Photography Contest
World Street Photo Awards 2026
Deadline |
10/10/26Theme |
Street PhotographyTerritory |
WorldwideEligibility |
Open to allEntry Fees |
18 Euros/imagePrizes |
Cash PrizeThe World Street Photo Awards 2026 is an international street photography competition organized by Berlin-based Unseen Imaging GmbH. The award focuses on photographs that capture real moments, everyday observations and visual stories from streets around the world, with an emphasis on authentic photographic image-making.
The 2026 edition presents 20 categories covering approaches such as Reflection, Weather, Geometry, Black and White, Color, Silhouette, Light & Shadow, Movement & Motion, Transport, The Decisive Moment, Minimalism, Night & Low Light, Cinematic Streets, Abstract & Surrealism, Juxtaposition, Layers, Details, Animals, Mobile Phone Photography and Open Theme. These are separate competition categories rather than a single overall theme.
Entries are assessed anonymously by an international jury, with composition, creativity, originality and technical excellence identified among the judging criteria. The wide category structure gives street photographers opportunities to place documentary moments, graphic compositions, atmospheric scenes and more experimental approaches within a relevant competition context.
Entry fee: €18 for the first photo; photos 2–4 cost €15 each, photos 5–10 cost €13 each, and photos 11+ cost €10 each; entering the same photograph in additional categories carries an extra fee, but the current competition materials list this inconsistently as €10 or €12 per additional category.
Eligibility
Open to photographers of all skill levels and nationalities, professional or amateur, with entrants under 18 requiring written parental or guardian consent; previously published or award-winning photographs and images entered in other competitions are permitted if the entrant retains full copyright, AI-generated images are prohibited, limited AI-assisted editing of photographs originating from a real camera is allowed, and competition judges may not enter.
Prize
The 2026 competition advertises a €2,500 total prize pool, with €500 for Photographer of the Year and €100 for each category winner. Winners receive an official digital Winner Certificate and Winner Badge, while winning and honorable mention entries are stated to receive a one-year online Winners’ Gallery showcase. The 2026 competition page also advertises a trophy, an exhibition at a Berlin gallery and inclusion in the official WSPA photobook, although the precise allocation of these benefits among winners and honorable mentions is not fully specified.
The 2026 edition presents 20 categories covering approaches such as Reflection, Weather, Geometry, Black and White, Color, Silhouette, Light & Shadow, Movement & Motion, Transport, The Decisive Moment, Minimalism, Night & Low Light, Cinematic Streets, Abstract & Surrealism, Juxtaposition, Layers, Details, Animals, Mobile Phone Photography and Open Theme. These are separate competition categories rather than a single overall theme.
Entries are assessed anonymously by an international jury, with composition, creativity, originality and technical excellence identified among the judging criteria. The wide category structure gives street photographers opportunities to place documentary moments, graphic compositions, atmospheric scenes and more experimental approaches within a relevant competition context.
Entry fee: €18 for the first photo; photos 2–4 cost €15 each, photos 5–10 cost €13 each, and photos 11+ cost €10 each; entering the same photograph in additional categories carries an extra fee, but the current competition materials list this inconsistently as €10 or €12 per additional category.
Eligibility
Open to photographers of all skill levels and nationalities, professional or amateur, with entrants under 18 requiring written parental or guardian consent; previously published or award-winning photographs and images entered in other competitions are permitted if the entrant retains full copyright, AI-generated images are prohibited, limited AI-assisted editing of photographs originating from a real camera is allowed, and competition judges may not enter.
Prize
The 2026 competition advertises a €2,500 total prize pool, with €500 for Photographer of the Year and €100 for each category winner. Winners receive an official digital Winner Certificate and Winner Badge, while winning and honorable mention entries are stated to receive a one-year online Winners’ Gallery showcase. The 2026 competition page also advertises a trophy, an exhibition at a Berlin gallery and inclusion in the official WSPA photobook, although the precise allocation of these benefits among winners and honorable mentions is not fully specified.
Featured Photo Contest
AAP Magazine #62 / TRAVELS
Our 62nd printed issue of AAP Magazine will feature the best projects showcasing the theme: Travels. Reflect on your past or current adventures, expand our horizons from the four corners of the globe!
© Indranil Sengupta
Best Photography Contests in 2026
Each year, there are hundreds of photography competitions all over the world, so we've decided to select for you the best of the best! Our selection of the best photo contests in 2026 is thoroughly curated to help you, whether you are a professional photographer or an amateur, to help find your next creative breakthrough. These all-star competitions offer the greatest opportunities for international exposure and/or incredible financial benefits. Some of them are closing soon, so get your photo submissions in!
ENDS 10/11/26
Art is born out of passion. Fine Art photography is a perfect instrument, which allows a person to communicate with the world and share their vision. It results from the author's deep sensitivity, a need to express feelings through image.
ENDS 10/13/26
For 2026, the amount of the W. Eugene Smith Grant is $30,000, and two additional $10,000 Finalist Grants will be awarded.
ENDS 10/13/26
For 2026, the amount of the W. Eugene Smith Student Grant is $5,000. The grant provides two students with the opportunity to complete a photographic essay.
ENDS 10/14/26
This year we're excited to exhibit our Emerging Talent winners in Paris alongside Paris Photo, the world's largest international art fair dedicated to photography!
ENDS 10/14/26
From crossing paths with a black cat to honoring ancestors at vibrant altars, humans have always used stories, rituals, and visual symbols to make sense of fate, luck, and the unseen.
ENDS 10/15/26
A total of $8,000 in grants will be awarded to three outstanding artists
ENDS 10/15/26
€10,000 in cash plus an exhibition at PhMuseum Lab, screenings at PhotoVogue Festival, and more
ENDS 10/16/26
We are looking for your travel photographs, near and far, to the edge of the earth and to the places perhaps known only to you.
ENDS 10/31/26
If you're a passionate amateur or professional photographer, we invite you to share your photographic project with us.
ENDS 11/01/26
The best photographs will be presented in an exhibition in the Principality of Monaco, then touring in various locations around the world, as well as in a high-quality photography book.
ENDS 11/05/26
To help photographers improve their chances, we have launched a portfolio and contest submission review service.
ENDS 11/05/26
The acclaimed and renonwned photography grant contest from Gomma. The ninth year in the making. High international exposure and funding.
ENDS 11/22/26
The criteria for selection by a jury of professional in the photographic field are a height creative level, originality and a coherent personal vision.
ENDS 11/30/26
Selected photobooks will be featured in Der Greif’s Articles section, including a dedicated editorial feature highlighting the project, its context, and the maker(s).
ENDS 12/01/26
Empowering photographers and storytellers to tell powerful, long-term stories about the people and communities protecting our planet and wildlife.
ENDS 01/02/27
Turn your unique perspective on architecture into an award-winning visual narrative in the Luis Ferreira Alves Photography Competition.
ENDS 01/05/27
Dedicated to young photographers under 19 years-old - first prize is top Sony digital imaging equipment plus benefit from global exposure
ENDS 01/05/27
Rewarding the best single images! Enter for free and you could win $5,000, top Sony digital imaging equipment plus more!
ENDS 01/12/27
Rewarding the best photo series worldwide! Enter for free and you could win $25,000, a range of Sony digital imaging equipment plus more!
ENDS 02/07/27
Competition dedicated to telling food stories through photography
ENDS 03/31/27
Entries are open worldwide to photographers using an iPhone or iPad. Photos should not be published previously anywhere. The posts on personal accounts (Facebook, Instagram etc.) are eligible.
ENDS 11/26/27
Provides a platform for photography students worldwide - first prize is top Sony digital imaging equipment plus benefit from global exposure