If you are in the top three of any of them, you will receive a certificate and a place in the online winners’ gallery. Winners’ work and the names of honorable mentions will also be included in the Monochrome Photography Awards Annual Book.
Each entry costs $27 for professionals and $22 for amateurs.
The only rule is that the image must be black-and-white in film or digital. Toned images like selenium or sepia are also accepted. So start getting creative. This is your time to shine.
Contest for Portrait Photographers
8. LensCulture Portrait Awards
- Deadline: The 2026 awards closed on February 18, 2026. Check the site for the 2027 call.
- Series Award Winners 1st Place Prize: $3,500
- Series Award Winners 2nd Place Prize: $2,000
- Series Award Winners 3rd Place Prize: $1,000
- Single Image Award Winners 1st Place Prize: $2,000
- Single Image Award Winners 2nd Place Prize: $1,000
- Single Image Award Winners 3rd Place Prize: $500
LensCulture’s mission is to discover talented photographers. They look for creative photographs from worldwide. You can submit one entry for free and more with various fees. Plus, enrolled students receive a 30% discount.
This photo contest is open to every type of portrait photography. That includes studio, candid, conceptual, or self-portraits. They appreciate every approach to portraiture. But it has to be executed in an imaginative and refined way.
The winners are offered professional visibility. Their photos are featured at international photo festivals like Photo London.
They also receive press coverage from magazines worldwide. This includes The Telegraph, The Guardian, Washington Post, and The British Journal of Photography.
Read our Creative Portrait Concepts eBook to see how to take your portraits to another level.
9. Winston Taylor Photo Portrait Prize
- Deadline: The 2026 call closed on April 21, 2026. Check the site for the 2027 call.
- Fee: £22 per image (2026)
- 1st Prize: £15,000 (2026)
- 2nd and 3rd Prizes: £3,000 and £2,000 (2026)
- Commission Prize: £8,000 to make a portrait for the gallery’s Collection (2026)
- Exhibition: November 5, 2026 to January 17, 2027 at the National Portrait Gallery, London
The Winston Taylor Photo Portrait Prize (formerly the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize) is the leading international photo contest. As the name suggests, it focuses on portraiture.
This Prize promotes and celebrates the very best in contemporary portrait photography. It does so through its established reputation.
Talented professionals, amateurs, and emerging artists can submit their work. The jury selects the best images—many of which are being shown for the first time.
They touch on ideas and concepts surrounding portraits. But they also explore other themes. A range of moods, settings, characters, and expressions are present.
The judges also choose the works for an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Besides first, second, and third prizes, there is an £8,000 commission prize.
You can view the 2023 portrait winners’ photos and buy the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize book.
Contests for Wildlife and Landscape Photographers
10. BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition
- Deadline: The 2026 competition closed on March 8, 2026. Check the site for the 2027 call.
- Fee: $25 (up to 10 images), $15 (Photo Story: one video and up to five images)
- Winner: $5,000 and is featured in the California Academy of Sciences annual exhibit
- Category Winners: $1,000
This natural photo award focuses on the world’s natural diversity. And it aims to inspire action to conserve it. The contest accepts nature, wildlife, and conservation images from all around the world. They’re organized into seven categories.
This includes abstract expressions of nature, such as photos from under a microscope. Aquatic life, landscapes, wild animals, and human interactions with nature are also welcome.
You can enter up to 10 single images in one entry, and you can send more than one entry. The Photo Story category takes one short video with up to five supporting images.
Check out our Wonderful Wildlife eBook to capture those decisive moments in nature.
11. International Landscape Photographer of the Year
- Deadline: October 31, 2026
- Fee: $25 per image (every fifth entry is free if you enter by October 24, 2026)
- Photographer 1st Prize: $5,000, trophy, and a printed copy of the awards book
- Photographer 2nd Prize: $1,000, trophy, and a printed copy of the awards book
- Photographer 3rd Prize: $500, trophy, and a printed copy of the awards book
- Photograph 1st Prize: $2,000, trophy, and a printed copy of the awards book
- Photograph 2nd Prize: $1,000, trophy, and a printed copy of the awards book
- Photograph 3rd Prize: $500, trophy, and a printed copy of the awards book
- 5 Special Awards: $500, trophy, and a printed copy of the awards book
- Top 101: Certificate and PDF of awards book
If you shoot landscapes, enter the International Landscape Photographer of the Year award. This is their thirteenth year, and it’s still going strong.
There is no limit on how many images you can enter. But only four of your images can reach the Top 101, and you need at least four entries to compete for Photographer of the Year.
The jury rates the images between 1 and 100 from all these submissions. They choose the top 101 images and move to the second round of judging. First, they find the best images and search for the best landscape photographers.
There is a Photographer of the Year, a Photo of the Year, and five special subject awards. The special categories are black and white, seascape, snow and ice, cloud, and night.
Each section undergoes a rigorous selection process. The top winners are published and receive a printed copy of the awards book.
The cost is $25 per image. Your images must come from exposures taken on or after January 1, 2021.
The best thing about this photo contest is that you are not restricted in photo manipulation. Just make sure you do it yourself. No AI-generated images are allowed.
Take our Epic Landscape Editing course to ensure your photo entries look stunning.
12. World Nature Photography Awards
- Deadline: Late entries are open now (the final deadline was June 30, 2026)
- Fee: £30 (6 images)
- Grand Prize: $1,000
In its seventh year, the World Nature Photography Awards continues to provide a great platform for wildlife photographers of every skill level. They provide a wide range of categories, so whatever your niche is in nature photography, you will find a space here.
This competition also has an ecological approach. They ask that none of the images feature captive or restrained animals. They also plant one tree for every entry, a great way to aid the planet using their platform.
Amateurs and professionals compete in the same categories. This means photographers of any skill level can enter, even photographers who may have gone on their first safari trip.
13. The Nature Photography Contest
- Deadline: November 15, 2026 (extended deadline: November 25, 2026)
- Fee: €10 each photo
- Grand Prize: €1,000
- Category Winners: €100
The Nature Photography Contest aims to ‘raise awareness of how crucial it is to protect our planet.’ It does this by selecting and displaying beautiful images from around the world. The top images are selected by working photographers at the top of their field.
Like the previous competition, this contest plants trees, one for every participant. The difference here is that the winner gets to pick the country where the trees get planted. This is a great way to promote a sustainable future.
There is a Funny Nature category for wildlife’s comical moments. You can submit your images in as many categories as you want. This competition is also open to landscapes and macro, encompassing all facets of nature.
Contests for Professionals
14. International Photography Awards (IPA)
- Deadline: The 2026 final deadline was June 30, 2026. Check the site for the 2027 call.
- Fee: $20 to $65
- International Photographer of the Year Prize: $10,000, trophy, exhibition, and publication
- Discovery of the Year Prize: $5,000, trophy, exhibition, and publication
- 11 Professional Category Winners: $1,000, exhibition, and publication
- 11 Non-Professional Category Winners: $500, exhibition, and publication
- Prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Prize Winners in Subcategories: Certificate, exhibition, publication, and ticket to the gala
The International Photography Awards is one of the highest-paying photo contests around. Its winners receive the IPA Trophy. The contest has run since 2003.
There are 11 categories to choose from for professional and non-professional photographers alike. They cover everything, including advertising, editorial, and sports. A “special” category also covers niche photography like AI.
Category winners who attend the awards week get a $500 travel allowance. The 2026 awards ceremony takes place in Athens on October 11, 2026.
This photo contest is the primary funding mechanism for the Lucie Foundation. It is a non-profit, charitable foundation to honor the masters of photography.
Entry fees range from $20 to $65 for single or multiple images. All winning images are published in a high-quality International Photography Awards book.
15. Aperture Portfolio Prize
- Deadline: The 2026 prize closed on January 11, 2026. Check the site for the 2027 call.
- Fee: No entry fee, but you need a current Aperture print subscription ($75 a year in the US)
- 1st Prize: $5,000 cash prize, $1,000 gift card for camera gear, and publication in Aperture magazine
- 4 Shortlisted Artists: $1,000 each and a feature on aperture.org
- All 5 Finalists: Group exhibition in New York
This contest is looking for new photography talents. It finds those who deserve recognition in contemporary photography.
After getting a print subscription, you must upload 10 to 15 photos you want to enter. This contest is unique because you must also submit a resume, a photographer’s bio, and a statement about your photo work.
The jury looks at consistency, fresh ideas, and technical aspects. They want a unique approach to the subject. The theme is not further specified. It is up to each person to be as innovative as possible with their photos.
16. ND Awards
- Deadline: The 2026 final deadline was September 20, 2026. Check the site for the 2027 call.
- Winners Announced: November 22, 2026
- Fee: $24 to $34, extra $10 per category
- Professional Grand Prize: $3,000 (and $500 for category winner)
- Non-Professional Grand Prize: $2,000 (and $400 for category winner)
- 6 Professional Category Winners: $500
- 5 Non-Professional Category Winners: $400
The Neutral Density (ND) awards aim to promote photography. They do this by presenting photographers to audiences all over the globe.
This award showcases some of the world’s most outstanding imagery—yours could be in it! The winning image receives recognition, prestige, and publicity.
This photo contest is the perfect place for professional photographers. It allows them to compete across six main categories. These include fine art, nature, and architecture.
Five categories are available for amateur photo submissions. A respected jury judges both competitions. It consists of acclaimed gallery owners, publishers, editors, and photographers.
These awards have existed since 2014. ND magazine and its community initiated this photo contest.
17. Sony World Photography Awards 2027
- Deadline: January 12, 2027 (Series), January 5, 2027 (Single Image and Youth), November 27, 2026 (Student)
- Fee: Free (paid image bundles let Single Image and Youth entrants enter more than three images)
- Photographer of the Year (Series competition): $25,000, Sony digital imaging equipment, a solo exhibition, and more
- Single Image Competition Winner: $5,000, Sony digital imaging equipment, and more
- Category Winners: Sony digital imaging equipment, exhibition, and more
- Student Competition Winner: Sony digital imaging equipment, exhibition, and more
- Overall Winning University: Sony digital imaging equipment worth about €30,000
- Youth Competition Winner: Sony digital imaging kit, exhibition, publication, and more
- Shortlist: Exhibition, publication (student), and more
The Sony World Photography Award has four simultaneous photo contests. They are Series (previously Professional), Single Image (previously Open), Student, and Youth. Each one has a different prize combination of cash and Sony imaging equipment.
Who wouldn’t enjoy $25,000 or $5,000 and camera gear? That’s a lot to help you continue to take stunning shots.
One of the other great things about this competition is the traveling exhibition. No matter which country I find myself in, I always notice the Sony World Photography Award image.
Single Image and Youth photos must be taken in 2026. For the Series competition, you send five to 10 images, so don’t be shy.
We love this competition because it is free to enter. That’s right, free. You can also choose from 20 different categories. Single Image and Youth entrants get three free images and can buy image bundles to enter more.
18. Istanbul Photo Awards
- Deadline: The 2026 edition closed on January 13, 2026. Check the site for the 2027 call.
- Fee: Free (professionals only)
- Prizes: $6,000 for the Photo of the Year, $3,000 for other first prizes, $1,500 for second places, and $1,000 for third places, plus exhibition and publication
Anadolu Agency organizes this international news photo contest. The idea first came from capturing Istanbul’s diverse culture from different perspectives. Over time, the Istanbul Photo Awards has become a widely known news photo contest.
One of the biggest perks of this photo competition is that it’s free. You can take part in 10 categories with single photos or a photo series (consisting of 10 images). The jury comprises nine photographers involved in either photojournalism or news editing.
The winners’ works are published in a photobook and exhibited in several cities worldwide. This includes Istanbul, New York, and Tokyo. If you are a photojournalist, this contest is worth a try!
19. PhMuseum Photography Grant
- Deadline: The 2026 grant closed in February 2026. Check the site for the 2027 call.
- Fee: €30 (early bird) or €35 in 2026
- 1st Prize: €5,000, exhibition, and more
- 2nd Prize: €2,000, exhibition, and more
- 3rd Prize: €1,000 and more
- New Generation Prize: €2,000, exhibition, and more
- Other: Various exhibitions, portfolio reviews, festival projections, and more
This competition focuses on the importance of visual storytelling. Photographers with both a classic approach and innovative projects are welcome to enter.
You can enter one or more photo projects on any theme. In 2026, the entry fee was €35, or €30 if you applied before the early bird deadline.
An independent jury with various photo backgrounds reviews the submissions. This contest is a great opportunity if you are outstanding in narrative photography. And who wouldn’t be happy about extra cash you can invest in your artwork?
20. Communication Arts Photography Competition 2027
- Deadline: March 12, 2027 (late entries until March 26, 2027, for an extra $10 each)
- Fee: $20 to $80 for photos
- Category Winners: Personalized award of excellence and award certificate
Most photography contests come with cash prizes. The communication arts photo competition stands out as being one that doesn’t. But don’t let that put you off. It is still a revered photo contest.
Your images must have been captured or published between March 2026 and March 2027 to be eligible. Contest fees range from $20 to $80 for photos, depending on the category (nine total).
Besides winning a personalized excellence award, your image is distributed worldwide in digital and print formats. This is in the Communication Arts Photography Annual.
A distinguished jury of designers, art directors, and photographers choose the winning images. If you’re looking for one of the most coveted awards in the photo industry, you have found it. Submit today!
21. Nikon Small World 2027
- Deadline: April 30, 2027
- Fee: Free
- 1st Prize: $3,000
- 2nd Prize: $2,000
- 3rd Prize: $1,000
- 4th Prize: $800
- 5th Prize: $600
- 6th Prize: $500
- 7th to 10th Prizes: $400
- 11th to 20th Prizes: $300
- Honorable Mentions: $200
The Nikon Small World photo contest offers the greatest chance of winning a cash prize. Whether you place first or 20th, you’ll still win money. A video contest (Small World In Motion Video Competition) also exists.
This photo competition is about photomicrography (which differs from macro photography). This is the discipline of photographing through a light microscope.
As a long-standing camera manufacturer, Nikon has run this competition since 1975. That’s longer than I’ve been taking photos, let alone being alive.
Anyone aged 18 or over can enter, and they do in droves. They receive submissions from almost every continent on the planet. You need a light microscope, and AI-generated images are not allowed. But you don’t have to use Nikon cameras or microscopes.
Each participant can upload three images for free. Even if you don’t want to enter, check out the previous winners. The images are stunning, and they might motivate you to apply.
Maybe you’re not ready to invest in photomicrography. Our Macro Magic course can help you take the first few steps toward discovering the hidden beauty around you.
22. LensCulture Art Photography Awards
- Deadline: The 2026 awards closed on December 17, 2025. Check the site for the 2027 call.
- Fees: Free to $45 (30% discount for students), optional $25 for written review
- Series Award Winners 1st Place Prize: $3,500, exhibition, and more
- Series Award Winners 2nd Place Prize: $2,000, exhibition, and more
- Series Award Winners 3rd Place Prize: $1,000, exhibition, and more
- Single Image Award Winners 1st Place Prize: $2,000, exhibition, and more
- Single Image Award Winners 2nd Place Prize: $1,000, exhibition, and more
- Single Image Award Winners 3rd Place Prize: $500, exhibition, and more
The LensCulture Art Photography Awards recognize creativity. And it pushes the boundaries of traditional photography. It brings attention to diverse and thought-provoking art captured through the camera lens.
Both new and experienced artists can show off their work. You can enter one image for free, five single images for $35, or a series of up to 10 images for $45.
They accept all sorts of photography styles. You can submit anything from portraits to experimental photos. This gives artists a chance to share their unique perspectives.
Experts in photography and art judge the awards. It highlights photographers who tell compelling stories through their images. Prizes include exhibitions, projections, and features to help kickstart or boost photography careers.
All entrants get the chance to have their work shown to a wider audience through LensCulture’s website and the press. Series entries and entries of five or more single images also include a LensCulture portfolio account.
Conclusion: Best Photography Contests
We hope you enjoyed our collection of the best photo competitions for 2026. Entering photography contests is not only fun. It’s a way to test your photos in a competitive environment.
It is also an excellent way to gain recognition and win cash prizes for your art. So enter one yourself! Or, if you don’t want to enter one, check out the winners for inspiration to propel your work!
If you want to improve your chances of winning, try our Wow Factor video course or master composition with our Intuitive Composition eBook! Or check out our Effortless Editing With Lightroom course to fine-tune your work.
