THE INTERNATIONAL
PHOTO CONTESTS DIRECTORY 2026

Participar en concursos con exposición itinerante da visibilidad en distintas sedes, con producción, comisariado y premio; ver plazos y bases.

Seven vetted prestigious photography awards and what winners get: cash, exhibitions, press; how contests get verified and deadlines tracked.

Explore 320–330 open photo essay contests, exact image count rules, student fee waivers, and practical editing tips. Weekly contest directory included.

Ready to enter a photo contest? Great! But wait - before you hit that submit button, pause. There’s a lot to prepare. I’ve been there, and I know how easy it is to overlook small details that can make or break your entry. This contest application preparation guide will walk you through every step to ensure your submission shines. Let’s dive in and get your application flawless. Start with the Basics: Know the Contest Inside Out Every photo contest has its own vibe, rules, and

Convocatorias 2025–2026 que aceptan IA, con dónde postular, documentación mínima y consejos éticos para preparar tu candidatura correctamente.

Ensure contests return your prints: include a filled shipping form and prepaid return label, plus archival sleeves, rigid backing, tracking.

Photographers: compare five leading astrophotography contests, learn contest metadata and capture date rules, and track over 320 competitions and...

• Decode Gallery • Deadline: September 18th, 2026 • Category: Self-Portrait Photography • Prize: Exhibition in Tucson + Sales + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE We invite photographers to take part in our Self Portrait Photography Call, celebrating the personal stories, emotions, and creative visions that can emerge when the photographer becomes the subject. A self portrait is an opportunity to pause and look inward. It can be a reflection of identity, a

• Pispa • Deadline: November 30th, 2026 • Category: Street Photography • Prize: $3,000 + Exhibition + Publication • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Paris International Street Photo Awards (PISPA) 2026 is an international photography competition dedicated to recognizing and celebrating exceptional work in the field of street photography. The competition invites photographers from around the world to submit either individual photographs or cohesive photo series t

• Castelfiorentino For the Arts • Deadline: October 15th, 2026 • Theme: Contemporary Photography • Prize: €3,000 + Exhibition in Italy + Publication • Entry Fees: Free • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE "Raccont'arti" is an international open call, free of charge, dedicated to photographers and visual artists whose practices engage with the expanding possibilities of contemporary photography. More than a competition, the initiative serves as a platform for mapping current artistic re

• BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation)

• Decagon Gallery • Deadline: November 17th, 2026 • Theme: Self • Prize: $1,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Some photographs are created to show us something about the world around us. Others turn the camera inward, becoming a way to search, question, and discover something about the person behind the lens. SELF is an exhibition dedicated to the second kind: photographs born from introspection, vulnerability, and the often compl

• All About Photo • Deadline: September 29th, 2026 • Theme: Street Photography • Prize: $1,000 + Online Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The streets are constantly changing. People pass one another without knowing that their movements, expressions and gestures may become part of a story lasting only a few seconds. Light shifts across buildings, crowds appear and disappear, and unexpected moments emerge without warning. Street photography is a

• New York Center for Photographic Arts • Deadline: October 18th, 2026 • Category: Monochrome Photography • Prize: $4,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE KODAK. ILFORD. FUJI. For many photographers, these names evoke an entire era of image-making—rolls of film carefully loaded into cameras, exposures thoughtfully considered, negatives developed by hand, and prints brought to life beneath the glow of a darkroom safelight. Shooting, d

• Decagon Gallery • Deadline: September 15th, 2026 • Theme: Something Like Joy • Prize: $1,000 Prize Pool + Online Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Forget the perfectly posed smile or the carefully staged scene. Something Like Joy is searching for photographs that capture the kind of happiness that can't be planned—the unexpected moments that appear naturally and leave a lasting impression. It might be the golden light transforming an ordinary street, a

• Musa Award • Deadline: November 21st, 2026 • Theme: Reclaiming • Prize: €200 + Production & Exhibitions in Italy • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Musa Award is an international photography award dedicated to supporting and promoting the creation of photographic portfolios. Open exclusively to female photographers, the award welcomes participants at every stage of their careers, with no distinction between amateur and professional photographers. Submissions a

• Chennai Photo Biennale Powered by Sigma • Deadline: October 31st, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: Exhibition in Chennai (India) + Promotion • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Chennai Photo Biennale International Photography Open Call welcomes photographers from across the globe to submit their work for an opportunity to participate in an internationally recognized platform for contemporary photography. Artists can enter either a single photograph or a cohesive pho

• Fotografia Calabria Festival • Deadline: November 15th, 2027 • Theme: Open • Prize: €2,000 + €1,000 + Publication + Exhibition • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE For the first time, the competition does not impose a specific theme, opening the field to the photographers’ individual perspectives, interests and creative visions. Rather than directing participants towards a particular subject, we wish to create a space in which each photographer can define the focus

• NANPA + ASMP • Deadline: September 22nd, 2026 • Theme: Nature Photography • Prize: $750 + VIP Package + PetaPixel Feature • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Showcase is NANPA’s annual juried competition celebrating outstanding nature photography and the photographers who bring the natural world into focus. Open to active NANPA and ASMP Members, the competition offers participants the opportunity to submit their work for professional evaluation and gain recognition

• Form Photography • Deadline: October 31st, 2026 • Category: Contemporary Photography • Prize: Exhibition @ UNSEEN during Art Rotterdam • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Supported by UNSEEN, Picter, and Form Magazine, we are proud to present the Form Photo Award x UNSEEN 2027—an annual international award dedicated to discovering and championing the next generation of contemporary photographers. Created to celebrate bold artistic vision and thoughtful photographic

• All About Photo • Deadline: September 22nd, 2026 • Theme: Open • Prize: Solo Online Exhibition + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The Solo Exhibition is an opportunity for photographers to share work that captures attention and stays with the viewer. The competition celebrates photography that sparks imagination, inspires new ways of seeing the world or simply creates a powerful sense of recognition and connection. Through the platform’s independent onl

• BBA Prizes & Gallery • Deadline: September 28th, 2027 • Theme: Contemporary Photography • Prize: €300 + Production + Exhibition in Berlin • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE The BBA One Shot Award Autumn Edition is focused on the power of a single, definitive photograph — an image capable of capturing attention, creating an immediate impression, and standing independently as a complete artistic statement. Designed as an accessible international open call, the award

• Black Box Gallery • Deadline: September 10th, 2026 • Category: B&W Photography • Prize: Exhibition in Portland (USA) + Sales • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Black Box Gallery is excited to present a new juried group photography exhibition devoted to the rich visual language of black and white photography. For generations, photographers have turned to black and white to create images that are powerful, atmospheric, sophisticated, and emotionally resonant. The di

• Arrival Gallery • Deadline: November 1st, 2026 • Category: contemporary Photography • Prize: Exhibition in London (UK) + Exposure • Entry Fees: Yes • REGISTRATION: CLICK HERE Arrival Gallery is delighted to invite artists to submit their work for consideration in its upcoming London exhibition programme, offering a platform for a diverse selection of contemporary creative voices. The gallery welcomes submissions from both emerging and established artists who bring a distinc