THE INTERNATIONAL
PHOTO CONTESTS DIRECTORY 2026

• Vital Impacts • Deadline: November 30th, 2026 • Theme: Environmental Photography • Prize: $20,000 Grant + Mentorship + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Vital Impacts is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to using the power of journalism and visual storytelling to amplify the work of communities and individuals protecting people, wildlife, and ecosystems around the world. Through photography, reporting, mentorship, and financial support, the or

• PhotoPlace Gallery • Deadline: October 5th, 2026 • Theme: The Human Experience • Prize: Exhibition in Vermont (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE PhotoPlace Gallery invites photographers from around the world to submit their work to The Human Experience, a juried exhibition dedicated to exploring the richness, complexity, and extraordinary diversity of human life. This exhibition seeks to bring together photographs that reflect the many ways we experi

• 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 The story of a life is rarely told through its greatest accomplishments alone. More often, it is revealed through everyday moments, familiar places, lasting relationships, personal rituals, treasured belongings, and experiences that may seem ordinary at first but later become deeply meaningful. Photography ha

• Decode Gallery • Deadline: September 18th, 2026 • Category: Self-Portrait Photography • Prize: Exhibition in Tucson + Sales + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE We invite photographers to take part in our Self Portrait Photography Call, celebrating the personal stories, emotions, and creative visions that can emerge when the photographer becomes the subject. A self portrait is an opportunity to pause and look inward. It can be a reflection of identity, a

• Pispa • Deadline: November 30th, 2026 • Category: Street Photography • Prize: $3,000 + Exhibition + Publication • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Paris International Street Photo Awards (PISPA) 2026 is an international photography competition dedicated to recognizing and celebrating exceptional work in the field of street photography. The competition invites photographers from around the world to submit either individual photographs or cohesive photo series t

• 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 an international open call, free of charge, dedicated to photographers and visual artists whose practices engage with the expanding possibilities of contemporary photography. More than a competition, the initiative serves as a platform for mapping current artistic re

• BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)

• Decagon Gallery • Deadline: November 17th, 2026 • Theme: Self • Prize: $1,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Some photographs are created to show us something about the world around us. Others turn the camera inward, becoming a way to search, question, and discover something about the person behind the lens. SELF is an exhibition dedicated to the second kind: photographs born from introspection, vulnerability, and the often compl

• All About Photo • Deadline: September 29th, 2026 • Theme: Street Photography • Prize: $1,000 + Online Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The streets are constantly changing. People pass one another without knowing that their movements, expressions and gestures may become part of a story lasting only a few seconds. Light shifts across buildings, crowds appear and disappear, and unexpected moments emerge without warning. Street photography is a

• New York Center for Photographic Arts • Deadline: October 18th, 2026 • Category: Monochrome Photography • Prize: $4,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE KODAK. ILFORD. FUJI. For many photographers, these names evoke an entire era of image-making—rolls of film carefully loaded into cameras, exposures thoughtfully considered, negatives developed by hand, and prints brought to life beneath the glow of a darkroom safelight. Shooting, d

• Decagon Gallery • Deadline: September 15th, 2026 • Theme: Something Like Joy • Prize: $1,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Forget the perfectly posed smile or the carefully staged scene. Something Like Joy is searching for photographs that capture the kind of happiness that can't be planned—the unexpected moments that appear naturally and leave a lasting impression. It might be the golden light transforming an ordinary street, a

• Musa Award • Deadline: November 21st, 2026 • Theme: Reclaiming • Prize: €200 + Production & Exhibitions in Italy • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Musa Award is an international photography award dedicated to supporting and promoting the creation of photographic portfolios. Open exclusively to female photographers, the award welcomes participants at every stage of their careers, with no distinction between amateur and professional photographers. Submissions a

• Chennai Photo Biennale Powered by Sigma • Deadline: October 31st, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: Exhibition in Chennai (India) + Promotion • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Chennai Photo Biennale International Photography Open Call welcomes photographers from across the globe to submit their work for an opportunity to participate in an internationally recognized platform for contemporary photography. Artists can enter either a single photograph or a cohesive pho

• Fotografia Calabria Festival • Deadline: November 15th, 2027 • Theme: Open • Prize: €2,000 + €1,000 + Publication + Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE For the first time, the competition does not impose a specific theme, opening the field to the photographers’ individual perspectives, interests and creative visions. Rather than directing participants towards a particular subject, we wish to create a space in which each photographer can define the focus

• 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 competition celebrating outstanding nature photography and the photographers who bring the natural world into focus. Open to active NANPA and ASMP Members, the competition offers participants the opportunity to submit their work for professional evaluation and gain recognition

• Form Photography • Deadline: October 31st, 2026 • Category: Contemporary Photography • Prize: Exhibition @ UNSEEN during Art Rotterdam • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Supported by UNSEEN, Picter, and Form Magazine, we are proud to present the Form Photo Award x UNSEEN 2027—an annual international award dedicated to discovering and championing the next generation of contemporary photographers. Created to celebrate bold artistic vision and thoughtful photographic

• All About Photo • Deadline: September 22nd, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: Solo Online Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Solo Exhibition is an opportunity for photographers to share work that captures attention and stays with the viewer. The competition celebrates photography that sparks imagination, inspires new ways of seeing the world or simply creates a powerful sense of recognition and connection. Through the platform’s independent onl

• BBA Prizes & Gallery • Deadline: September 28th, 2027 • Theme: Contemporary Photography • Prize: €300 + Production + Exhibition in Berlin • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The BBA One Shot Award Autumn Edition is focused on the power of a single, definitive photograph — an image capable of capturing attention, creating an immediate impression, and standing independently as a complete artistic statement. Designed as an accessible international open call, the award

• 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 is excited to present a new juried group photography exhibition devoted to the rich visual language of black and white photography. For generations, photographers have turned to black and white to create images that are powerful, atmospheric, sophisticated, and emotionally resonant. The di

• Arrival Gallery • Deadline: November 1st, 2026 • Category: contemporary Photography • Prize: Exhibition in London (UK) + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Arrival Gallery is delighted to invite artists to submit their work for consideration in its upcoming London exhibition programme, offering a platform for a diverse selection of contemporary creative voices. The gallery welcomes submissions from both emerging and established artists who bring a distinc

• 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 welcomes photographers of all experience levels, along with passionate travelers and adventurers, to showcase their finest travel photography from countries across the world. The competition celebrates the spirit of exploration, encouraging participants to share images that

• Umbra International Photography Awards • Deadline: September 30th, 2026 • Theme: Several Categories • Prize: Statues + Medals + Certificates • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Umbra Awards 2026 return for their fourth edition, inviting photographers from across the globe to participate in an international competition that celebrates creativity, innovation, and excellence in photography. The Umbra International Photography Awards™ recognize photographers whose

• PhotoED Magazine • Deadline: September 9th, 2026 • Theme: Real VS Imagined • Prize: Publication (Digital & Print) • Entry Fees: Free for Subscribers • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Issue #78 will present an exciting collection of photographic projects that investigate the dynamic relationship between reality and imagination through innovative, lens-based image making. This edition seeks artists who use photography not only to document the world around them but also to construct

• 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 The Le Stanze della Fotografia Foundation, together with the Association for the Heritage of the Prosecco Hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, has launched a new cultural initiative that includes a free competition open to everyone. The project invites participants to explore the many

• Dusk Gallery • Deadline: September 24th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: Exhibition in Santa Fe (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Dusk Gallery is excited to announce an open call for photographers for a special curated group exhibition devoted to the photographic series. We are looking for three artists with distinctive perspectives and thoughtfully developed bodies of work that demonstrate how individual photographs can come together to create somethin

• PhotoPlace Gallery • Deadline: September 7th, 2026 • Theme: Quiet Landscape • Prize: Exhibition in Middlebury (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE PhotoPlace Gallery welcomes photographers to submit their finest landscape images for Quiet Landscape, a juried exhibition exploring the peaceful, contemplative, and often understated beauty found in landscapes around the world. The exhibition celebrates photography that invites quiet observation, encouragin

• Decode Gallery • Deadline: September 18th, 2026 • Category: Self-Portrait Photography • Prize: Exhibition in Tucson + Sales + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE We are delighted to announce our upcoming Self Portrait Photography Call, dedicated to the powerful and continually evolving tradition of photographic self-representation. For an artist, creating a self portrait can become a process of discovery. The camera becomes a tool for reflection, allowing

• Evi Mono • Deadline: October 1st, 2026 • Theme: Two Generations. One Story. Women. • Prize: Online Presentation + Exposure • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Photographers worldwide are invited to participate in the EVI MONO AWARDS, an international photography competition dedicated exclusively to monochrome images that explore the many facets of women's lives. Established to highlight authentic storytelling and distinctive artistic voices, the award provides a p

• Vogue

• Sony

• Arc'Teryx

• 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 celebrates photographic excellence across virtually every genre of contemporary photography, inviting emerging and established photographers from around the globe to share their most compelling work. The competition features an extensive category system designed to accommodate

• All About Photo • Deadline: September 29th, 2026 • Theme: Street Photography • Prize: $1,000 + Online Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The street is an endless stage where stories unfold every second. A passing glance between strangers, a dramatic shadow stretching across the pavement, the energy of rush hour or the silence of an empty corner in the middle of the night—street photography captures life as it happens, without preparation or p

• HONOR

• 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

• 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

• 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

• KYOTOGRAPHIE + KG Plus • Deadline: October 10th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: JPY 500,000 Grant + Exhibition in Kyoto • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE KG＋SELECT 2027 is an international open-call program offering emerging and established artists the opportunity to present their work within one of Kyoto’s most dynamic photography platforms. Through a jury selection process, approximately ten finalists will be chosen to take part in a dedicated group exhibition dur

• 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

• Arc'Teryx