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. So what are the best photo contests worth entering this month of January 2021? Check out our top 10!
All About Photo Awards 2021 - The Mind's Eye
Deadline: January 31, 2021
Our 6th edition of the All About Photo Awards invites photographers from around the world to submit their best work for consideration. In reference to Henri Cartier-Bresson's photo essay, The Mind's Eye investigates the depth and thoughts behind each image.
"To take photographs means to recognize - simultaneously and within a fraction of a second - both the fact itself and the rigorous organization of visually perceived forms that give it meaning. It is putting one's head, one's eye and one's heart on the same axis".
Henri Cartier-Bresson
Winners will receive $10,000 in cash awards, extensive press coverage and global recognition.
The grand prize is $5,000, the 2nd prize is $2,000, the 3rd prize is $1,500, the 4th prize is $1,000 and the 5th prize is $500!
All winners will have their work published/showcased on the websites Lenscratch, Daylighted's digital traveling exhibition worldwide, All About Photo Winners Gallery and featured in the printed issue of AAP Magazine "Special Edition All About Photo Awards 2020".
In addition, a selection of entrants of particular merit will be invited to display their portfolio on the website www.all-about-photo.com
Jury Panel
Keith Cullen: Owner Setanta Books
Denis Dailleux: Photographer, Agency VU'
Stefano De Luigi: Photographer, VII Agency
Monica Denevan: Photographer, Winner All About Photo Awards 2020
Claudine Doury: Photographer, Agency VU'
Ann Jastrab: Executive Director, Center for Photographic Art, Carmel, CA.
Sandrine Hermand-Grisel: Photographer, Founder & Editor of All About Photo
Stephan Vanfleteren: Photographer, Writer & Art-director of Hannibal Books
Hiroshi Watanabe: Photographer
Alison Wright:Photographer & Author, Founder Faces of Hope
2021 Sony World Photography Awards - Open
Deadline: January, 2021
Photographers of all ages, backgrounds and experience levels are invited to enter their best single images into the Open competition for a chance to win $5,000 (USD), Sony Digital Imaging Equipment, a trip to London, and be crowned "Open Photographer of the Year".
The judges are looking to award the best single images from across the following 10 diverse categories: Architecture, Culture, Creative, Motion, Landscape, Natural World & Wildlife, Portraiture, Still Life, Street Photography, and Travel.
Open Photographer of the Year - $5,000 (USD) / Sony digital imaging equipment / Flights and accommodation to the awards ceremony in London / Included in exhibition at Somerset House, London
Category winners - Sony digital imaging equipment / Publication in winners' book / Included in the exhibition at Somerset House, London
Shortlist - Digital exhibition at Somerset House, London / Publication in winners' book
© Tom Oldham, United Kingdom, Open Photographer of the Year, Open, Portraiture, 2020 Sony World Photography Awards
2021 Monovisions Photography Awards
Deadline: January 17, 2021
Our aim is to discover the best monochrome photographers from all over the world and deliver the best opportunities to be recognized and rewarded for their work. You can compete for $5000 in cash prizes in two categories: Black and White Photo of the Year 2021 and Black and White Series of the Year 2021.
Our annual competition is open to photographers of all backgrounds and all levels, including - professionals and amateurs. We accept all forms of black and white photography created with traditional or digital methods.
Hamdan International Photography Award (HIPA)
Deadline: January 31, 2021
With an impressive Grand Prize of 120,000 USD, the Hamdan International Photography Award is an international photography award, founded in 2011 under the patronage of the crown prince of Dubai.
There are four categories:
- Humanity (main theme for this edition)
- General
- Portfolio
- Architectural Photography
The Award encourages photographers to share their craft and demonstrate excellence in what is now one of the most coveted Awards in the world. You can submit one photograph per category, except the portfolio category, where you must upload 5-10 photographs.
There will be four winners for each category, plus a Grand Prize of 120,000 USD. There will be also three special awards:
- Photography Appreciation Award: 20,000 USD
- Photography Content Creator Award: 15,000 USD
- Emerging Person/Organisation in Photography Award: 10,000 USD
World Press Photo
Deadline: January 12, 2021
The annual World Press Photo Contest rewards photographers for the best single exposure pictures contributing to the past year of visual journalism. Whether entered as singles or stories, these pictures are judged in terms of their accurate, fair, and visually compelling insights about our world.
Prizes
The winners of the World Press Photo of the Year and the World Press Photo Story of the Year awards receive €5,000 each. All winning photographers will be invited to a small online festival including the winners announcement, presentations, lectures and networking opportunities for the winners to connect to a selected group of jurors, editors and industry professionals. The prize-winning photographs are assembled into a worldwide year-long exhibition. The winning pictures are also published on World Press Photo's website, across our social media platforms, and in our annual yearbook, which is available in multiple languages.
About
The contest is organized into eight categories, and judged by a jury of leading professionals. The membership of the jury changes every year. The General Jury is led by a chair and supported by a secretary who implements the rigorous judging procedures. The jury, chair, and secretary are independent of the World Press Photo Foundation. The staff, board, and partners of the World Press Photo Foundation cannot direct the jury’s decisions.
Aperture Portfolio Prize 2021
January 8, 2021
The Aperture Portfolio Prize is an annual international competition to discover, exhibit, and publish new talents in photography.
The purpose of the Aperture Portfolio Prize is to identify trends in contemporary photography and highlight artists whose work deserves greater recognition. When choosing the first prize winner and runners up, Aperture's editorial and curatorial staff look for innovative bodies of work that haven't been widely seen in major publications or exhibition venues.
The Portfolio Prize is open exclusively to Aperture magazine subscribers
The first prize winner will be published in Aperture magazine and will receive a $3,000 cash prize and exhibition in New York. The winner and up to four runners up will be featured in an online gallery on aperture.org. All finalists are announced in the foundation's e-newsletter, which reaches ninety thousand subscribers across the globe, including curators, critics, and members of the photography community. The winner and runners up may also be presented the opportunity to participate in the Aperture Foundation limited edition print program.
Prix HSBC pour la Photographie 2021
Deadline: January 15, 2021
The rules are in French only. To participate, click on Register, complete the application form and then send us your portfolio by post to the address provided.
Your application should contain the following documents :
10-15 free, unframed, unmounted photos (paper, silver or digital prints) in A4 format maximum (Also indicating your usual print format)
A short textual presentation of the work put forward
A biography
A pre-paid envelope to return your application
A self-portrait
A Curriculum Vitae
1 CD including all the portfolio elements
PRIZE:The Prix HSBC pour la Photographie supports the work of its two laureates through: Co-publishing the first monograph of each of the laureates in collaboration with the publisher 'Actes Sud', Organising exhibitions of their works in cultural establishments in France and internationally, in partnership with Négatif +, Guaranteeing the acquisition of works by HSBC France to add to its private photography collection.
AAP Solo Exhibition February 2021
Deadline: January 19, 2021
We want to showcase incredible work. Photography that awakens our imagination, transforms our way of thinking, or simply resonates with who we are.
The Solo Exhibition enables you to reach a wider audience through our independent magazine that has become one of the most vibrant portals of photography on the web.
The Solo Exhibition competition is open to any category of photography or subject matter. Photojournalism, street photography, artistic photography, portrait, nudes, landscapes, nature, wildlife, urban, architecture, fashion, fine art, or documentary photography, the subject doesn't matter, unleash your creativity!
Whether you are a professional photographer or a photography enthusiast, please send us a cohesive body of work or portfolio.
Only a unified group of photos will be published as a solo exhibition.
Make your online photo gallery stand out. Submit one project or a body of work that showcases unity.
You can submit between 6 and 16 images for a flat fee of $45!
The Solo Exhibition is an amazing promotional tool designed to showcase your work worldwide!
Why should you enter the Solo Exhibition Competition? Because you will receive the following benefits:
Featured Solo Online Exhibition from February 1 to February 28, 2021
Your Solo Exhibition will be featured in our Competition Gallery and in the New Showroom pages, the Home Page, our 'Top Stories', as well as in our 'Featured Photographer', 'Photo Exhibitions' and 'Article' pages.
Sell your work online with no commission fees!
Want to sell your work? No problem! In today's economy, almost 50% of sales come online! Don't miss this opportunity and skip the middleman, All About Photo won't charge any commissions if you make a sale. We will just put you directly in contact with the buyer.
Permanent Exhibition on All About Photo Online Gallery
Your solo exhibition will be permanently accessible in our past exhibitions as well as in our Article directory. You will also have a permanent page showcasing 20 images of your work in our Photographers Directory.
Your work Showcased to our Social Media Community
Gain International Visibility and Press Coverage by publishing your work across all of our online channels.
The winning photographer will be profiled via our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts.
The Solo Exhibition will also be featured in our Newsletter!
International Visibility and Press exposure
The winning photographer will receive press coverage from publications and media outlets around the world. Past winners from All About Photo Competitions have been featured in major publications including The Times UK, National Geographic Espana, The Sun, The Daily Mail, The Eye of Photography, Digital Camera, and Competences Photo.
The Solo Exhibition will also be promoted on Art.Base.Co, Private Photo Review, and Visura.
All About Photo connects you directly with industry experts from around the world.
Seek this new opportunity to reach a broader audience on a global scale!
Phmuseum 2021 Photographers Grant
Early Deadline: January 28, 2021
The ninth edition of the PHmuseum Photography Grant is now open for submissions with a great range of prizes and the support of art organisations from across the world. This year, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and New Generation Prize winners will share cash awards totalling €11,000 and their works will be showcased in projections at Lagos Photo (Nigeria), Verzasca Foto (Switzerland), and Jakarta International Photo Festival (Indonesia), together with that of the other shortlisted artists.
In addition to the main prizes, three applicants will be granted a solo exhibition, which is often a milestone in a photographer's career. For the third consecutive year, the team of PhEST (Monopoli, Italy) will select a project among all the submissions to be showcased at the 2021 edition of the international festival. The same goes for Getxophoto (Getxo, Spain), whose Artists Director Jon Uriarte will select for the second year in a row another project that will join the 2021 edition of the Basque festival. The third solo show will instead be at PHmuseum Lab (Bologna, Italy), PHmuseum's brand new gallery in Italy run by PHmuseum's Director Giuseppe Oliverio and Curator Rocco Venezia, who will take care of handpicking another work.
The great news of the year is the new partnership with Landskrona Foto (Sweden). Their Director, Jenny Nordquist, will independently select a profile among all the applicants that will be the recipient of a residency bursary. The program will take place for 6 weeks during the autumn of 2021 in Landskrona, Sweden. The artist in residency receives a grant of approximately €1,500, plus travel expenses, an apartment in Landskrona, and an office space, committing to producing a unique body of work within the residency period having his/her new surrounding area as the main focus. Furthermore, six applicants selected by the PHmuseum team will be able to get their work reviewed by a mentor from PHmuseum Education, while winners, honourable mention awardees, and several selected submissions will be promoted on the PHmuseum channels throughout the year.
To enter, you are invited to present one or multiple cohesive series featuring between 5 and 20 images. The theme is open and all photographic approaches are welcomed. All entries will be reviewed by an independent jury comprised of Michael Famighetti (Editor of Aperture Magazine), Renée Mussai (Senior Curator and Head of Curatorial & Collections at Autograph, London), Trent Parke (Photographer and Member of Magnum Photos) and Julieta Escardó (Photographer, Editor and Educator).
The PHmuseum Photography Grant has established itself as a leading prize in the industry over the past eight years, renowned for celebrating the importance of contemporary photography and supporting the careers of emerging artists through monetary prizes and various opportunities across international festivals and online media. You are welcome to present your work, taking advantage of the discounted Early Bird Fee until 28 January. The final deadline is set for 18 February 2021 at 11.59 pm (GMT).