Whether you're a seasoned photographer, a beginner just getting started or someone who loves capturing beautiful moments, submitting your images to photo competitions is one of the best ways to gain exposure and recognition.
Entering contests isn't just about winning – though prizes and publicity are great bonuses! – it's also a chance to dive into your archives, rediscover your best images and refine your personal style. Many photographers say that competitions were the stepping stone that helped them build a name, grow their audience or land their first big feature.
And with so many open calls across all genres, there's something for everyone. So, here's a list of photography competitions with open calls that are accepting submissions from October 2026 until January 2027. It's a small selection to spark inspiration, but there are countless others out there.
Insta360 Global Awards
Deadline: October 30
Fee: Free
Open to: Photographers and videographers of all levels
Requirement: Entries must be shot on Insta360 or Antigravity products
Format: Videos: 30sec-3min MP4/MOV, single image only under 20MB
Categories: Street, Travel, Life, Portrait, Sports, Night
Prizes: $150,000+ prize pool with over 100 winners to be announced
Environmental Photography Award
Deadline: November 01
Open to: Photographers of all levels
Fee: Free
Focus: Environmental photography that raises awareness of environmental protection and explores the relationship between humans and nature
Categories: Polar Regions, Forests, Ocean, Changemakers, Human vs Nature
Prizes: €8,000 in total grants; winners and shortlisted photographers will feature in the award's exhibition and book
IAPB World Sight Day Photo Competition
Deadline: November 18
Open to: Photographers of all levels
Fee: Free
Focus: Eye health and the role vision plays in everyday life, as part of IAPB's #LoveYourEyes campaign
Categories: Love Your Eyes, Love Your Child's Eyes, Love Your Eyes at Work, Love Health for All, Making the World See the Value of Vision (new for 2026)
Prize: $1,000 cash prize each for the professional stream winner and the amateur stream winner
World Sports Photography Awards
Deadline: November 23
Fee: Free
Open to: Photographers of all levels
Eligibility: Up to 10 images taken between December 2025 - November 2026
24 categories: American Football, Athletics, Baseball, Basketball, Combat Sports, Cricket, Cycling, Equestrian, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Ice Hockey, Motor Sports, Nautical, Other, Racquet Sports, Rugby, Skate, Special, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Urban & Extreme, Venues, Views & Crowds, Winter Sports
Prizes: Prizes are provided by sponsors of the World Sports Photography Awards, details TBA
Sony World Photography Awards
Deadline: November 27 (Student), January 5 (Youth + Single Images), January 12 (Series)
Fee: Free
Open to: Photographers of all levels
Competitions: Series (previously Professional competition), Single Image (previously Open competition), Student, Youth
Categories: up to 10 different categories depending on competition
Prizes: Cash prizes up to $25,000, top-tier Sony equipment, and global exhibition opportunities
Wildlife Photographer of the Year
Deadline: December 03
Fee: adult entrants may submit up to 25 images (£35 fee), ages 18–26: free entry (25 images), ages 17 and under: free entry (10 images)
Categories: 13 single-image categories; new category: Positive Action, three multiple-image categories and three Young WPY age groups
Prizes: Cash awards of up to £15,000 for the adult Grand Title winner and £2,00 for the Young WPY winner, plus trophies, certificates, publications in the WPY Portfolio book, invitations or trips to the London awards ceremony and opportunities for professional recognition
Concrete in Life
Deadline: December 04
Fee: Free to enter
Open: Photographers of all levels
Categories: Urban and Infrastructure, Concrete in Daily Life, Concrete Beauty and Design
Prizes: Overall winner will receive a top prize of $10,000, with other prizes of $5,000 and $2,500
The Tideway Prize
Deadline: December 31
Open to: UK photographers of all levels, with three age categories: Open, Youth (16-24), and School Student (ages 11-15)
Fee: Free
Theme: "Standing by the Thames" – photographs capturing the River Thames, including its people, wildlife, recreation, work, industry, architecture, infrastructure, and everyday life
Prizes: Open winner: £2,000 in photography vouchers; Youth winner: £1,000 in photography vouchers and a half-day photography masterclass with Matthew Joseph, and more
Oppo Photography Awards
Deadline: December 31
Open to: Photographers and videographers of all levels, shooting with Oppo, OnePlus or RealMe devices
Fee: Free
Theme: "Super Every Moment"
Categories: Me, Journey, Video, Zoom, Live, Snap
Prizes: $76,500 prize pool across 38 awards
LCE Photographer of the Year
Deadline: January 20
Open to: Photographers of all levels
Fee: Free to enter
Categories: 13 categories, from wildlife, to action and travel. The LCE POTY also features dedicated category for photography students to showcase their developing style.
Prizes: £10,000 prize fund
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