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 03, 2026

Budapest International Foto Awards 2026 (bifa)

BUDAPEST INTERNATIONAL FOTO AWARDS is an international platform for photographers from all levels and genres to share their best images with the creative community in Hungary and Eastern Europe. We acknowledge the power of even a single photograph to greatly influence an audience, and how the artistic eye of the photographer behind the camera can interpret a scene in so many creative ways. We know that every image has a story to tell, and this is the place to tell it! The competition

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Deadline: June 04, 2026

Art Room: Abstract 2026

Contemporary Art Room Gallery is proud to announce their 9th "Abstract" Online Art Competition for the month of June 2026. For the Abstract theme in this competition we call artists to submit their best nonrepresentational artworks in all kinds of concepts and mediums. All selected artists will receive a digital award certificate. First, second and third place will be largely displayed with an article about the artist and their work. Winning artwork (First place) will be on the poster of the s

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Deadline: June 05, 2026

'Summer 5 for $10' 2026 Online Art Competition

Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery announces its Annual “Summer 5 for $10” Online Art Competition for 2026. For this competition, artists from around the world are invited to submit their work online for possible inclusion in the Gallery’s “Summer 5 for $10” online group exhibition. Artists may submit up to 5 entries for $10, and the gallery will select 12 overall winning artists from all participants. A special online exhibition will be presented on the Light

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Deadline: June 05, 2026

Prix Bayeux for War Correspondents 2026

The Bayeux Calvados-Normandy Award for War Correspondents recognizes reports covering conflict situations or their impact on civilians, as well as stories related to the defense of freedom and democracy. Eligible reports must have been produced between June 1, 2025 and May 31, 2026. A prize of €7,000 is awarded in each category. Entries must be submitted by June 5, 2026 to the following address: info@prixbayeux.org , including a download link to the submitted work. The r

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Deadline: June 06, 2026

Lisbon Street Photo Fest: Open Call 2025

Lisbon Street Photo Fest invites street photographers from around the world to submit their work to the 2025 Open Call. With two categories – Singles and Series – finalists will have their work exhibited during the festival in Lisbon, and winners will receive cash prizes, media exposure, and FORMAT subscriptions to build their own professional website. Launching for the first time this year, the festival will take place in the heart of the Portuguese capital – a city known for i

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Deadline: June 07, 2026

The Motif Collective: Black and White 2026

Black and White is the theme for this month’s competition. Step into a world where light, shadow, and emotion take center stage. The Black and White Photography Competition invites photographers to explore the raw, timeless beauty of monochrome imagery. Stripped of color, each photograph reveals its true essence—texture, contrast, composition, and story—captured in its purest form. This is a celebration of vision, creativity, and the enduring power of black and white

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Deadline: June 07, 2026

Circulation(s) Call for applications 2027

For the past 16 years, Circulation(s) festival promote a modern and inclusive vision of photography. He has more than a decade of discovering new emerging talent, and still a burning desire to make new visual writing accessible to all. Every year, the festival brings together the general public, artists and professionals around a multi-faceted, adventurous and innovative program that questions the boundaries between photography and contemporary art. It’s the must-attend event for t

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Deadline: June 07, 2026

Photographer of the Week 25 - 2026

Showcase Your Talent: Become Our Photographer of the Week! Each week, from Monday morning to Sunday evening, you can submit up to 10 of your best shots! If your photo is chosen by our jury, you'll have your image featured across the All About Photo website and social media for an entire week. Don’t miss your chance to shine it's free! Showcase Your Talent: Become Our Photographer of the Week! For the entire week: Your winning photo will be sh

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Deadline: June 07, 2026

Praxis: Making Strange

Making Strange • obvious • overlooked • inversion • estrangement • friction • re-seeing The technique of art is to make the familiar unfamiliar and extend the length of perception. — Viktor Shklovsky Making Strange invites photographs that transform the ordinary into something newly visible. Through framing, timing, light, distance, or construction, artists reveal unexpected aspects of the world around us—rendering everyday subjects as unfami

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Deadline: June 07, 2026

From a seed... a world of botanicals 2026

The New York Center for Photographic Art invites photographers worldwide to submit images using any photographic process (print, image transfer, emulsion transfer, encaustic, black and white, color, etc.). Winners will receive a total of $4,000 in cash awards, be featured in the NYC4PA Online Gallery and Award Winners Catalog. The Grand Prize winning image will be posted on the NYC4PA home page. FROM A SEED...A WORLD OF BOTANICALS The Brooklyn Botanic Garden Appl

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Deadline: June 08, 2026

PhotoPlace Gallery: Open Call A Celebration of Contemporary Photography

PhotoPlace Gallery invites photographers worldwide to submit work for Open Call: A Celebration of Contemporary Photography, a juried exhibition honoring the creativity, diversity, and evolving practice of photography today. Presented in celebration of World Photography Day (August 19th), this exhibition is one of PhotoPlace Gallery’s most open and inclusive calls of the year, welcoming all photographic subjects, styles, and processes. From landscape, portraiture, and document

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Deadline: June 08, 2026

Commonwealth Youth Photography Competition

The Commonwealth Youth Photography Competition 2026: Waves of Change invites young photographers aged 18 to 30 from across the Commonwealth's 56 member nations to document the ocean and its relationship to communities, environments, and the future. Free to enter. No prior photography experience required. Submit one original photograph and a written statement of up to 300 words across one of four categories: Human-Ocean Connection, Hope and Resilience, Threats and Challenges, and Innov

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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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