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AU · Nominal entry · 2026 · verified

The Epson International Pano Awards 2026

The Epson International Pano Awards thepanoawards.com ↗

Closed
Top prize $20.0K grand prize
Fee Nominal from 22 USD
AI policy No AI RAW required, no edits
Categories 6 6 single · 0 portfolio

Worth entering? $20.0K top prize against 22 USD per entry. The jury read and the rights terms below are what decide it — not the prize math. Jury read ↓ · Rights & disqualifiers ↓

Submit-Safe · before you pay the entry fee Read the fine print

Read the fine print first — The Epson International Pano Awards 2026 has 4 hard disqualifiers and demanding rights terms.

What this contest takes

Standard terms — you keep copyright and full control; the licence is limited to promoting the contest.

  • Photographer retains copyright, but every entry (not just shortlisted) grants a non-exclusive, irrevocable, worldwide license for competition-connected uses — judging, exhibitions, website and awards catalogue in perpetuity, plus press sub-licensing for 5 years. Shortlisted/awarded images may additionally be used by the organizer and event partners for event marketing and promotion.
  • Duration: Perpetual for exhibitions/website/catalogue; 5 years for press sub-licensing.
  • You keep your copyright
  • Credited when used

What disqualifies you

AI-generated or AI-rendered content is disqualified — and RAW files can be demanded to prove it.

  • Copyright ownership Entrant must be the photographer and copyright holder of each entry. “You retain copyright in each entry; entries must be your own work.”
  • Ai generation Computer-generated images and elements are banned outright, including generative and instructional AI — the hardest AI line in the landscape segment. “Computer generated images and elements are not permitted, including generative and instructional AI content of any kind.”
  • Image format Entries must be panoramic format — minimum 2:1 aspect ratio (or vertical equivalent). “Images must have an aspect ratio of at least 2:1 to qualify as panoramic.”
Closed From 22 USD per image Upload spec: Files: JPGsRGB colour profileNo watermarks
Check your photo against these exact rules — free → No account · reads the editing line, the AI clause and the file spec · rules human-verified
№ 02 · The editorial read

What this jury looks for

International panel weighted toward working landscape and architectural photographers. The world's largest panoramic competition (running since 2010) — technical stitching quality, light, and scale drama carry weight; over-processed HDR is a documented jury fatigue point in recent cycles. Stated priorities: panoramic_composition > light_q…

The full editorial read continues with past-winner pattern, fee-to-prize value, rights translated, and three comparable competitions. Studio reads the rest.

See Studio — €11/mo → Or one-shot read for €14 →

Categories

Aerial

Single

Aerial/drone panoramic subcategory, offered in both Open and Amateur classes.

VR / 360

Single

Spherical 360 panoramas, separate competition class ($20/image); exempt from the 2:1 aspect rule.

Open — Nature / Landscape

Single

Panoramic nature and landscape work, professional/open class.

Open — Built Environment / Architecture

Single

Panoramic urban, architectural and built-environment work, professional/open class.

Amateur — Nature / Landscape

Single

Panoramic nature and landscape work, amateur class (lower fee).

Amateur — Built Environment / Architecture

Single

Panoramic urban and architectural work, amateur class.

F Format requirements 1 spec

pano_standard

  • File types: jpg
  • Color profile: sRGB
  • No watermarks
E Eligibility 3 rules
  • Entrant must be the photographer and copyright holder of each entry. hard

    “You retain copyright in each entry; entries must be your own work.”

  • Computer-generated images and elements are banned outright, including generative and instructional AI — the hardest AI line in the landscape segment. hard

    “Computer generated images and elements are not permitted, including generative and instructional AI content of any kind.”

  • Entries must be panoramic format — minimum 2:1 aspect ratio (or vertical equivalent). hard

    “Images must have an aspect ratio of at least 2:1 to qualify as panoramic.”

Jury context

International panel weighted toward working landscape and architectural photographers. The world's largest panoramic competition (running since 2010) — technical stitching quality, light, and scale drama carry weight; over-processed HDR is a documented jury fatigue point in recent cycles.

Priorities: panoramic composition light quality technical execution originality of vantage

Tone: sweeping scale stitched precision natural light drama aerial perspective

Avoid: over processed hdr oversaturated visible stitching errors

Prizes

Cash and Epson hardware prize pool across Open, Amateur and special categories; overall Photographer of the Year titles.

  • Epson hardware prizes across categories

Publication

R Rights & licensing what you grant the organizer
What you grant
Photographer retains copyright, but every entry (not just shortlisted) grants a non-exclusive, irrevocable, worldwide license for competition-connected uses — judging, exhibitions, website and awards catalogue in perpetuity, plus press sub-licensing for 5 years. Shortlisted/awarded images may additionally be used by the organizer and event partners for event marketing and promotion.
Duration
Perpetual for exhibitions/website/catalogue; 5 years for press sub-licensing.
Exclusivity
none
Attribution
Required
Copyright retained by photographer
Yes

Before you enter — quick answers

Is The Epson International Pano Awards 2026 free to enter?
The Epson International Pano Awards 2026 is not free: 22 USD. Check the organizer's page for per-category pricing.
Are AI-generated images allowed in The Epson International Pano Awards 2026?
No. The Epson International Pano Awards 2026 does not permit AI-generated images — entries must be photographs, and AI image generators are prohibited.
When is the The Epson International Pano Awards 2026 deadline?
The Epson International Pano Awards 2026 closes on Jul 13, 2026.
How do I know if my photo is eligible for The Epson International Pano Awards 2026?
Read your photograph against The Epson International Pano Awards 2026's published rules — the editing line, the AI clause, and the file requirements — free and without an account with WinPhoto's eligibility check. It tells you whether your image is eligible before you pay the entry fee.