{"id":381397,"date":"2025-12-30T23:32:15","date_gmt":"2025-12-30T23:32:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/381397\/"},"modified":"2025-12-30T23:32:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-30T23:32:15","slug":"these-are-the-best-photography-awards-to-enter-in-2026-ranked-by-submission-deadline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/381397\/","title":{"rendered":"These are the best photography awards to enter in 2026, ranked by submission deadline"},"content":{"rendered":"

If your New Year\u2019s resolutions include \u201cfinally enter that photo competition\u201d, consider this your friendly, mildly bossy reminder that time waits for no photographer \u2013 and deadlines certainly don\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Whether you’re chasing a career-changing accolade, eyeing a glossy exhibition slot or simply hoping to justify the amount you\u2019ve spent on lenses this year, 2026 is positively bursting with competitions worth throwing your best shots at. Some offer generous cash prizes, others promise international exposure, and a few simply offer the thrill of saying \u201cI\u2019m an award-winning photographer\u201d at parties. Best of all, several are free to enter.<\/p>\n

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To help you plot your year (and avoid that panicked, last-minute image export at 11:58pm), we\u2019ve ranked the best photography awards to enter in 2026 by their submission deadlines. Scroll through, pick your targets, and get submitting, because your next big win might just be one upload away.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

1. Underwater Photographer of the Year\u00a0<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Underwater Photographer of the Year)Deadline: 4 January at 23:59 hrs GMTEntry cost: Mobile and marine conversation categories free; other categories from $15\/ \u00a320Enter here<\/a> <\/p>\n

Based in the UK, Underwater Photographer of the Year is an annual competition open to photographers of all levels and nationalities. It offers category-specific awards and an extensive prize pool, including travel, dive packages, gear and cash. Photos can be taken in in oceans, lakes and even swimming pools.<\/p>\n

2. Sony World Photography Awards<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Sony)Deadline: 6 January for the Open and Youth competitions, and 13 January for the Professional competition. Student deadline has already passed.Entry cost: FreeEnter here<\/a><\/p>\n

The Sony<\/a> World Photography Awards 2026 is a free-to-enter global competition with four categories: Professional, Open, Youth and Student (note: the latter’s deadline has already passed). Winners can receive up to $25,000, Sony Digital Imaging equipment, and will see their work featured in the annual exhibition at Somerset House, London.<\/p>\n

3. Siena International Photo Awards (SIPA)<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Siena International Photo Awards)Deadline: 9 JanuaryEntry cost: 1 image is free. Paid entries: \u20ac30 for 3 imagesEnter here<\/a><\/p>\n

Founded in 2014, the Siena International Photo Awards (SIPA) is open to both professionals and amateurs with categories including wildlife, nature and photojournalism. The awards ceremony is held annually in Siena, Italy and is typically accompanied by exhibitions, workshops and conferences.<\/p>\n

4. Aperture Portfolio Prize<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Aperture)Deadline: 9 JanuaryEntry cost: Included with an Aperture magazine subscriptionEnter here<\/a><\/p>\n

The Aperture Portfolio Prize seeks to identify contemporary trends and highlight emerging photographers. It’s open solely to subscribers to Aperture magazine. There are cash prizes for the winner and shortlisted artists, along with opportunities for exhibition and promotion through Aperture, PhMuseum and the AIPAD Photography Show in New York.<\/p>\n

The best camera deals, reviews, product advice, and unmissable photography news, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n

5. World Press Photo Contest<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: World Press Photo)Deadline: 17 JanuaryEntry cost: FreeEnter here<\/a><\/p>\n

This annual contest is open to professional photojournalists and documentary photographers. It’s free to enter and features three categories: Singles, Stories, and Long-Term Projects. Prizes include a global exhibition, online promotion, inclusion in an annual yearbook, an invitation to a winners’ event in Amsterdam and cash prizes of up to \u20ac11,000.<\/p>\n

6. LCE Photographer of the Year<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Photographer of the Year)Deadline: 21 JanuaryEntry cost: FreeEnter here<\/a><\/p>\n

This annual, free-to-enter competition is open to photographers of all skill levels worldwide, with categories including action, landscape, wildlife and drone photography. The competition includes a People’s Choice Award voted on by the public, and an Emerging Talent Award for photography students. Winners will be on show at The Photography & Video Show<\/a>, which returns to the NEC in Birmingham, March 14-17, 2026.<\/p>\n

7. Applied Arts Photography Awards<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Applied Photography)Deadline: 30 JanuaryEntry cost: $40 (single Image) \/ $65 (series)Enter here<\/a><\/p>\n

This long-running Canadian competition accepts submissions across more than 75 categories, including advertising, architecture and nature\/wildlife. Entries are judged based on creative merit, technical execution and suitability for end use. Winners receive extensive exposure and publication in the annual awards issue.<\/p>\n

You may like<\/p>\n

8. International Photography Awards (IPA)<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: IPA)Deadline: 31 January (early bird), 30 June (final)Entry cost: From $40 for professionals, from $30 for amateursEnter here<\/a><\/p>\n

The IPA’s goal is to salute the achievements of fine photographers, discover new and emerging talent, and promote the appreciation of the craft. This contest is open to photographers aged 18 or older, from any country. Entries are judged separately within professional, non-professional and student categories.<\/p>\n

9. World Food Photography Awards<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: World Food Photography Awards)Deadline: 8 FebruaryEntry cost: Free for students and under-18s. Adults: \u00a335 for up to 6 images for adult entrants, with further entries costing \u00a37 each.Enter here<\/a><\/p>\n

These specialist awards aim to highlight food stories worldwide, from food production to elaborate meals, through the work of a diverse judging panel. Open to both professionals and amateurs, there’s a \u00a35,000 top prize. This year brings a new ‘Food as Home’ category and finalist exhibitions at London’s Mall Galleries and Fortnum & Mason.<\/p>\n

10. Fine Art Photography Awards<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: A website banner for the Fine Art Photography Awards Edition 2025-2026, featuring a dark image of a glowing ice cave and text that reads “International Contest Honouring Fine Art Photography Edition 2025 – 2026.”)Deadline: 15 FebruaryEntry cost: Amateurs: $24 for a single entry, $29 for an amateur series. Professionals: $29 for a single entry, $34 for an amateur seriesEnter here<\/a><\/p>\n

The Fine Art Photography Awards serves as a platform for photographers to showcase their creative vision across categories such as abstract, conceptual and landscape, based on originality, artistic voice and technical skill. This year’s grand prize is $3,000.<\/p>\n

11. MUSE Photography Awards<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Muse Photography Awards)Deadline: 26 FebruaryEntry cost: From $40 (professional) \/ $30 (amateur\/student)Enter here<\/a><\/p>\n

The MUSE Photography Awards honor a broad range of creative work across categories like Abstract, Architecture and Fine Art. The competition rewards its top winners with $3,000 (Professional) and $2,000 (Amateur) cash prizes, along with the coveted MUSE statuette and global publicity.<\/p>\n

12. iPhone Photography Awards (IPPAWARDS)<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: iPhone Photography Awards)Deadline: 31 MarchEntry cost: From $7.50 for a single imageEnter here<\/a><\/p>\n

Founded in 2007, the same year the first iPhone was released, the iPhone Photography Awards (IPPAWARDS) is the first and longest-running international photography competition specifically for images captured using an iPhone or iPad<\/a>. Note that the use of any iOS app for editing is permissible, but desktop image processing programs like Photoshop<\/a> are not.<\/p>\n

13. Monovisions<\/p>\n

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(Image credit: Monovisions Awards)Deadline: 18 Jan (early bird), 17 May (final)Entry cost: From $20 for a single image; from $25 for a seriesEnter here<\/a><\/p>\n

The MonoVisions Photography Awards 2026 celebrates black and white photography worldwide. This year the contest celebrates its 10th anniversary by offering $5,000 in cash prizes, including $3,000 for the Series of the Year and $2,000 for the Photo of the Year, across various categories like Street Photography, Fine Art and Nature.<\/p>\n

14. Le Prix de la Photographie de Paris (PX3)<\/p>\n

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\"The
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(Image credit: PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris)Deadline: 18 February (early bird), 13 May (regular), 22 July (final)Entry cost: $30 for single images (professionals), $20 for amateurs and students. Discounts for multiple categories.Enter here<\/a><\/p>\n

Established in 2007 to promote photography and discover talent, this contest open to both professional and amateur photographers, in categories like Architecture, Fine Art and Portraiture. Winners are exhibited in Paris and published in the annual PX3 book. Cash prizes include $5,000 for Professional Photographer of the Year and $2,000 for Best New Talent.<\/p>\n

15. ND Awards<\/p>\n

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\"The
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(Image credit: ND Photography Awards)Deadline: 26 April (early bird), 20 September (final)Entry cost: From $19 for a non-professional single image; from $29 for a professional series entryEnter here<\/a><\/p>\n

The ND Awards celebrate artistic achievement in categories such as Fine Art, Portrait and Wildlife. With total cash prizes of $10,000, this competition offers global exposure and is open to professionals and amateurs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If your New Year\u2019s resolutions include \u201cfinally enter that photo competition\u201d, consider this your friendly, mildly bossy reminder…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":381398,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[449,458,459,64,63,460,134],"class_list":{"0":"post-381397","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-artsanddesign","11":"tag-au","12":"tag-australia","13":"tag-design","14":"tag-entertainment"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/381397","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=381397"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/381397\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/381398"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=381397"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=381397"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=381397"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}