Whether you are a seasoned photographer, a newbie simply getting began or just somebody who loves capturing stunning moments, submitting your work to images competitions is without doubt one of the greatest methods to achieve publicity and recognition.
Entering competitions is not nearly successful – although prizes and publicity are nice bonuses! It’s additionally an opportunity to dive into your archives, rediscover your greatest pictures and refine your private type. Even in the event you do not make the shortlist, the expertise itself is rewarding and may push your images to the subsequent degree.
In reality, many photographers say competitions have been the stepping stone that helped them construct a reputation, develop their viewers or land their first massive function. And with so many open calls throughout all genres – from astrophotography and macro, to wildlife, journey, meals, portrait, or conceptual images – there’s one thing for everybody.
The better part is that the majority competitions supply a number of classes, so that you’re prone to discover a excellent match on your work. To assist you to get began, I’ve put collectively an inventory of images competitions with open calls which are accepting submissions from January till May 2026. It’s a small choice to spark inspiration, however there are numerous others on the market…
Sony World Photography Awards
Deadlines:
Open and Youth Competition: January 6, 2026
Professional Competition: January 13, 2026
Open to: Photographers of all levels
Categories:
Student Competition: Together
Open Competition: Architecture, Creative, Landscape, Lifestyle, Motion, Natural World & Wildlife, Object, Portraiture, Street Photography, Travel
Youth Competition: Open Call: Show us your best images!
Professional Competition: Architecture & Design, Creative, Documentary Projects, Environment, Landscape, Perspectives, Portraiture, Sport, Still Life, Wildlife & Nature
Fee: Free to enter
Prizes: Global press exposure, $25,000 cash prize, Sony gear, solo exhibition at the Sony World Photography Awards London exhibition, and more
For more info, visit the World Photography Organisation website.
Siena International Photo Awards (SIPA)
Deadline: 9 January
Open to: Photographers of all levels
Categories: Journeys & Adventures, Fascinating Faces and Characters, The Beauty of Nature, Animals in their Environment, Sports in Action, Documentary & Photojournalism, Street Photography, Underwater Life, Story-telling, Short Documentary Film
Fee: 1 image is free. Paid entries: €30 for 3 images
Prizes: Prizes include photography equipment worth up to €1,5000, the Pangea Prize crystal statuette, a €400 accommodation contribution for the awards weekend in Siena, international media exposure, exhibition display, online publication, and more
For more information, visit the SIPA website.
World Masters of Photography Award
Deadline: January 16
Open to: Photographers of all levels
Focus: Fashion, Press/ Photojournalism, Contemporary, Street Photography, Landscape, Free Subject
Fee: €20 per image
Prizes: The overall winner across all six divisions receives the prestigious WMPO World Cup, winners have the opportunity to exhibit their work at Galerie LIK in Vienna and at the Competa Photo Days in Spain, and inclusion in the photo book “World Masters of Photography”
For more information, visit the WMPO Award website.
MonoVisions Photography Awards
Deadline: Early: January 18, Final: May 17
Open to: Photographers of all levels
Focus: Black and white photography
Categories: Abstract, Architecture, Conceptual, Fine Art, Landscapes, Nature and Wildlife, Nude, People, Photojournalism, Portrait, Street Photography, Travel
Fee: Early: single image $20, series $25, Final: single image $25, series $30
Prizes: Black and White Series of the Year will receive $3,000, Black and White Photo of the Year will receive $2,000
For more information, visit the MonoVision Awards website.
London Camera Exchange POTY
Deadline: January 21
Open to: Photographers of all levels (please note that prizes can only able to be given to photographers based in the UK)
Categories: Action, After Dark, Creative, Emerging Talent, Landscape, Macro, Pets, Portrait, Travel, Wildlife, Street, Events, Birds, People’s Choice
Fee: Free to enter
Prizes: The winner of each of the 14 categories will be awarded £500. An additional £500 will be awarded to the photography department where the winner of the Emerging Talent category studies. The overall winner will receive an additional £2,500 worth of LCE vouchers. Winners of each category and the overall prize winner will also receive a trophy. Shortlisted entrants will be invited to the awards ceremony, and will be included in an awards book, which all shortlisted entrants will receive free of charge
For more information, visit the LCE Photographer of the Year website.
Current World Archaeology Photo Competition
Deadline: January 26
Open to: Photographers of all levels
Focus: Archaeological theme
Fee: Free to enter
Prizes: The winners will be featured in the magazine and at the ‘CA Live! 2026 convention’, and the general winner will obtain two free tickets to the convention and a CWA trophy.
For extra data, go to the CWA website.
Australian Geographic Nature POTY
Deadline: February 5
Open to: Photographers of all levels
Fee: AU$38 for the first image and AU$22 for each subsequent image, or for Junior Photography, AU$10 for the first image and AU$5 for each subsequent image
Categories: Animals in Nature, Botanical, Animal Behaviour, Macro, Landscape, Threatened Species, Monochrome, Our Impact, Portfolio, and Junior
Prizes: The overall winner receives AU$10,000; category winners receive AU$1,500; while the Junior takes home AU$500, and more
For more information, visit the South Australian Museum website.
World Food Photography Awards
Deadline: February 8
Open to: Photographers of all levels
Categories: UK or UNHCR Food as Home, M&S Food Rising Star, Louis Jadot Wine Photographer of the Year, Champagne Taittinger Wedding Food Phorographer, MPB Award for Innovation, Food Influencer, Champagne Taittinger Food for Celebration, Hotel Art Group Food Stylist Award, The James Beard Foundation Photography Award, unearthed Food for Sale, Bring Home the Harvest, World of Drinks, and more
Fee: £35 per adult entrant (up to 6 images), further entries may be submitted at an additional fee of £7 per entry, Portfolio submission fees vary, entry to the Young (under 18) categories is free of charge
Prizes: Overall Winner receives £5,000 cash prize and a display of their work at the Mall Galleries and Fortnum & Mason, specific category prizes vary, but can include cash, equipment vouchers, and professional opportunities like a £1,000 cash prize for the Louis Jadot Wine Photographer of the Year or an MPB voucher for the Award for Innovation, Student winners may also receive RPS membership and a one-on-one mentorship call
For more information, visit the World Food Photography Awards website.
Fine Art Photography Awards
Deadline: February 15
Open to: Photographers of all levels
Categories: Abstract, Architecture, Conceptual, Experimental, Fashion, Fine Art, Landscape, Nature, Night Photography, Nudes, Open Theme, Panoramic, People, Photojournalism, Photomanipulation, Portrait, Seascape, Street Photography, Travel, Wildlife / Animal
Fee: Professional: Single entry $29, series $34, Amateur: Single entry $24, series $29
Prizes: Professional category: Grand Prize Winner $3,000 + Professional Fine Art Photographer of the Year title, Amateur category: Grand Prize Winner $2,000 + Amateur Fine Art Photographer of the Year title
For more information, visit the Fine Art Photography Awards Website.
Belfast Photo Festival
Deadline: March 2
Open to: Photographers, artists, curators, archives, and collectives from anywhere in the world
Focus: “The theme for the 2026 Open Submission has been left open to interpretation, therefore removing any restrictions in regards to theme, concept or approach of a photographer or artist’s work”
Fee: For single Project/Body of Work/Photo-book: Early bird £22 / Standard £26
Exposure: Vast international press coverage from publications and media outlets around the world. Winners, finalists and entrants have been featured in major publications such as, The Guardian, TIME Lightbox, Foam, The Financial Times, British Journal of Photography, The Telegraph, among many other national and international outlets. This kind of press exposure can lead to viral, global recognition of your work
For more information, visit the Belfast Photo Festival website.
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