Pure Street Photography Awards 2026 Winners Introduced Forward Of Jaipur Exhibition

“Street photography begins with honesty. It doesn’t wait for perfection or
performance. It asks us to notice what everyone else walked past. Every
photograph in this exhibition is a reminder that life doesn’t become
meaningful just because it is extraordinary. It becomes meaningful because
someone truly saw it.” Dimpy Bhalotia, Co-founder and Creative Director, Pure Street Photography

The Pure Street Photography Awards 2026 has introduced its eight successful photographers, chosen from 1,582 entries submitted by photographers throughout 50 international locations. Now in its second yr, the worldwide awards had been based by photographers Dimpy Bhalotia and Kamal Kumaar Rao. Pure Street Photography reaches a worldwide neighborhood of greater than 300,000 photographers and pictures fanatics. The eight winners within the two classes: Open Category and Black and White, alongside the 158 on the shortlist will likely be proven at an exhibition in Jaipur, India in November 2026.

Judging Process

This yr’s awards had been judged by Fiona Shields, Head of Photography on the Guardian, for the Open Category and road photographer Rui Palha for the Black and White Category. Fiona Shields mentioned “the entries to the Pure Street Photography competition possess a wit and precision that define this unique craft, celebrating marvellous moments of fleeting serendipity.” The awards were judged through a fully blind process, with each photograph assessed independently by the relevant category judge. Judges had no access to the photographer’s identity, including their name, nationality, gender, background or any other personal details. The finalists were shortlisted by Pure Street Photography’s director Dimpy Bhalotia, after which each category was judged independently by its respective judge.

Open Category, 4 Winners

The Grand prize winner in the Open Category was Daniel Kashi (France) for a photo taken at “Prix de Diane.” Kashi’s winning abstract image captures the energy, sophistication and spectacle surrounding one of France’s most prestigious horse races.

The 1st Place Winner in the Open category, Leone Von Dizic (Italy) took a photograph during a religious celebration in Southern Italy and says “while the crowd gathered around a sacred ritual, I was less interested in documenting the event than in experiencing it from within. I pressed the shutter at the exact moment when the raised hands framed the scene, transforming the photograph into a physical encounter rather than a distant observation. The image became a collision of faith, emotion, bodies, and gestures, where every element contributes to conveying a shared human experience. ”

Second Place Winner, Taichi Naitou (Japan) created a playful image in front of Tokyo Station that the judge says is “a witty moment of precision from the photographer who spots an optical illusion. The vivid nature of the people in the frame adds to the sense of fun.”

For a photo taken at the entrance of the Cathedral of Catania in October 2025, just a few minutes before sunset, Marco Cajazzo (Italy) won third prize. The low autumn light enters the church at a sharp angle, creating long, defined shadows. The shadows become an essential part of the composition, interacting with the people and adding depth to an otherwise ordinary moment.

Black and White Category, 4 Winners

Grand prize Winner in the Black and White category is Cesare Simioni’s (Brazil) striking photo of a young boy at the Lambe Sujo and Caboclinhos Festival in Sergipe. Surrounded by his elders, he carries on his skin and in his expression the resilience, pain, and beauty of one of Brazil’s most powerful folk traditions. Held every year in the historic town of Laranjeiras, northeastern Brazil, the century-old Lambe Sujo and Caboclinhos Festival is a vibrant street performance combining music, dance and theatre to recreate a symbolic battle between the Lambe-Sujos, representing enslaved Africans seeking freedom, and the Caboclinhos, representing Indigenous peoples.

1st Place Winner, Chris Mozyro (United Kingdom) says: “I was walking through Westminster when I happened upon the scene” of young submariners together in a relaxed, unguarded moment outside of a pub. The clinking of pints, the warmth of friendship, and the glow of pride in service filled the air.

2nd Place Winner, Jonathan Varjabedian (USA) shot his photo, “Untold Story” on a New York City subway platform, capturing a fleeting moment during an ordinary commute. The image shows a woman standing in the subway doorway, and the “brief exchange of attention between her and the blurred figure passing outside the train. The moment lasted less than a second, yet it suggested an entire narrative that can never be known.”

3rd Place Winner, Sven Delaye (France) took his photo during the rainy season in San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico. He says his image was “made in the middle of a sudden downpour that transformed the street into a temporary river….The resulting image captures both the violence and poetry of the moment: the weight of the rain, the emptiness of the street, and the solitary figure moving through the storm.”

Street Photography Exhibition

The winning images, alongside works by 158 finalists, will go on display at Jawahar Kala Kendra, an international art and culture center in Jaipur, India, from 20–22 November 2026. The exhibition will feature 166 photographs, bringing together 166 photographs for India’s largest dedicated exhibition of contemporary street photography. In addition to the exhibition, the grand prize winners were awarded a cash prize of $500.

About Pure Street Photography

Founded in 2020 by award-winning photographers and curators Dimpy Bhalotia and Kamal Kumaar Rao, Pure Street Photography is an international platform dedicated to celebrating street photography through awards, exhibitions, grants, interviews and educational programmes. With a community of more than 300,000 photographers and photography enthusiasts worldwide, it supports both emerging and established artists by providing recognition, exposure and opportunities for creative growth.

In January 2026, the organisation staged India’s first dedicated street photography exhibition at Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai, attracting more than 25,000 visitors over six days. The inaugural 2025 Pure Street Photography Awards Grand Prize was awarded to Stefanie Waiblinger (Germany) for her photograph “Who Is Next.” The award was judged by David Campany, Creative Director of the International Center of Photography (ICP), New York.