THE INTERNATIONAL
PHOTO CONTESTS DIRECTORY 2026

• NANPA + ASMP • Deadline: September 22nd, 2026 • Theme: Nature Photography • Prize: $750 + VIP Package + PetaPixel Feature • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Showcase is NANPA’s annual juried nature photography competition, created to recognise and celebrate exceptional work by active NANPA and ASMP Members. Each submitted photograph is carefully evaluated, giving participants the opportunity to have their work considered by a professional jury and become part of a

• Duckling • Deadline: August 31st, 2026 • Category: Documentary Photography • Prize: €1,300 + Publication • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Duckling is an international new media platform focused on documentary photography and visual storytelling, bringing together photographers, storytellers, and audiences around stories that deserve to be seen and heard. The platform provides a space for creative exchange, professional development, and discovery, offering member

• British Ecological Society • Deadline: August 31st, 2026 • Theme: Ecological Triumph / Challenge / Survival • Prize: £750 + 12 months BES Membership • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Every year, this prestigious photography competition invites ecologists, wildlife photographers, researchers, and nature enthusiasts from around the world to tell the most inspiring, surprising, and important stories about ecology through the power of photography. Whether capturing r

• Action Contre la Faim • Deadline: August 31st, 2026 • Category: Social / Documentary Photography • Prize: €5,000 Grant + Exhibitions • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Action Against Hunger is pleased to open the fourth edition of its Grant for a New Humanitarian Perspective, an initiative that supports photographers and visual storytellers committed to telling humanitarian stories with honesty, sensitivity, and respect. The 2026 edition will award a €5,000 grant

• All About Photo • Deadline: September 22nd, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: Solo Online Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Solo Exhibition competition is dedicated to showcasing outstanding photographic work that has the power to awaken the imagination, challenge familiar ways of thinking and create a meaningful connection with viewers. The organisers are looking for photography that resonates—whether through a powerful story, a distinctive v

• Handicrafts Photo Awards • Deadline: August 31st, 2026 • Theme: Craftsmanship Documentation • Prize: €2,000 + Exhibition + Catalog • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Handicrafts Photo calls on photographers from across the globe to explore the world of handicrafts and craftsmanship through original and engaging photographic work. The project celebrates handmade production in all its diversity, bringing together images that examine traditional skills, contemporary

• Techo • Deadline: August 31st, 2026 • Theme: The Home I Live in • Prize: $250 + 2 Exhibitions in Guatemala City • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Organized by TECHO Guatemala, "The House I Live In" is an international photography competition that invites photographers worldwide to examine the meaning of home through authentic and compelling imagery. Open to professionals and amateurs alike, the competition encourages creative interpretations of a concept that is

• Seeing Happy • Deadline: October 15th, 2026 • Theme: Images of Peace • Prize: Exhibition in Warsaw (Poland) • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Images of Peace is a global photography showcase that invites photographers and visual storytellers of all backgrounds, ages and levels of experience to explore and share their own personal vision of peace. What does peace look like to you? It may be found in a quiet landscape, a meaningful human connection, a simple every

• Black Box Gallery • Deadline: September 10th, 2026 • Category: B&W Photography • Prize: Exhibition in Portland (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Black Box Gallery invites photographers to participate in a juried group exhibition celebrating the enduring appeal and creative versatility of black and white photography. From the earliest traditions of the photographic medium to contemporary artistic practice, black and white imagery has remained a power

• The Billboard Creative • Deadline: November 16th, 2026 • Theme: Contemporary Art & Photo • Prize: Exhibitions all over Los Angeles (USA) • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Submissions Now Open: Put Your Art on a Billboard in Los Angeles The Billboard Creative is now accepting submissions for its 13th Annual Los Angeles Billboard Exhibition, offering artists an extraordinary opportunity to take their work beyond traditional gallery walls and into the streets of one

• Duckling • Deadline: August 31st, 2026 • Category: Documentary Photography • Prize: €1,300 + Publication • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Duckling is a new media platform created for documentary photographers and visual storytellers who want to explore the world through images, research, and narrative. More than simply a publishing space, Duckling brings together storytellers from different backgrounds and countries, providing opportunities to learn, connect, an

• Arc'Teryx

• ILPOTY • Deadline: October 31st, 2026 • Theme: Landscape Photography • Prize: $12,500 Prize Pool + Expo + Publication • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Photography competitions are always a combination of skill, creativity, vision, and a little bit of luck. Technical ability and artistic expression are essential, but when thousands of talented photographers submit their work, the final selection often comes down to the individual perspectives and preferences of t

• Vogue

• Dusk Gallery • Deadline: September 24th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: Exhibition in Santa Fe (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Dusk Gallery is pleased to invite photographers to submit their work for a curated group exhibition celebrating the strength, beauty, and storytelling potential of the photographic series. For this exhibition, we are seeking three distinct photographers whose work demonstrates a clear artistic vision and the ability to create

• Decode Gallery • Deadline: September 18th, 2026 • Category: Self-Portrait Photography • Prize: Exhibition in Tucson + Sales + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE We are excited to announce our Self Portrait Photography Call, inviting photographers to explore one of the most personal and revealing forms of photographic expression. Creating a self portrait is much more than simply placing yourself in front of the camera. It is an opportunity to examine ident

• OPPO

• PhotoPlace Gallery • Deadline: September 7th, 2026 • Theme: Quiet Landscape • Prize: Exhibition in Middlebury (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Photographers are invited to participate in Quiet Landscape, an international juried exhibition presented by PhotoPlace Gallery, celebrating the timeless beauty and quiet presence of landscapes through photography. Rather than emphasizing spectacular scenery alone, the exhibition seeks thoughtful images that

• Decagon Gallery • Deadline: September 15th, 2026 • Theme: Something Like Joy • Prize: $1,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Joy rarely announces itself. More often, it appears in subtle gestures, fleeting expressions, and quiet moments that reveal the beauty of everyday life. It may be found in simple routines, unexpected encounters, changing light, or the connections shared between people, places, and the world around them. Thes

• PhotoED Magazine • Deadline: September 9th, 2026 • Theme: Real VS Imagined • Prize: Publication (Digital & Print) • Entry Fees: Free for Subscribers • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE What is real? What is imagined? And where do the two begin to overlap? Issue #78 invites photographers from around the world to explore these questions through unique, lens-based photographic work. We are looking for projects that transform reality, invent fictional worlds, or weave together elements

• HONOR

• Most Traveled People • Deadline: September 30th, 2026 • Category: Travel Photography • Prize: MTP Ticket + €800 Travel Voucher • Entry Fees: Free for MTP Registered Members • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE MTP warmly invites photographers, explorers, and travel enthusiasts from around the world to participate by submitting their most inspiring travel photographs from every corner of the globe. Whether your images capture breathtaking landscapes, vibrant cities, remote wilderness,

• Evi Mono • Deadline: October 1st, 2026 • Theme: Two Generations. One Story. Women. • Prize: Online Presentation + Exposure • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The EVI MONO AWARDS is an international monochrome photography competition created to celebrate women, their experiences, and the many stories that shape their lives. Open to photographers from every corner of the world, the award encourages artists to use the timeless language of black and white photography

• Arrival Gallery • Deadline: October 10th, 2026 • Category: Contemporary Photography • Prize: Exhibition in Amsterdam + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Arrival Gallery welcomes submissions from artists working across a wide range of creative disciplines for its exhibition programme in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Open to both emerging and established artists, the gallery invites painters, photographers, sculptors, illustrators, textile artists, mixed media p

• Decagon Gallery • Deadline: October 10th, 2026 • Theme: The Shape of a Life • Prize: $1,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE A life is shaped by far more than its defining milestones or major achievements. It is built from the countless small moments that often go unnoticed—the familiar places we return to, the people who remain by our side, the routines that structure our days, the objects that carry personal meaning, and the flee

• Umbra International Photography Awards • Deadline: September 30th, 2026 • Theme: Several Categories • Prize: Statues + Medals + Certificates • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Welcome to the 4th Edition of the Umbra Awards 2026, an international photography competition dedicated to recognizing exceptional talent and celebrating the creative achievements of photographers from around the world. Regarded as one of the leading photography awards, the Umbra Internation

• Annual Photography Awards • Deadline: December 14th, 2026 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: $5,000 Prize Pool + Medals + Certificates • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Annual Photography Awards welcomes photographers from around the world to take part in the eighth edition of its international photography competition. Open to professionals, amateurs, students, and emerging creatives, the competition celebrates talent at every stage of a photographer’s j

• Le Stanze della Fotografia • Deadline: September 30th, 2026 • Theme: Stories related to the theme of water • Prize: Exhibition in Venice (Italy) • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Launched by the Le Stanze della Fotografia Foundation in collaboration with the Association for the Heritage of the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, this project introduces a free international competition open to participants of all backgrounds. The initiative seeks to c

• World Street Photo Awards • Deadline: October 10th, 2026 • Category: Street Photography • Prize: €2,500 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The World Street Photo Awards invites photographers of all levels—professional, amateur, and student—to submit their work and share compelling visions of life as it unfolds in public spaces around the world. Dedicated to celebrating the power and diversity of street photography, the awards seek im

• Vincent van Gogh Photo Awards • Deadline: March 30th, 2027 • Theme: Spirit of Light • Prize: €1,000 + Exhibition in the Netherlands • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Vincent van Gogh Photo Award brings together photographers from every corner of the world, creating an international platform that celebrates outstanding contemporary photography and artistic excellence. Open to emerging and established photographers alike, the award encourages the exchange of id

• Castelfiorentino For the Arts • Deadline: October 15th, 2026 • Theme: Contemporary Photography • Prize: €3,000 + Exhibition in Italy + Publication • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE "Raccont'arti" is a free international open call for photographers and visual artists dedicated to exploring the evolving landscape of contemporary image-making. Conceived as a platform for artistic research and discovery, the initiative aims to identify and promote emerging and estab

• Form Photography • Deadline: October 31st, 2026 • Category: Contemporary Photography • Prize: Exhibition @ UNSEEN during Art Rotterdam • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE With the valued support of UNSEEN, Picter, and Form Magazine, we are delighted to announce the launch of the Form Photo Award x UNSEEN 2027, an international award dedicated to celebrating excellence and innovation in contemporary photography. Established as an annual initiative, the award is desi

• Global Lens • Deadline: September 30th, 2026 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: $1,000 + Exhibition + Publication • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Global Lens Photography Awards 2026 welcomes photographers from around the world to submit work across an extensive range of categories that reflect the diversity of contemporary photography. Whether your practice focuses on documentary storytelling, commercial imagery, conceptual projects, or artistic experiment

• Arrival Gallery • Deadline: October 1st, 2026 • Category: Contemporary Photography • Prize: Exhibition in Osaka (Japan) + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Arrival Gallery is reimagining the way artists share and experience exhibitions in today’s contemporary landscape. Rather than following traditional models, the gallery is committed to creating new opportunities that prioritize both artistic integrity and meaningful visibility. Each exhibition is thou

• BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)

• National Geographic

• AKC American Kennel Club • Deadline: October 31st, 2026 • Theme: The Great Outdoors • Prize: $1,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Photographers with established experience, as well as those in the early stages of developing their craft, are invited to participate in the 2026 AKC Photo Contest. This year’s theme, “The Great Outdoors,” encourages submissions that capture the beauty, diversity, and spirit of natural environments. E

• Hotusa Group • Theme: Barcelona, World Capital of Architecture • Deadline: October 20th, 2026 • Prize: €5,000 + 1-Night Stay • Entry Fee: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Hotusa Group is pleased to announce the 24th edition of the Eurostars Grand Marina Photography Award Josep Juanpere 2026, inviting both amateur and professional photographers to take part in this prestigious international competition. For this edition, participants are asked to create photographic triptychs