THE INTERNATIONAL
PHOTO CONTESTS DIRECTORY 2026

• BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)

• Siena Awards • Deadline: April 1st, 2026 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: €500 + Exhibition + 2-night Stay in Italy • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Creative Photo Awards has established itself as a leading international photography competition, welcoming both professional and amateur photographers from across the globe. Dedicated to creative exploration and visual innovation, the awards celebrate photographers who push boundaries and redefine the

• Nikon • Deadline: April 30th, 2026 • Category: Micro Photography • Prize: $3,000 + Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Eligibility for the Nikon Small World Photomicrography Contest (the “Contest”) is strictly limited to individuals who are eighteen (18) years of age or older, or who have otherwise attained the age of majority under the laws of their jurisdiction of residence at the time of entry. Entrants must additionally have access to an

• Kuala Lumpur Portrait Awards • Deadline: March 31st, 2026 • Category: A Stranger's Face • Prize: €2,000 + Exhibition in Malaysia • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Among the many genres of photography, travel photography holds a special appeal, fueled by the desire to explore distant places, encounter unfamiliar cultures, and immerse oneself in new environments. While landscapes, architecture, and food often serve as visual markers of these journeys, it is the pe

• Photometria International Photo Festival • Deadline: March 31st, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: Exhibition at Photometria Festival in Greece • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE As part of its strategic commitment to supporting young creators and expanding opportunities within the photographic field, the Photometria International Photography Festival introduces the “Youth Collective 2026” competition. This new program underscores the festival’s dedication to fostering

• All About Photo • Deadline: March 31st, 2026 • Theme: Shadows • Prize: $1,000 + Online Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE At All About Photo , we are passionate about discovering and promoting exceptional photography from around the world. We believe that photography is a universal language capable of inspiring curiosity, provoking thought, and creating emotional connections between people and places. Our platform is dedicated to showcasing

• BBA Prizes & Gallery • Deadline: March 30th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: €1,000 + Solo Show in Berlin (Germany) • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Excellence in visual presentation, the strength of narrative expression, clarity of concept, precision in technical execution, depth of subject exploration, and a genuine sensitivity to the language of photography are among the principal criteria guiding the selection process. These elements will be rigorously evaluate

• Decagon Gallery • Deadline: March 31st, 2026 • Theme: Night Works • Prize: $1,000 Total Cash + Online Solo Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE NIGHT WORKS invites photographers to submit work created in the hours of darkness, where night itself becomes an active collaborator in the image-making process. These photographs may unfold in city streets or remote landscapes, under artificial lights or in near-complete darkness. They may be charged with drama

• Milano Photo Awards 2026 + Nikon • Deadline: August 15th, 2026 • Category: C ontemporary Photography • Prize: €30,000 in Prizes + Nikon Z50II Camera + Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE What makes the Milano Photo Awards truly unique among photography competitions is a simple yet powerful idea: every photographer who participates deserves visibility and recognition. While the winners will certainly be celebrated, the event places equal importance on sh

• Decode Gallery • Deadline: March 28th, 2026 • Category: Color Photography • Prize: Exhibition in Tucson + Sales + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The next theme we’re focusing on is COLOR — in all its forms. Think bold, eye-catching tones that jump off the frame, or subtle shades that quietly set the mood. Whether vibrant and energetic or soft and muted, color plays a vital role in photography. It can immediately draw the viewer in, trigger emotional

• PhotoPlace Gallery • Deadline: April 6th, 2026 • Theme: Portals: New Perspectives • Prize: Exhibition in Vermont (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE A portal is an invitation. It signals a place of entry, a point of crossing, or a moment when one space gives way to another. Sometimes it is obvious—a doorway, a window, a gate—but often it is something more subtle: a reflection, a shadow, or a shift in perspective that opens a new way of seeing what li

• Pulitzer Prize • Deadline: March 30th, 2026 • Category: Documentary Photography • Prize: A grant between $5,000 and $20,000 • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Pulitzer Center has announced a new grant opportunity designed to support journalists investigating the effects of dramatic cuts to U.S. health assistance programs in countries across the Global South . These reductions in funding come at a time when many health initiatives—ranging from disease preven

• Dusk Photo Gallery • Deadline: March 26th, 2026 • Theme: Botanical • Prize: Exhibition in Santa Fe (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The theme for this exhibition is Botanical , with an emphasis on creative interpretation rather than simple visual documentation. We seek images that engage deeply with plant life as both subject and visual language, encouraging photographers to look beyond literal representation. We are interested in work that uncove

• All About Photo • Deadline: March 31st, 2026 • Theme: Shadows • Prize: $1,000 + Online Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE At All About Photo , we believe photography has the power to move, inspire, and reveal new perspectives. A single image can tell a story, evoke emotion, or challenge the way we understand the world around us. Our mission is to support and promote photographers whose work resonates deeply—photography that not only captures

• Sarajevo Photography Festival • Deadline: April 10th, 2026 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: €7,000 + Exhibition in Sarajevo (BiH) • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Sarajevo Photography Festival (SPF) is a dynamic annual event that transforms Sarajevo into a global hub for photography each year. Spanning an entire month, the festival celebrates the power of visual storytelling while bringing together photographers from around the world—ranging from emer

• 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 established the EISA Photo Maestro with the goal of inspiring and supporting both amateur and semi-professional photographers. The competition was designed to encourage participants to move beyond single images and instead create cohesive series of photographs that are meaningfull

• Photo Artfolio • Deadline: March 25th, 2026 • Theme: The Human Portrait • Prize: $1,000 + Online Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE As part of our ongoing commitment to celebrating contemporary photography, Photo Artfolio invites photographers from across the globe to submit their work for The Human Portrait , an online exhibition dedicated to the richness and diversity of portraiture today. This exhibition aims to highlight how photographer

• D.P. • Deadline: May 1st, 2026 • Category: Sport Photography • Prize: $5,000 Grant + Mentorship • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Doug Pensinger Photography Fund is dedicated to supporting the development of emerging and early-career sports photographers as they build their professional paths. Its programs are specifically designed for individuals who are still in the early stages of establishing themselves within the field of sports photography. Photographe

• NYC4PA • Deadline: April 19th, 2026 • Theme: Luminosity (The Impact of Light) • Prize: $4,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Photography is inseparable from light—its strength, its softness, its direction, and even its disappearance. Tools such as light meters and techniques like backlighting or managing glare are all part of an ongoing relationship with illumination. A well-known image of Grand Central Station, filled with beams

• BBA Prizes & Gallery • Deadline: March 30th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: €1,000 + Solo Show in Berlin (Germany) • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE At the core of this competition lies a commitment to outstanding visual quality, impactful storytelling, innovative conceptual thinking, meticulous technical skill, profound engagement with subject matter, and a sincere grasp of photographic expression. Our esteemed panel of jurors — all seasoned professionals from acr

• 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 has long been associated with the act of recording outward appearance—capturing likeness, form, and surface. This exhibition seeks to move beyond that tradition by asking a more complex and introspective question: what exists beneath what we see? We are inviting photographic works that gesture toward an i

• Beautiful Bizarre Magazine + MPB • Deadline: July 17th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: $4,500 Cash + Publication + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Artists working within a representational photographic style are warmly invited to submit their work to the MPB Photography Award. This includes all photographic practices, whether created through analogue processes, digital capture, or a combination of both. As long as the work remains grounded in photographic

• National Geographic

• Black Box Gallery • Deadline: April 10th, 2026 • Category: Black and White Photography • Prize: Exhibition in Portland (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Black Box Gallery is pleased to announce an upcoming juried group photography exhibition dedicated entirely to black and white imagery. This special exhibition invites photographers to explore the expressive power of monochrome photography, a medium that has long been associated with a timeless sen