Top 17 Photography Awards & Competitions in the World
List of best international photography awards. Learn everything about world’s most prestigious photography contests & exhibitions.
Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award - HIPA
Hamdan International Photography Award, commonly known as HIPA is the biggest photography award for photographers around the world. Under the patronage of HRH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, this amazing platform provides not just the biggest prize money of over USD400,000 but also a worldwide exposure.
Frequency: Yearly
Fee to participate: None
Open for: Professionals & amateurs
Sony World Photography Awards
One of the most widely known photography awards in the photography industry. Sony World Photography Awards (SWPA) is known for its wide audience and unlimited genre to participate in. Every year, hunderds of thousands of photographers from around th world participate in this amazing award in order to get exposure and vibrant prizes in both cash and kind.
Frequency: yearly
Fee to participate: Yes, for extra submissions only
Open for: Professionals & amateurs (worldwide)
Xposure International Photography Festival - Sharjah UAE
Commonly known as Xposure, it is one of the biggest photography awards and exhibitions in the world. Under the patronage of HH Sheikh Dr. Sultan Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Xposure prvides one of the widest exposure along with hefty prizes in cash to the photographers wordwide.
Frequency: yearly
Fee to participate: None
Open for: Professionals, amateurs (worldwide), children & Sharjah government employees
International Photography Awards - IPA
A worldwide competition for professional, amateur and student photographers. IPA provides both annual and other irregular small photography competitions for the photographers from around the world. There are not just one winner for each category but multiple winners and honorable mentions for each category.
Frequency: yearly
Fee to participate: Paid (USD10 or more)
Open for: Professionals, amateurs & students (worldwide)
SIENA International Photo Awards - SIPA
Under the patronage of Art Photo Travel, a non profit making organisation, Siena International Photo Awards aim to promote to art and culture from arounf the world.
Considered one of the most prestigious awards among the photographers community, Siena International Photo Awards, commonly known as SIPA is famous for diverse audience, jury members and especially a grand ceremony to celebrate the yearly winners.
If you are after recognition of your photographic work, you should defienetly particiapte in this amazing competition.
Frequency: yearly
Participate: Paid
Open for: Professionals & amateurs
Nikon Photo Contest
If one of your parent was also a photographer or you used to photography classes at your school, you definetly heard about Nikon Photo Contest already.
One of oldest photography contests in the world, Nikon Photography Contest offers great exposure to their wide global audience. Sponsored by Nikon Inc., this amazing annual contest is open for everyone to particiapte regardless of what camera you use.
Frequency: Yearly
Participate: Free
Open for: Professionals & amateurs
Travel Photographer of the Year
A unique photography contest for travel photographers from around the world. Powered by a great social media and organising team, this competition provides specific exposure to travel photography community around the world.
Frequency: yearly
Participate: Paid from GBP12
Open for: Professionals & amateurs
Leica Oskar Barnack Award
Sponsored by Leica, one of the pioneer camera manufacturing companies in the world, this competition offers its participants an opportunity to reach diverse and authentic community of contemporary art lovers.
One of the many benefits of winning this photography contest is getting an expensive Leica camera gear worth USD10,000, a vash prize of USD40,000 and exhibition in Ernst Leitz Museum in Wetzlar. One should consider this contest very seriously.
Frequency: Yearly
Participation: Free
Open for: Professional photographers, art gallery owners, photo experts & art directors
Monovisions Photography Awards
A specialised community and contest for Black and White photographers around the world. This unique platform provides generous opportunities to black and white photograhy artists by showcasing their work in front of a global audience.
Frequency: Yearly
Participation: Paid
Open for: Professionals & amateurs
The International Landscape Photographer of the Year
If you are after showcasing your landscape photography work and get it published too in a beautiful yearly book, you should participate in this photography contest.
Frequency: yearly
Participation: Paid
Open for: Professionals & amateurs
The Epson International Pano Awards
Specially designed for Panorama photos, The Epson International Pano Awards invites Pano photographers from all over the world to participate in this grand photo competition.
Frequency: Yearly
Participation: Paid
Open for: Professionals & amateurs
Moscow International Foto Awards
Moscow International Foto Awards by Farmani Group, the organisers of International Photo Awards, offers wide range of recognitions to the photography world. MIFA competition doesn’t only feature winning photographers online but also in a grand exhibition at Moscow.
Frequency: Yearly
Participation: Paid
Open for: Professionals & amateurs
Budapest International Foto Awards
Powered and organised by world’s leading photography contest organisers, The Farmani Group. Budapest International Foto Awards (BIFA) offers its winnder wide range of audience through both online and on site exhibition.
Frequency: yearly
Participation: Paid
Open for: Professionals & amateurs
Another photography competition offered by Farmani Group, Tokyo International Foto Awards (TIFA) offers almost same benefits and exposure as they are offering in both Budapest & Moscow International Foto Awards.
Frequency: Yearly
Participation: Paid
Open for: Professionals & amateurs
The British Wildlife Photography Awards
Partnered with Canon, British Wildlife Photography Awards, commonly knowns as BWPA is a private association shwocasing best of United Kingdom’s wildlife. This photo contest is open only United Kingdom’s residents and photo must also be from UK.
This amazing photography contest was started back in 2009 and has published number of volumes and photobooks on best of photos received from its participants.
Frequency: Yearly
Participation: Paid
Open for: Professionals & amateurs (UK only)
Monochrome Awards - International Black and White Photography Contest
Monochrome photography is a well known and desired genre in the world. Photographers showcase their artistic perspectives in black and white compositions in both fine art and contemporary versions.
Among many other black and white photography competitions worldwide, Monochrome Awards has gained huge respect due to their wide range of audience and diverse work publsihed during the past years.
Frequency: Yearly
Participation: Paid
Open for: Professionals & amateurs
35Awards
Started back in 2015, 35Awards is organised by a Russian private association to showcase photographic work from around the world.
This photography contest has a unique evaluation system, divided into multiple stages where participants and members of the photo contest can also judge and rate participating photos. Once the first stage is complete, then the selected or shortlisted photos will be sent for next round of judging where 20 judges from 20 different countries will rate each photograph.
During the past three years, 35Awards has gained a lot of recognition in the photography world where they have showcased hundreds of amazing photos from several countries.
Frequency: Yearly
Participation: Free
Open for: Professionals & amateurs
