If you’re asking which photography competitions are actually open right now, here is the current list — eighteen major contests, from the ones closing in the next two weeks to the big 2027 names that opened on 1 June. For each one: the deadline, whether it’s free or paid, and the AI rule — the single thing that disqualifies more good photographs than weak composition ever does.
Every contest below links to its full brief — fees, categories, jury, rights, and a read of what actually wins. This page is kept current; when a deadline passes, the contest moves to the archive.
Free to enter — start here
Seven of the eighteen are completely free, including four of the biggest names in photography:
- Sony World Photography Awards 2027 — closes 13 Jan 2027 (Single Image) / 12 Jan (Series). The largest contest on earth; new for 2027, you can enter both competitions. Edits OK, generative disclosed.
- World Press Photo 2027 — closes 18 Jan 2027. The benchmark for photojournalism. No AI.
- Hasselblad Masters 2027 — closes 28 Feb 2027. No AI.
- National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year 2026 — closes 30 Sep 2026. No AI.
- Nikon Comedy Wildlife 2026 — closes 30 Jun 2026. No AI rendering — the moment must be real.
- Maghreb Photography Awards 2026 — closes 1 Jul 2026. No AI rendering.
- Aperture Portfolio Prize 2027 — closes 11 Jan 2027. AI allowed.
Closing soon (June–August 2026)
- LensCulture Critics’ Choice 2026 — 15 Jun · paid · edits OK. The most conceptually open of the live contests.
- Nikon Comedy Wildlife 2026 — 30 Jun · free · no AI rendering.
- Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026 — 30 Jun · low fee · no AI.
- World Nature Photography Awards 2026 — 30 Jun · paid · no AI rendering.
- Maghreb Photography Awards 2026 — 1 Jul · free · no AI rendering.
- Photolucida Critical Mass 2026 — 1 Jul · paid · no AI. Portfolio review at scale.
- All About Photo Awards 2026 — 15 Jul · low fee · edits OK.
- PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris 2026 — 22 Jul · paid · AI allowed.
- BJP 1854 Award 2026 — 31 Jul · paid · no AI rendering.
- Tokyo International Foto Awards 2026 — 1 Aug · paid · AI allowed.
Later in 2026 and the big 2027 names
- International Photography Awards 2026 — 31 Aug · paid · edits OK.
- National Geographic Travel POTY 2026 — 30 Sep · free · no AI.
- Travel Photographer of the Year 2026 — 12 Oct · low fee · no AI.
- Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2027 — 4 Dec · paid · no AI. The Natural History Museum’s flagship.
- Aperture Portfolio Prize 2027 — 11 Jan 2027 · free · AI allowed.
- Sony World Photography Awards 2027 — 13 Jan 2027 · free · edits OK, disclosed.
- World Press Photo 2027 — 18 Jan 2027 · free · no AI.
- Hasselblad Masters 2027 — 28 Feb 2027 · paid · no AI.
The AI rule is the one most people miss
Notice how the AI column swings: no AI (World Press Photo, Wildlife POTY, Ocean POTY), no AI rendering but real-capture edits fine (Comedy Wildlife, World Nature), edits OK (Sony, LensCulture, IPA), and AI welcome (PX3, Tokyo). The same edited file that’s fine for PX3 will get you disqualified from World Press Photo — and most entrants never find out why. The full map of where each contest draws the line is in how the major competitions handle AI — and the everyday edits that quietly disqualify you, like cloning out a distraction the strict contests forbid, are in what editing gets you disqualified.
Don’t enter on a guess
WinPhoto reads your photographs against the actual rules of every contest above — category fit, jury character, and the specific AI line each one draws — and returns a verdict in four tiers, Strong submit / Submit / Maybe / Weak match, with the reasoning. It’s the difference between paying entry fees on a hunch and entering only where your work has a real shot.
- Drop your photos at /analyze → — free, no signup, read against every open contest at once.
- Building a Sony entry? The free Sony 2027 Playbook walks the whole cycle.
— The Critic
Deadlines, fees, and AI policies are read from each organiser’s published terms and current as of 4 June 2026; they can change — confirm on each contest’s brief before submitting. This list is updated as deadlines pass.