THE INTERNATIONAL
PHOTO CONTESTS DIRECTORY 2026

• 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

• Illume Awards • Deadline: August 3rd, 2026 • Theme: Surf and Trail • Prize: 200K Prize Pool + Exhibition + Camera Kit • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Photography shaped by waves, wind, and endless horizons, this category celebrates the excitement and artistry of board sports on the water. From classic wave riding to kiteboarding, windsurfing, wing foiling, and foil surfing, these photographs capture the perfect balance of timing, skill, and harmony between ath

• Budapest International Foto Awards • Deadline: August 5th, 2026 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: €3,000 + Exhibition in Budapest (Hungary) • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Budapest International Foto Awards, known worldwide as BIFA, is a distinguished international platform designed to highlight exceptional photography from artists of all levels—beginners, emerging talents, and established professionals alike. Based in Hungary and engaging audiences a

• Illume Awards • Deadline: August 2nd, 2026 • Theme: Skate and Snow • Prize: 200K Prize Pool + Exhibition + Camera Kit • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE From the streets to the ramps, this category celebrates the creativity, skill, and unmistakable spirit of skate culture. These photographs capture the energy, freedom, and individuality that define skateboarding in all its forms, from urban landscapes and iconic skateparks to hidden local spots. Whether freezing

• BBA Prizes & Gallery • Deadline: August 3rd, 2026 • Theme: Contemporary Photography • Prize: €300 + Exhibition in Berlin (Germany) • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Some photographs are admired for a moment, while others remain in the viewer's memory long after they have been seen. We are looking for images that possess this lasting quality—photographs that capture attention through creativity, technical excellence, emotional resonance, or a distinctive way of se

• Decode Gallery • Deadline: August 21st, 2026 • Theme: Unposed • Prize: Exhibition in Tucson + Sales + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Real life unfolds in the most powerful and unforgettable ways when nothing is planned. This category celebrates authentic documentary photography that captures genuine, unscripted moments exactly as they happen—without posing, staging, or performance. Whether photographing everyday life, intimate human interactions, cult

• BBA Prizes & Gallery • Deadline: August 3rd, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: Cash Prizes + Exhibition in Berlin (Germany) • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE We welcome artwork that demonstrates originality, curiosity, and a strong sense of artistic purpose. Among the qualities we look for are engaging storytelling, innovative visual concepts, imaginative approaches, thoughtful image composition, abstraction, experimentation, and refined artistic sensibilities. Rather

• Decagon Gallery • Deadline: August 3rd, 2026 • Theme: Overcoming • Prize: $1,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Life is rarely untouched by hardship. We experience moments of loss, heartbreak, uncertainty, and transformation. Relationships end, health falters, homes are left behind, and familiar worlds can suddenly change. Yet despite these challenges, the human spirit often finds a way to endure. Overcoming — What Remains Standi

• PhotoPlace Gallery and Texas Photographic Society • Deadline: August 3rd, 2026 • Theme: Composed • Prize: $500 + Exhibition in Middlebury (USA) • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE PhotoPlace Gallery, in partnership with the Texas Photographic Society, is pleased to invite photographers to submit work for Composed, a juried exhibition exploring the creative possibilities and visual power of photographic composition. Juried by Brian Finke, this exhibition seeks compe

• Black Box Gallery • Deadline: August 7th, 2026 • Category: Color Photography • Prize: Exhibition in Portland (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Black Box Gallery invites photographers from around the world to participate in an upcoming juried group exhibition celebrating the creative impact of color photography. Color is far more than a visual element—it shapes perception, establishes mood, directs attention, and adds depth to photographic storytelli

• Head On Photo Festival • Deadline: August 16th, 2026 • Theme: Several Categories • Prize: AUD$80,000 + Exhibition in Sydney • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Head On Photo Awards offer a total prize pool of $80,000, recognizing outstanding photographic work from around the world. Open to photographers of all experience levels, the competition welcomes professionals, emerging artists, students, and enthusiasts alike, providing an inclusive platform where creat

• 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

• Out From The Mist • Deadline: August 28th, 2026 • Theme: Exploring Experiences of Mental Illness • Prize: $1,650 AUD + Exposure + Masterclass • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The competition welcomes photographers, audio storytellers, and short filmmakers who wish to share personal stories about mental illness. Whether your work reflects your own lived experience or the journey of someone close to you, your perspective is valued. There is no requirement to be a

• 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

• Fujifilm

• Open Doors Gallery (London) • Deadline: August 12th, 2026 • Category: Contemporary Photography • Prize: £2,000 + Exhibition in London + Interview • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Open Doors Gallery warmly invites photographers and lens-based artists from around the world to submit their work for the sixth edition of the OD Photo Prize. Created specifically for emerging artists in the first decade of their careers, the prize celebrates originality, ambition, and

• New York City for Photographic Arts • Deadline: August 16th, 2026 • Theme: Decay, Corrosion, Rust • Prize: $4,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Nothing escapes the passage of time. Sunlight fades paint, rain corrodes metal, wind wears away surfaces, and years slowly transform even the strongest structures. Yet within this process of change lies an unexpected beauty. Rust blooms across steel like organic patterns. Paint peels awa

• All About Photo • Deadline: August 18th, 2026 • Category: Nature Photography • Prize: $1,000 + Online Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Nature photography is one of the most captivating and rewarding genres of photography, celebrating the extraordinary beauty, diversity, and wonder of the natural world. It encompasses everything from sweeping mountain vistas and untouched wilderness to intimate portraits of wildlife, vibrant flowers, ancient

• 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