The İstanbul Photo Awards 2026 is an internationally recognized photography competition dedicated to honoring excellence in news photography and documentary visual storytelling. Organized by Anadolu Ajansı, one of the world’s leading news agencies, the contest serves as a global platform for professional photojournalists to showcase powerful images that document significant events, social issues, and human stories from around the world. By bringing together photographers from diverse cultural and geographic backgrounds, the awards highlight the vital role of visual journalism in informing the public and preserving historical moments.
Focused on contemporary global affairs, the competition features multiple categories covering news, sports, environment, daily life, and portrait photography, both in single-image and series formats. The İstanbul Photo Awards places strong emphasis on authenticity, ethical journalism, and narrative depth, rewarding photographs that combine technical excellence with strong storytelling impact. Each year, submissions reflect major world events, conflicts, humanitarian crises, cultural transformations, and everyday life, making the contest a comprehensive archive of the year in images.
Beyond being a photography contest, the İstanbul Photo Awards functions as a prestigious international benchmark for professional photojournalism. Winning and shortlisted photographs gain wide international exposure through exhibitions, digital platforms, media partnerships, and printed publications, significantly enhancing photographers’ global visibility and professional reputation. As a result, the awards are widely followed by editors, agencies, and institutions, reinforcing their position as a key event in the global photography and visual journalism calendar.
There is no entry fee.
Eligibility
Open only to professional photographers worldwide, with submitted photographs required to have been taken in 2025.
Prize
The total prize pool for the İstanbul Photo Awards 2026 is $58,000, with the Photo of the Year (the top image in the Single News category) receiving $6,000, first-place winners in each category awarded $3,000, second places $1,500, and third places $1,000, and winning photographs also gaining global exposure through publications and exhibitions.
