Get published and win big: Top photography competitions to enter in February – May 2026

Whether you're a seasoned photographer, a beginner just getting started or simply someone who loves capturing beautiful moments, submitting your work to photography competitions is one of the best ways to gain exposure and recognition.

Entering competitions 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. Even if you don't make the shortlist, the experience itself is rewarding and can push your photography to the next level.

In fact, many photographers say 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 – from astrophotography and macro, to wildlife, travel, food, portrait, or conceptual photography – there's something for everyone.

The best part is that most competitions offer multiple categories, so you're likely to find a perfect match for your work. To help you get started, I've put together a list of photography competitions with open calls that are accepting submissions from February until May 2026. It's a small selection to spark inspiration, but there are countless others out there…

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

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

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

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

Fee: Early: single image $20, series $25, Final: single image $25, series $30

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

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.

Hasselblad Masters 2026

Deadline: February 28

Open to: Photographers of all levels
(images can be shot on any camera, digital or film)

Fee: Free

Categories: Landscape, Portrait, Street, Architecture, Art, Project // 21 (for photographers aged 21 and under), and Wildlife

Prizes: Hasselblad X2D II 100C camera, two Hasselblad XCD lenses of your choice, €5,000 cash prize, collaboration with Hasselblad on the Hasselblad Masters Photography Book, global exposure across Hasselblad's marketing and social channels

Find more information here or visit the Hasselblad Awards website.

GDT European Wildlife Photographer of the Year

Deadline: March 1

Open to: Photographers of all levels resident in Europe and GDT members worldwide

Fee: €35, free entry in category K9 – Youth (up to 17 years)

Categories: K1: Birds, K2: Mammals, K3: Other Animals, K4: Plants & Fungi, K5: Landscapes, K6: Underwater World, K7: Humans & Nature, K8: Nature's Studio (experimental/ creative), K9: Young Photographers (up to 17 years), K10: Rewildling Europe Award (focus on Europe's wilder landscapes), K11: Fritz Polking Prize / Junior Prize – story or porfolio (8-10 images)

Prizes: Total prize fund: €45,000+ (cash and material prizes, European Wildlife Photographer of the Year: €3,000 + special safari in Kenya, Fritz Polking Prize: €2,000 + trophy, Fritz Polking Junior Prize: €1,500 + €500 voucher + troph, Rewildling Europe Award: Winner €1,000, runners-up €500, Youth K9: €500 winners, €400 runners-up, all winners invited to the awards ceremony, exhibition and festival

For more information, visit the GDT website.

ZWO Astronomy Photographer of the Year 18

Deadline: March 2

Open to: Photographers of all levels (Adult and Young Competition)

Fee: £10 fee per entrant for the Adult competition, entry to the Young competition and special prizes is free

Adult Categories: Aurorae, Galaxies, Our Moon, Our Sun, People and Space, Planets, Comets and Asteroids, Skyscapes, Stars and Nebulae

Young Categories: no separate categories, entrants need to be 15 or under

Special Prizes:

The Sir Patrick Moore Prize for Best Newcomer: For newcomers over 16 years old who have not entered the competition before. Any astronomical subject may be depicted

The Annie Maunder Open Category: Rewards innovative approaches to astronomy art

Prizes: The overall winner will receive £10,000. Winners of all other categories and the photographer named winner in the ZWO Young Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition will receive £1,500. There are also prizes for runners-up (£500) and highly commended (£250) entries. The special prize winners will receive £750. All the winning entrants will receive a one-year subscription to BBC Sky at Night Magazine

For more information, visit the Royal Museum Greenwich website.

Belfast Photo Festival

Deadline: March 2

Open to: Photographers, artists, curators, archives, and collectives from anywhere in the world

Fee: For single Project/Body of Work/Photo-book: Early bird £22 / Standard £26

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”

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.

National Geographic Traveller Competition

Deadline: March 22

Open to: Photographers of all levels residing in the UK or Ireland

Fee: Free

Categories: Urban, Wildlife, Landscape, Food, People, Portfolio, Aerial (New), Rising Star (new, emerging talent aged 18-25, broad travel theme)

Prizes: Grand Prize: 11-day self-drive trip for two to British Columbia, Canada, 30-minute mentoring session with Nat Geo Traveller (UK) Art Director & Photography Editor, subscription to National Geographic Traveller, Category Winners (8): One-year subscription to National Geographic Traveller, mentor session with Art Director & Photography Editor, publication of winning image in the magazine

For more information, visit the National Geographic website.

iPhone Photography Awards (IPPAWARDS)

Deadline: March 31

Open to: iPhone and iPad photographers of all levels

Fee: From $7.50 per image

Categories: Abstract, Animals, Architecture, Children, Citylife/Cityscape, Landscape, Lifestyle, Nature, People, Portrait, Series (3 images), Other

Prizes: All entries compete for the prestigious IPPA Photographer of the Year Award title, top 3 winners, category winners receive Gold Bar, top three winners will be published on IPPAWARDS online gallery, further prices to be confirmed

For more information, visit the IPPAWARDS website.

MonoVisions Photography Awards

Deadline: May 17

Open to: Photographers of all levels

Fee: Early: single image $20, series $25, Final: single image $25, series $30

Focus: Black and white photography

Categories: Abstract, Architecture, Conceptual, Fine Art, Landscapes, Nature and Wildlife, Nude, People, Photojournalism, Portrait, Street Photography, Travel

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.

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