THE INTERNATIONAL
PHOTO CONTESTS DIRECTORY 2026

• Black Box Gallery • Deadline: January 9th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: Exhibition in Portland (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities Black Box Gallery is excited to open submissions for an open-themed, juried group photography show designed to showcase the incredible range of today’s photographic creativity. We invite photographers to share their favorite shots—images that reflect their unique perspective, artistic voice,

• Chennai International Photo Biennale • Deadline: December 31st, 202 • Theme: Open • Prize: Exhibition in Chennai (India) + Promotion • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities What All Submitting Photographers and Artists Receive Every artist who enters the Open Call gains the valuable opportunity to have their work reviewed by an internationally diverse panel of experts. This jury includes respected curators, directors of cultural instit

• Shoot The Frame • Deadline: December 31st, 2025 • Category: Portrait Photography • Prize: $2,000 + ViewSonic Monitor + Exhibitions • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities 13 years of Shoot The Frame. Launched in 2012, Shoot The Frame evolved into a global suite of photography contests celebrating exceptional portrait, landscape and wildlife photography. In 2025, we’re pausing the monthly contests and launching the inaugural Shoot The Fr

Submission Details and Themes Deadline: December 31st, 2025 Theme: B&W (Light, Shadow, Tone and Texture) Prize: $1,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition Entry Fees: Yes REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities The Essence of Black and White Photography Black and white photography strips away the surface to reveal the essence of visual storytelling. Without color, an image is distilled into its foundational components. Light and shadow define structure. L

• CCP • Deadline: January 26th, 2026 • Category: Research • Prize: Awards up to $5,000 • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities Advancing new perspectives in photography, photographic history, and photographic theory. The 2026–2027 Fellowship cycle is now accepting applications. Submissions for the 2026–2027 cycle must be received by 9pm MST on January 26, 2026 . The CCP Fellowship program especially encourages applicants who bring fresh

• Pride Photo • Deadline: December 31st, 2025 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: €500 + Exhibition in Amsterdam + Exposure • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities Our goal is to continuously expand our outlook and enrich the perspectives of our audiences by sharing a broad, dynamic, and deeply diverse collection of stories that represent the global LGBTQIA+ community. The Pride Photo 2026 Contest invites participation from photograp

• Hasselblad • Deadline: February 26th, 2026 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: €5,000 Fund + Hasselblad Camera • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The world-famous professional photography competition, Hasselblad Masters , is now officially open for submissions, inviting photographers from across the globe to take part in one of the industry’s most respected creative showcases. Free to enter, the competition is open to professional photographers who are encou

• The Epson Pano Award • Deadline: July 13th, 2026 • Category: Panoramic Photography • Prize: Total Prize Package $11,100 + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities The 15th Epson International Pano Awards proudly celebrates the craft, creativity, and technical mastery of panoramic photography. Recognized as the world’s largest and most prestigious competition dedicated exclusively to this genre, the awards bring together the very b

• LCE • Deadline: January 21st, 2026 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: £10,000 Prize Fund + Exposure • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities This free-to-enter competition boasts a £10,000 prize fund across 14 varied categories, including a public-voted People’s Choice award and our Emerging Talent award, which gives photography students the opportunity to win prizes for both themselves and their university. Open to photographers o

• BBA Prizes & Gallery • Deadline: February 9th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: €1,000 + Solo Show in Berlin (Germany) • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities Visual excellence, compelling storytelling, strong conceptual thinking, refined technical craftsmanship, depth of subject matter, and an authentic understanding of the photographic medium are among the essential qualities that will be carefully evaluated. These elements form the founda

• Leica • Deadline: January 9th, 2026 • Category: Street Photography • Prize: Leica Camera + Exhibitions • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities The Leica Street Photo Contest stands as an international celebration of street photography, dedicated to capturing the raw, unscripted beauty of life as it happens in public spaces around the world. The contest honors photographers who possess a keen eye for fleeting moments and the ability to

• PhotoPlace Gallery • Deadline: January 5th, 2026 • Theme: Cut. Paste. Transform. • Prize: Exhibition in Vermont (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities In today’s visual culture, photo-collage thrives as a flexible, accessible, and deeply meaningful art form. Shaped by growing interests in sustainability, nostalgia, archival practices, digital experimentation, and community-driven creativity, collage connects artists worki

• Boomer Gallery London • Deadline: January 7th, 2026 • Theme: Dreams and Nightmares • Prize: Exhibition in London + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities Some draw their strongest inspiration from the world of dreams, entering a calm and euphoric state of creativity. In these moments, imagination feels limitless, forming a mental landscape where new ideas appear effortlessly. This dreamlike environment becomes a place of explo

• AI-AP • Deadline: February 6th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: Publication + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities The AI-AP Call for Entries is a globally recognized international competition that welcomes submissions from photographers, illustrators, and visual storytellers from around the world. Each year, the contest carefully reviews work that has been created or published during the eligibility period, selecting only the m

• All About Photo • Deadline: January 27th, 2026 • Judge: Steve McCurry • Prize: $5,000 + Online Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities We are proud to announce that Steve McCurry will serve as the sole juror for the All About Photo Awards 2026. Renowned worldwide for his iconic imagery and decades-long contribution to the art of photography, McCurry brings unparalleled expertise, vision, and authority to this year’

• Homiens • Deadline: January 30th, 2026 • Category: Art & Photography • Prize: $12,000 Awarded Annually + Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities The Homiens Art Prize is a globally recognized award that provides more than $12,000 USD in annual funding to artists, supporting creative excellence across the international art community. Designed to elevate artistic careers and expand professional opportunities, the prize offers m

• Social Documentary Network • Deadline: January 15th, 2026 • Category: Social Documentary / Systemic Change • Prize: $2,500 + Publication + Exhibitions • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities 📸 ZEKE Award for Documentary Photography Win $2,500 and international recognition for outstanding documentary storytelling. This award celebrates photographers who reveal the human side of global issues through powerful imagery and words. 🌍 ZEKE

• Rotterdam Photo • Deadline: January 5th, 2026 • Theme: Echoes of Silence, War in the Artist's Soul • Prize: Exhibition in Rotterdam Photo Fest • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities What happens when an artist is shaped by war without witnessing it firsthand? How does violence echo in the minds of those who survive, flee, or merely listen from afar? “Echoes of Silence” spotlights photographers who approach war not as reporters but as i

• BBA Gallery + Prizes • Deadline: January 26th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: €300 + Exhibition in Berlin (Germany) • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities From seasoned professionals to enthusiastic hobbyists, every photographer brings a distinctive perspective and creative energy to their work. Each individual has the potential to capture something remarkable—an image that stands out not merely for its technique, but for the emotion and

• Siena Photo Awards • Deadline: January 9th, 2026 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: €1,500 + Exhibition + 2-Night Stay in Italy • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities Siena Awards began as an independent dream: the dream of seeing Siena and its remarkable landscape recognized as an international center for photography. Today, that dream has grown into a vibrant reality, a platform that designs and hosts prestigious events open to

• MIA Photo Fair BNP Paribas • Deadline: January 15th, 2026 • Category: Contemporary Photography • Prize: Exhibition in Milan + Publication + Residency • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities The MIA Photo Fair BNP Paribas 2026 welcomes back Erik Kessels , the celebrated Dutch artist, curator, and master of visual storytelling, for his third consecutive collaboration with the fair. Known for his irreverent humor, conceptual brilliance,

• Black Box Gallery • Deadline: January 9th, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: Exhibition in Portland (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities Black Box Gallery is thrilled to announce an open-themed, juried group photography exhibition, inviting photographers from all backgrounds to submit their strongest and most compelling work. This exhibition celebrates the power of photography in all its forms and encourages artists to share

• Photo Artfolio • Deadline: January 5th, 2026 • Theme: The Poetry of Light and Shadow • Prize: $1,000 + Online Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Free Entry Option • REGISTRATION: CLOSED. Click HERE for more Opportunities An image is never just about color. It’s about feeling—the tones that calm us, the textures that draw us closer, and the contrasts that spark curiosity. Black and white photography reminds us of this truth by spotlighting the beautiful exchange between l

• Realme • Deadline: June 30th, 2026 • Category: Street Photography • Prize: $7,000 + Realme Phone + Exposure • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The realme Global Photography Awards 2026 is an international mobile photography competition that is free to enter and open to photography enthusiasts around the world who use a realme smartphone. The contest is designed to celebrate creativity, accessibility, and the power of mobile photography, offering participants the