THE INTERNATIONAL
PHOTO CONTESTS DIRECTORY 2026

• Homiens • Deadline: July 29th, 2026 • Category: Art & Photography • Prize: $24,000 Awarded Annually + Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE For artists seeking a powerful platform to elevate their careers, the Homiens Art Prize offers far more than a traditional competition. It is a global opportunity to gain recognition, connect with influential figures in the art world, and position your work before an international audience of collectors, curators, inst

• BBA Prizes & Gallery • Deadline: August 3rd, 2026 • Theme: Contemporary Photography • Prize: €300 + Exhibition in Berlin (Germany) • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Every memorable exhibition begins with a single remarkable image. We are looking for photographs that invite viewers to pause, explore, and engage—works that communicate through composition, atmosphere, storytelling, or originality. Regardless of subject matter or photographic approach, we welcome ima

• Photo Artfolio • Deadline: July 29th, 2026 • Theme: Wild • Prize: $1,000 + Online Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE "Nature is not a place to visit. It is home." — Gary Snyder Photo Artfolio invites photographers worldwide to participate in Wild, an online exhibition dedicated to celebrating the remarkable richness, diversity, and enduring beauty of the natural world. This international call for entries aims to showcase photographs that expl

• 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

Discover top nature photography competitions for 2026 that offer cash prizes, gallery exhibitions, and career-changing recognition. Enter now!

Discover top student photography competitions for 2026! Gain exposure, win prizes, and showcase your talent. Enter now!

• 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

Discover the key photography trends 2026 shaping the art world, from embracing imperfection to AI collaboration and environmental storytelling.

Discover the best amateur photo contests to enter in 2026! Explore a variety of competitions with exciting prizes and global visibility.

• 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 is pleased to announce an international juried group exhibition dedicated to the expressive possibilities of color photography. From subtle tonal palettes to bold, vibrant compositions, color has become one of the defining creative tools in contemporary photographic practice. This open call

• Analog Sparks • Deadline: July 31st, 2026 • Category: Several Categories • Prize: €1,000 + Exhibition in Athens (Greece) • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The AS International Film Photography Awards celebrates the timeless beauty, creativity, and craftsmanship of analog photography through an international competition held twice a year. Open to professionals, emerging photographers, enthusiastic amateurs, and students worldwide, the awards provide a platform for

• 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 and the Texas Photographic Society invite photographers everywhere to submit work for Composed, an exhibition celebrating one of photography’s most essential and expressive elements: composition. Juried by Brian Finke, the exhibition will bring together photographs that

• 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

• Duckling • Deadline: July 31st, 2026 • Category: Documentary Photography • Prize: €1,300 + Publication • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Duckling is a new media platform dedicated to documentary photography and visual storytelling, bringing together photographers, journalists, and storytellers from around the world through education, collaboration, publishing, and financial support. Our mission is to create an environment where important stories can be developed,

• Decode Gallery • Deadline: July 24th, 2026 • Theme: Endless Summer • Prize: Exhibition in Tucson (USA) + Sales + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE There are certain moments in summer that feel timeless—the last light of the day stretching across the landscape, the warmth that lingers long after sunset, the sense that tomorrow holds endless possibilities. Summer often leaves behind more than memories; it leaves behind a feeling, one that many of us wish c

Discover the best student photo competitions in 2026! Gain exposure, mentorship, and opportunities to showcase your talent worldwide.

Discover the best street photography contests of 2026 with cash prizes, international exposure, and opportunities to elevate your career!

• BBA Prizes & Gallery • Deadline: August 3rd, 2026 • Theme: Contemporary Photography • Prize: €300 + Exhibition in Berlin (Germany) • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE We are searching for that one exceptional image—the photograph that immediately captures attention, sparks curiosity, and leaves a lasting impression. Whether it tells a compelling story, evokes powerful emotion, or demonstrates remarkable technical and artistic skill, we are interested in images that

• 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