Stay informed about the latest international photography contests around the world. Discover new opportunities to showcase your work, participate in global competitions, gain recognition, and challenge your creativity through diverse themes and inspiring photographic platforms.
THE 87th INTERNATIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC SALON OF JAPAN
Online Entries Only! (Printed submissions will not be accepted.)
The International Photographic Salon, which is the most historic photographic contest in Japan,
is now accepting only online submissions via their website.
SPIE International Day of Light Photo Contest 2026
Deadline
16 September 2026
Who may enter
The contest is open to adults aged 18 and up, both amateur and professional photographers.
Short description
The contest is organized by the SPIE – the international society for optics and photonics located in Bellingham, USA.
The contest theme is the impact of light on life, nature, communities, and technology.
Each person may submit a maximum of two photos.
Entry fee
The contest is free to enter.
Prizes
• 1st prize: US $2,500
• 2nd prize: US $1,000
• 3rd prize: US $500
• Judges' Choice for Best of Science: US $1,000
Competition website
Visit the official competition website for more information.
Sony World Photography Awards 2027
Deadline
• Series competition: 12 January 2027
• Single image competition: 5 January 2027
• Youth competition: 5 January 2027
• Student competition: 27 November 2026
Short description
The Sony World Photography Awards are held annually by the World Photography Organisation.
There are four competitions:
• Series competition
All entrants must be over 18. Photographers must submit a series of 5 to 10 images per category.
• Single image competition
The competition is open to everyone, and participants can submit up to three images for free. There are 10 thematic categories to choose from, and the photographs must be taken in 2026.
• Youth competition
The competition is open to photographers aged 19 and under. Participants can submit up to three single images taken in 2026.
• Student competition
The competition is open to all students of photography from World Photography Organisation's selected Universities. Students are required to submit 5 - 10 images responding to a brief.
Entry fee
Entry is free.
Prizes
• Series competition
Photographer of the Year: $25,000 (USD) and Sony digital imaging equipment.
Category winners: Sony digital imaging equipment.
• Single image competition
Overall winner: $5,000 (USD) and Sony digital imaging equipment.
Category winners: Sony digital imaging equipment.
• Youth competition
Youth Photographer of the Year: Sony digital imaging equipment.
• Student competition
Overall winner: Sony digital imaging equipment.
Competition website
Visit the official competition website for more information.
XMAGE Awards 2026
16 August 2026 (Beijing Standard Time, GMT+8)
Who may enter
The contest is open to anyone worldwide aged 18 and above, as long as they use a Huawei phone.
Short description
This photography and video contest is organized by Huawei Device Co., Ltd.
All submissions must be created with Huawei phones.
There are 9 categories:
• So Far So Close
• Colour & Shade
• Good Night
• Active Moments
• Faces
• A Heartwarming World
• Experimental Lab
• Storyboard
• Action
Each participant can upload a maximum of 30 works.
Entry fee
Entry is free.
Prizes
• Grand Prize Winner (3 winners) – XMAGE creation fund of USD 10,000
• XMAGE 100 (97 winners) – XMAGE creation fund of USD 1,500
Competition website
Visit the official competition website for more information.
Head On Photo Awards 2026
Deadline
16 August 2026
Who may enter
The competition is open to anyone.
Short description
The competition is run by the Head On Foundation, a non-profit organization in Australia.
“ Open to photographers of every level and judged completely anonymously on merit alone, the Awards celebrate the world’s best photography from phone snapshots and studio work to compelling documentary photography.
There are three categories:
• Portrait
• Landscape
• Exposure
Images can only be submitted online via Head On Photo Festival website.
Entry fees
AUD$30 entry fee per photo
AUD$15 entry fee per photo – for people under 25 years of age
Prizes
• PORTRAIT
The overall winner will receive:
AUD$5,000 cash
Camera kit – OM-1 Mark II + 45mm F2,8 Pro
• LANDSCAPE
AUD$5,000 cash
Camera kit – OM-1 Mark II + 7-14mm F2.8 Pro
• EXPOSURE
AUD$5,000 cash
Camera kit – OM-1 Mark II + 12-100mm F4.0 IS PRO
Competition website
Visit the official competition website for more information.
Earth Partner Prize 2026
Deadline: 7 October 2026. Who may enter: The contest is open to artists of all nationalities aged 14-30. Short description: The Earth Partner Prize 2026 is organized by Earth Partner, the sustainability division of the creative agency Art Partner. We invite artists of all nationalities, races, genders, and faiths, aged 14 to 30, to submit work that comments on the ecological crisis. Your submission should be your own personal interpretation of the ecological crisis; however, participants might explore themes such as: climate justice, corporate greenwashing, Indigenous rights, material innovation, wildlife and ecosystem conservation, grassroots activism, intersectional environmentalism, regeneration, the physical and mental impacts of the climate crisis, and nature-based wisdom. Submissions may be created in any medium, including photography, film, performance art, spoken word, music, dance, fashion design, new media, app development, and social media projects. Entry fee: Entry is free. Prizes: One winner will receive $10,000 USD. Two runners-up will receive $5,000 USD each. Five finalists will receive $2,000 each. Competition website: Visit the official competition website for more information.
https://earthpartner.com/earth-partner-prize/
33rd Photo Contest "Caminos de Hierro"
Deadline31 October 2026Who may enterThe competition is open to anyone.Short descriptionThe competition is organized by the Spanish Railways Foundation.You may submit a maximum of two photographs related to the world of railways.The photographs must be unpublished. Images must be sent via the form on the website ffe.es/caminosdehierro/participacion.asp Entry feeThe competition is free to enter.Prizes• 1st Prize: 4,500 €• 2nd Prize: 2,300 €• 4 additional prizes of 400 € each.
Luis Valtueña International Humanitarian Photography Award 2026
https://premioluisvaltuena.org/en/open-call/
ASISAFoto International Photography Contest 2026
The contest is open to amateur and professional photographers of any nationality.The contest comprises six sections: Free – Monochrome Series, Free – Colour Series (each consisting of 5–7 images), and four single-image themes: Portrait, Maternity and Childhood, Architecture, and Nature.The entry fee is €25.Cash prizes with a total value of €24,500 will be awarded to the winners.Deadline: 20 November 2026
INTERNATIONAL HANDICRAFTS PHOTO AWARDSWORK
Handicrafts play an essential role in preserving cultural heritage, traditional craftsmanship, vocational skills, sustainable production, local economies, and community identity. Photography is the most powerful medium for recording not only handcrafted works but also the knowledge, patience, and stories behind them. Building on ESDER's extensive experience in organizing successful national and international photography competitions, this project aims to create one of the world's most comprehensive photographic archives dedicated to handicrafts, preserving this cultural heritage for future generations.
Royal Entomological Society 2026 Insect Photography Competition
Deadline
31 October 2026
Who may enter
The competition is open to amateur photographers of all ages and nationalities. Professional photographers are not eligible.
Short description
The competition is organized by the Royal Entomological Society, a UK-based society devoted to the study of insects.
This competition encourages participants to explore and capture the fascinating world of insects through photography.
“ Photographs entered for the Competition should feature an insect (or group of insects) occurring naturally in the situation in which it is photographed. The subject can be of any life-stage, from egg through nymph, larva or pupa to adult, and can be an insect from anywhere in the world.
Each participant may submit up to three photos.
Entry fee
The competition is free to enter.
Prizes
• 1st prize (18 and over): £750
• 2nd prize (18 and over): £500
• 1st prize (Under 18): £450
• 2nd prize (Under 18): £250
Competition website
Visit the official competition website for more information.
https://www.insectweek.org/art-and-photography/photography-competition/
2026 Sports Photography Grants
Submissions close:1 May 2026Who may enterThe competition is open to emerging and early-career sports photographers.Short descriptionThe 2026 Sports Photography Grants are founded by the Doug Pensinger Photography Fund based in USA.
To enter the competition, you must submit 20 sports photographs (action and portrait both accepted).
Submissions can only be made through the application process on Picter.
Entry feeThe competition is free to enter.
Prizes7 photographers will each receive a $5,000 grant, to be spent on career development.
Competition website :
https://dougpensingerphotographyfund.org/grants-mentorships/apply-for-a-grant
Jalón Ángel Photography Awards 2026
Deadline4 May 2026
Who may enterThe competition is open to anyone over the age of 18.
Short description
This international photography competition is organized by Jalón Ángel Photographic Archive in Spain.There are three categories:• Portrait• Travel• Migration and borders
You can submit one image into each category.Photos must be submitted via the online entry form.
Entry fees: The competition is free to enter
.Prizes: The best photograph in the "Portrait" category: 1,500 €The best photograph in the "Travel" category: 1,500 €The best photograph in the "Migration and borders" category: 1,500 €
Competition website : ttps://www.jalonangel.com/en/premi
The 13th Kochi International Triennial Exhibition of Prints
Submissions open
Submissions close:25 April 2026Who may enterThe competition is open to artists from around the world
Entry fee: :
Entry is free of charge for participants submitting their work from outside Japan.Prizes•
First Prize: 1,000,000 yen• Second Prize: 500,000 yen• The Museum of Art, Kochi Prize: 300,000 yen• Takao Hiwasaki Prize: 300,000 yen• Tosa Washi Prize: 200,000 yen (plus approx. 100,000 yen worth of Tosa Washi paper)• Excellence Award: 200,000 yen• Honorable Mention Award: 100,000 yen
Competition website :https://kamihaku.com/triennial-en
Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2026
https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/2026/taylor-wessing-photo-portrait-prize-2026
Sarajevo Photography Festival
Each year, the top 3 winners in each of the 8 competition categories are awarded for their outstanding work. Additionally, the jury may grant honorable mentions to exceptional entries. The festival’s Grand Prix prize is 2,000 EUR (cash), while all first-place winners receive an award sponsored by Canon and a festival statue. The total value of prizes given is 7,000 EUR.
The Alpine Fellowship Visual Art Prize 2026
https://alpinefellowship.com/visual-art-prize
2nd International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026
HIPA 2026 – International Photography Award
Giga Photo Award
ND Awards 2026
PRIX International Photography Prize for Women 2026
Deadline: 7 May 2026
The competition is open to women photographers, regardless of their nationality or age.Each candidate must submit 12 - 18 photographs on any subject (one cohesive body of work rather than single images).The competition is free to enter.The winner will receive a cash prize of 10,000 €.