Best Photography Awards to Enter in 2025–2026

Let’s be real—great photography doesn’t just happen. It’s built. And if you’re serious about taking your craft from “good” to unforgettable, then you need more than just a camera and a smartphone. You need recognition and opportunities. Besides, you need the kind of momentum that comes from being seen by the right people.

That’s where photography awards come into play—not simply as shiny trophies, but as genuine, life-altering milestones.

As a photographer, applying for awards might be an amateur’s game, but that’s a myth. A captivating street photograph, a quiet yet tell-all still life, or a documentary-style image that showcases raw human emotions tells a story. Powerful stories often stem from a novice perspective, capturing the world through new and untamed eyes.

Here’s how it works:

Reveal your most stunning snapshots. Pair them with a heartfelt note capturing your love for photography. Include a letter from a mentor, teacher, or friend who truly values your talent. Ditch the gimmicks and the fluff; let your passion shine and highlight the endless possibilities that lie ahead.

Ready to improve your photography? Stop waiting and apply now to unleash your vision.

A Shortlist of Photography Awards 2025–2026

Photography is not just a hobby or part-time activity for all. In some cases, it’s more than a profession. It requires time, passion, and investment to reach the right destination. If you want to become a better photographer, you should take this chance.

Many groups and schools offer photography awards. Some famous ones are from the National Press Photographers Association, Eddie Adams Workshop, Fine Art Photography Award, and the North American Nature Photography Association.

1. Nikon International Small World Competition

This is another photography contest, namely the Nikon International Small World Competition. It was first introduced in the year 1975. Since then, it has become an important event for many photographers.

The event is for people who know about microscopes and take pictures in science. You can participate whether you take photos professionally or as a hobby. And, it offers no fee to take part in the competition.

Eligibility and Guidelines

• All the candidates are eligible over 18 years old, except the members of the Nikon family.
• No entry fee to participate in the contest.
• Basic editing is acceptable with phase contrast, fluorescence, deconvolution, and polarized light.

Benefits

Nikon International Small World Competition gives awards to the top 20 photographers. The winners from 1^st to 6^th position will receive $3000, $2000, $1000, $800, $600, and $400, respectively. And, the positions from 7^th to 10^th will get $300 each. From 11^th to 20^th, winners will be awarded $200 each.

2. The Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest

It is among the most prestigious photography awards in photojournalism, offering a notable scholarship for photographers. The full name of this contest is Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest. There are five categories in this photo contest for which photographers are being awarded.

These are- Top News, My planet, Portrait, Inspiration, and Sports photography. An expert commission conducts the whole judgment process. A group of experts and Jury boards from different organizations deal with the contest procedure and select the best candidate.

Eligibility and Guidelines

• Anyone aged 18 to 33, whether Russian or from another country, can join this contest.
• There is no entry fee to participate here. As a contestant, you can submit up to three images in each category.
• You can’t implement any advanced editing or retouching before delivering the photos to the board. Minor cropping and color correction can be accepted.
• Image format has to be in JPG format, having a dimension between 2200 to 5700 pixels.
• File size should be a maximum of 20 MB, and it must contain the EXIF data.

Benefits

The grand prize winner of this contest will receive 700000 Russian rubles. In each category, there will be three winners as first, second, and third place winners. The winners will get 100000, 75000, and 50000, respectively. In addition, sponsors may offer some additional prizes for the participants.

3. Fine Art Photography Awards

Fine Art Photography Awards is among the popular names in the photography world to be recognized globally. Since 2014, this photography scholarship has helped find talented artists and special people in many different categories. Several high-profile photographers judge the competition and bring talent.

This contest has two different types, namely amateur and professional. And, there are 20 categories, likely Abstract, Architecture, Fashion, Landscape, Night Photography, Panoramic, Portrait, Travel, and more.

Eligibility and Guidelines

• The contest is open to all photographers in different fields around the world.
• The entry fee for the amateur category is 20 USD and 25 USD for professionals. You have to pay $10 as an additional fee for each category.
• All images must be original and maintain copyright laws and standards while captioning them.
• Photos should not have watermarks, copyright units, or logos. The file has to be saved in JPEG format.
• The decision from the Fine Art Photography Awards Jury will be final through the nominated judges.

Benefits

The total amount of the prizes for the winners is $5000. The finalist in the amateur section will be announced as the Fine Art Discovery of the Year with an amount of $2000. In addition, the winner from another section will receive $3000 and the title — Fine Art Photographer of the Year. Moreover, finalists from each category will also be awarded a certificate along with a statue.

4. HIPA Photography Competition, Dubai

The Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) is an independent platform to showcase talent in the photography world. After ending the ninth season, the next season is knocking at the door with a new theme. It includes three different categories besides the main theme, namely – Portfolio, General, and Mobile photography. Participants can submit captions regarding their choices.

The Jury introduces three special awards in the upcoming season. These are- ‘The Photography Appreciation Award’, ‘The Photography Content Creator Award’, and ‘Emerging Person/Organization in Photography Award’. You can keep it as one of the most awaited photography awards for 2026 on your list.

Eligibility and Guidelines

• Contestants must be at least 18 years old to be eligible for the competition.
• You have to submit the raw/original files in high quality and resolution.
• Participants can submit photographs of up to ten of the same subject/theme. The minimum range is five.
• Image format should be in JPEG with a minimum size of 5MB (except mobile category).

Benefits

The main prize for the overall winner is $120,000. There are also prizes for each category, ranging from $4,000 to $24,000. In addition, the winner of the Photography Appreciation Award will get another award. The Emerging Person or Organization in Photography will get $20,000, $15,000, and $10,000. The total amount of all prizes is about $450,000.

5. Wildlife Photographer of The Year

It’s one of the renowned photography awards for 2026 on our list, which is operated by the Natural History Museum. Wildlife Photographer of the Year offers contestants to showcase their talents, especially in the field of wildlife photography. This leading event started in the year 1965.

Now, it has been a popular and honorary name for photographers from almost 100 countries around the world. Many international journals and magazines publish winning images on their websites. It helps the participants to be recognized globally.

Eligibility and Guidelines

• Anyone above 18 is eligible for the competition in the adult category. You can also participate in the Young category if you are aged 17 and under.
• It needs a non-refundable entry fee of 30 euros to take part in the competition.
• For each category, participants may need to submit between six to ten photos.
• The photo must be in JPEG format. Also, the caption with the picture should have all the right details, like where it was taken and the story behind it.
• Contestants cannot submit photos that have won awards in any international competition this year.
• You can’t implement any advanced digital photo editing like adding/removing objects, plants, animals, or their parts.
• This platform does not permit images of farm animals, cultivated plants, and also family pets.

Benefits

The winner of Wildlife Photographer of the Year will receive £10000 with a trophy and personalized certificate. Other prizes in different categories give £2500, £2500, and £1500 to the winners.

The winner of the Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year category will receive £1000. Apart from the payment and certification in each section, it also provides the facility to attend the awards ceremony in London.

6. SONY World Photography Awards for Professionals

This is among the four categories from the SONY World Photography Awards competition. It is regarded as one of the important events for photographers to showcase their talents in different fields of photography. It includes categories like Architecture, Creative, Landscape, Wildlife, Documentary, Sport, Travel, and more.

You are welcome if your works are technically brilliant and exciting. A group of judges from the industry will examine the images to find the best creation.

Eligibility and Guidelines

• No entry fee to take part in the competition. Anyone over 18 can join here.
• You must submit the files via the World Photography Organization website, keeping the instructions in mind.
• The image size can’t be less than 1MB and larger than 5MB.
• The organizers do not allow images that are threatening, misleading, abusive, or pornographic.
• It needs high-resolution images so that they can be suitable for print media.

Benefits

SONY World Photography Award winner will receive $25000. Winners of 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd positions will get a ticket for the Award ceremony and exhibition at Somerset House, London. Besides this, it offers a publication facility in the Sony World Photography Awards book. And, winners from the individual category will receive flights and accommodation to the awards ceremony.

7. Accenti Magazine Photo Contest

This is another platform for photographers, namely ‘Capture an Italian Moment’, operated by Accenti with an Italian accent. It is open to photographers around the world with no industry or nationality barriers. Whether you are a professional, amateur, or student, you are welcome to submit your creativity from different sectors. It’s been a great way to showcase talents in the photography field and build an artistic profile.

Eligibility and Guidelines

• Participants (students/professionals/amateurs) from different regions around the world are eligible to apply with a non-refundable entry fee of $20 (CDN).
• Images must be original with high-resolution. It can be both in color or black-white.
• It should not have any watermarks, signatures, copyright marks, or symbols.
• Photos must be in digital formats like JPEG, EPS, and TIFF at 300 ppi with a maximum size of 2MB.

Benefits

Winner for the 1^st position in Accenti Magazine Photo Contest will receive $1000 (CDN). The second and third winners will get $1000 (CDN) each. There is also another category called the Popular Vote Prize, which gives $100 (CDN) to the winner. In addition, the winner will get a chance to have their work published in Accenti.

8. Monovisions Photo Awards

Monovisions Photo Awards come to discover the best monochrome photographers from all over the world. Online Black and White Photography Magazine, Monovisions, organizes this contest every year. It accepts black and white photos, including toned ones like selenium or gold, from all photographers — both professional and amateur.

You can capture photos from different categories in both traditional and digital methods. The category includes Abstract, Fine Art, Landscapes, Nude, Photojournalism, Street Photography, and more.

Eligibility and Guidelines

• People 18 years or older can join the Monovisions Photo Awards. The entry fee is $, $20, $25, or $30, depending on the category.
• Participants can take part in multiple categories. An additional fee is $10 for each category.
• In the Single photo section, photographers can submit just one image. On the other hand, in the Series photo section, the range is 2-8 images.
• Image resolution must be high, and the standard format is JPG.
• The organizers allow contestants to submit files with basic adjustments.
• Images must not have signatures, logos, copyright, or watermarks.

Benefits

The total prize of Monovisions Photo Awards is worth $5000. In the Black and White Series of the Year section, the winner will receive $ 3,000. And, the winner of Black and White Photo of the Year will receive $2000 as a reward. Besides this, all category winners will get downloadable badges and certificates.

To Sum Up

Awards bring the opportunity for photographers to be recognized globally. In this article, we tried to put together some of the popular and honorary photography awards for the upcoming year of 2026. Whether you are a student or a professional, obtaining certification in this area can help you enhance your skills and receive a reward. Isn’t it cool?

So, which one do you prefer to develop your artistic career? The list includes photo contests in different categories. You can choose the suitable one that matches the criteria of your choices.