THE INTERNATIONAL
PHOTO CONTESTS DIRECTORY 2026

• E.M. • Deadline: May 15th, 2026 • Theme: Travelling • Prize: €1,000 + Trophy + Publication • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Sixteen years ago, the Expert Imaging and Sound Association introduced the EISA Photo Maestro as a way to inspire photographers to think more deeply about their craft. Rather than focusing on single standout images, the competition encourages amateur and semi-professional photographers to create series of photographs that are interconnecte

• PhotoPlace Gallery • Deadline: May 4th, 2026 • Theme: After Dark: Night, Sky, and Shadow • Prize: Exhibition in Vermont (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE PhotoPlace Gallery invites photographers to step into the night and submit their work for After Dark, a juried exhibition celebrating images made in the quiet, mysterious hours between sunset and sunrise. This exhibition embraces the creative possibilities that emerge when darkness falls and famili

• P.M.O.H. • Deadline: May 7th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: €2,500+VAT Budget + 3 Solo Exhibitions in Italy • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Submissions are now open for the 5th edition of the PhMuseum Days Open Call, offering visual artists an exciting opportunity to showcase their work at the PhMuseum Days International Photography Festival, taking place from October 1 to 4 in Bologna, Italy. This annual event brings together a diverse community of photographers

• 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

• Archivo Jalón Ángel • Deadline: May 4th, 2026 • Theme: Portrait / Travel / Migration and Borders • Prize: €1,500 + Trophy + Exhibition in Spain • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Jalón Ángel Photographic Archive, preserved and overseen by San Jorge University as part of the San Valero Group, announces the 12th edition of the Jalón Ángel International Photography Prize. This initiative continues the Archive’s mission to safeguard photographic heritage while en

• Decagon Gallery • Deadline: May 3rd, 2026 • Theme: This Is a Person • Prize: $1,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Portraiture often focuses on how someone looks. This exhibition is interested in something else: what cannot be immediately seen. We are seeking photographs that suggest an inner world rather than simply documenting outward identity. Images that carry psychological tension, ambiguity, vulnerability, or contradiction

• Rhode Island Center for Photographic Arts • Deadline: May 3rd, 2026 • Category: Contemporary Photography • Prize: $475 in Awards + Exhibition in Providence (USA) • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The 12th International Open Call is a juried exhibition dedicated to showcasing contemporary photography from a global perspective. Open to photographers and image-makers worldwide, this call invites submissions that reflect the diversity and innovation of current photog

• Recount Photography Agora • Deadline: May 3rd, 2026 • Theme: Numbers • Prize: Exhibition in Barcelona (Spain) • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE This call invites contributions that reflect on the quiet yet powerful systems that structure our existence: those of counting, measuring, classifying, and ordering. We are interested in visual stories—combinations of photography and text—that engage with these mechanisms not only as tools, but as cultural, political, an

• Natural Landscape Photography Awards • Deadline: May 31st, 2026 • Category: Landscape / Natural Photography • Prize: $5,000 + Exposure + Publication • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Welcome to the Natural Landscape Photography Awards (NLPA), a global competition dedicated to celebrating the beauty, power, and diversity of landscapes and nature photography. The awards were created with a clear mission: to discover and showcase the most outstanding images of the n

• Black Box Gallery • Deadline: May 8th, 2026 • Category: Shadow and Light • Prize: Exhibition in Portland (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Black Box Gallery invites photographers to participate in a juried group exhibition centered on the enduring dialogue between shadow and light. Photography, in its essence, is a language written in luminosity and absence—a continuous negotiation between what is revealed and what remains concealed. Shadows are not

• All About Photo • Deadline: May 1st, 2026 • Category: Portrait Photography • Prize: $1,000 + Online Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE AAP Magazine #57 “Portrait” is your chance to explore what it really means to capture a person. From polished studio portraits to spontaneous selfies and everything in between, portrait photography continues to evolve as a powerful way to express identity and emotion. The best portraits don’t just show a face—

• Grenze-Arsenali Fotografici • Deadline: April 30th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: €1,000 + Exhibition + 2-Night Stay in Italy • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Artists are invited to apply without any restrictions on theme or age, making this an open and inclusive opportunity for creative expression. From all submissions, three artists will be selected by a jury and given the chance to present their work in a professionally curated exhibition led by Simone Azzoni a

• Milano Photo Awards 2026 + Nikon • Deadline: August 15th, 2026 • Category: Contemporary Photography • Prize: €30,000 in Prizes + Nikon Z50II Camera + Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Milano Photo Awards set themselves apart from many other photography competitions through a clear and defining philosophy: the event is designed not only to celebrate the winners, but also to recognize and give visibility to every photographer who chooses to participa

• P.M.O.H. • Deadline: May 7th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: €2,500+VAT Budget + 3 Solo Exhibitions in Italy • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The 5th edition of the PhMuseum Days Open Call is now officially open for submissions, inviting visual artists from around the world to take part in a unique opportunity to exhibit their work במסגרת an international context. Selected artists will be featured at the PhMuseum Days International Photography Festival, scheduled t

• Photojournalism Prize (PJP) • Deadline: April 30th, 2026 • Category: Photojournalism and Documentary • Prize: €5,000 + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The announcement of the Photo Journalism Prize (PJP) introduces a noteworthy competition committed to honoring the extraordinary power of photography as a medium of truth and transformation. Open to both professional photographers and amateur practitioners, the PJP serves as a dynamic forum wher

• Decode Gallery • Deadline: May 23rd, 2026 • Category: Black and White • Prize: Exhibition in Tucson + Sales + Exposure • Entry Fee: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Decode Gallery is pleased to introduce its upcoming exhibition theme: Black and White. As one of the most enduring and influential forms of photographic expression, black and white photography continues to hold a unique place within the medium. Rooted in the origins of photography itself, it strips the image down

• International Aerial Photographer of the Year • Deadline: April 30th, 2026 • Category: Aerial Photography • Prize: $10,000 in Cash Prizes + Publication • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The question of inclusion in the Top 101 can be answered in two simple ways. Interested participants can consult the flipbook of selected works located at the bottom of the article, or they can visit the Archive section via the main menu and select the current year to review the r

• Canon • Deadline: May 19th, 2026 • Category: Photojournalist • Prize: €8,000 + Exhibition in Perpignan (France) • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE For the twenty-sixth consecutive year, Canon reaffirms its commitment to supporting women in visual storytelling through the Canon Women Photojournalist Grant. This prestigious award recognizes the significant contributions of female photojournalists working at the forefront of contemporary reportage, highlighting both

• BBA Prizes & Gallery • Deadline: June 1st, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: €300 + Exhibition in Berlin (Germany) • Entry Fee: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE They are seeking a single, powerful image—the kind of definitive frame that captures attention instantly and lingers in the viewer’s mind. Conceived as their most accessible global open call to date, the 2026 Spring Edition offers photographers from around the world a clear and direct entry point into the vibrant Berlin art

• Homiens • Deadline: April 29th, 2026 • Category: Art and Photography • Prize: $24,000 Awarded Annually + Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Homiens Art Prize offers a compelling opportunity for both emerging and established artists seeking meaningful exposure and professional advancement. As a merit-based and internationally recognized award, it serves as a strategic platform for artists aiming to strengthen their presence within the global art indu

• Recount Photography Agora • Deadline: April 27th, 2026 • Theme: Numbers • Prize: Exhibition in Barcelona (Spain) • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE This call invites contributions that reflect on the quiet yet powerful systems that structure our existence: those of counting, measuring, classifying, and ordering. We are interested in visual stories—combinations of photography and text—that engage with these mechanisms not only as tools, but as cultural, political,

• Dusk Gallery • Deadline: May 22nd, 2026 • Theme: Abandoned • Prize: Exhibition in Santa Fe (USA) + Sales • Entry Fee: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The theme of this call is Abandoned—an exploration of absence, memory, and the quiet traces left behind by time. We invite photographers to reflect on spaces, objects, and environments that have been left behind, whether through neglect, transition, or the passage of history. From decaying buildings and forgotten infrastructure

• Photo Artfolio • Deadline: May 13th, 2026 • Theme: Street Rhythms (Street Photography) • Prize: $1,000 + Online Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fee: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The street unfolds as a dynamic stage—an ever-changing environment shaped by movement, chance encounters, and the subtle choreography of everyday life. Within this space, fleeting gestures, layered narratives, and spontaneous interactions come together to form a visual language that is both immediat

• All About Photo • Deadline: April 28th, 2026 • Category: Portrait Photography • Prize: $1,000 + Online Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE AAP Magazine #57 “Portrait” warmly invites photographers to celebrate the shared humanity that connects us all. Portrait photography, whether created in a studio, captured candidly on the street, or taken as a self-portrait, has a unique ability to reveal the soul behind the face. The most memorable portrai