NL · Free entry · 2027
· verified
World Press Photo Contest 2027
World Press Photo Foundation worldpressphoto.org ↗
Closes Jan 18, 2027
·
D − 196
Worth entering? Free to enter against a $11.0K top prize — the cost is your rights, not your money: read the licence terms below before you submit. Jury read ↓ · Rights & disqualifiers ↓
Submit-Safe · before you pay the entry fee
Read the fine print
Read the fine print first — World Press Photo Contest 2027 has 5 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.
- Non-exclusive worldwide right to use submitted and winning images for the promotion of WPP, the touring exhibition, the yearbook, and educational programs. Photographer retains copyright.
- Duration: Perpetual for the specified promotional purposes.
- 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.
- Professional status Professional photographer status required (press card, recent publication credit, journalism union, or recognized photo association membership). “Entrants must provide documentation confirming current professional status.”
- Image format Photographs taken at restricted events (commissioned-only access) are not accepted. “Photographs taken at restricted events are not accepted (i.e. events where only photographers commissioned by those organizing the event have access).”
- Image format Smartphone images permitted only in standard shooting mode. HDR, portrait mode, panorama, creative-lighting effects are not eligible. “Smartphone photographs are permitted only when captured in standard shooting mode; submissions created using HDR, portrait mode, creative lighting effects, or panorama mode are not eligible.”
- Ai generation AI-generated imagery is not accepted in any form; forensic RAW verification at shortlist stage. “Any form of AI-generated content is not permitted; shortlisted entries are subject to RAW file verification.”
Closes Jan 18, 2027 · D−196
Free to enter
Upload spec:
Files: JPGMin 3000px long edgeUnder 25 MBsRGB colour profileCaption requiredNo 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
The full editorial read continues with past-winner pattern, fee-to-prize value, rights translated, and three comparable competitions. Studio reads the rest.
Categories
Singles
Single
Single image per region; 3 winners per region across 6 global regions (18 total).
Stories
Portfolio · up to 12 photos (min 4)
Multi-image story per region; 3 winners per region. Up to 12 images per story.
Long-Term Projects
Portfolio · up to 24 photos (min 12)
Multi-year body of work; 1 winner per region.
F Format requirements 1 spec
wpp_standard
- File types: jpg
- Min long edge: 3000px
- Min size: 1.0 MB
- Max size: 25.0 MB
- Color profile: sRGB
- DPI: 300
- No watermarks
- Caption required (max 1500 chars)
E Eligibility 4 rules
-
Professional photographer status required (press card, recent publication credit, journalism union, or recognized photo association membership).
hard
“Entrants must provide documentation confirming current professional status.”
-
Photographs taken at restricted events (commissioned-only access) are not accepted.
hard
“Photographs taken at restricted events are not accepted (i.e. events where only photographers commissioned by those organizing the event have access).”
-
Smartphone images permitted only in standard shooting mode. HDR, portrait mode, panorama, creative-lighting effects are not eligible.
hard
“Smartphone photographs are permitted only when captured in standard shooting mode; submissions created using HDR, portrait mode, creative lighting effects, or panorama mode are not eligible.”
-
AI-generated imagery is not accepted in any form; forensic RAW verification at shortlist stage.
hard
“Any form of AI-generated content is not permitted; shortlisted entries are subject to RAW file verification.”
Jury context
Six-region global jury composed of working photojournalists, photo editors, and visual storytelling experts. Emphasis on visual excellence, storytelling, diversity. Jury composition announced per cycle.
Priorities: decisive timing caption independence documentary truthfulness witness register regional representation
Tone: witnessing decisive unflinching quietly political caption light
Avoid: generative ai composite sky replacement stock cliche caption dependent
Past winners — text notes
Photo of the Year winners (Mohammed Salem 2024, Samar Abu Elouf 2025) share a hallmark: a single-frame documentary moment captured during major news events — Gaza, Ukraine, climate displacement. Winners are working photojournalists, not enthusiasts. Long-term projects often span 3-7 years with sustained access and documentary depth. The jury reads caption-hidden first; the photograph must do its own captioning before the metadata is read.
These are text-only curatorial observations, never images of past winners.
Prizes
Photo of the Year: €10,000 + FUJIFILM GFX100 II camera + 2 lenses (total retail >€14,000). Category winners (~42 total across 6 regions): €1,000 each + exhibition + yearbook inclusion + Amsterdam ceremony invitation + physical award.
Exhibition Publication Gear
R Rights & licensing what you grant the organizer
- What you grant
- Non-exclusive worldwide right to use submitted and winning images for the promotion of WPP, the touring exhibition, the yearbook, and educational programs. Photographer retains copyright.
- Duration
- Perpetual for the specified promotional purposes.
- Exclusivity
- none
- Attribution
- Required
- Copyright retained by photographer
- Yes
Free bonus on signup: the 2026 Photo Contest Yearbook PDF — 22 contests classified, deadlines, fees, AI policies decoded.
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Before you enter — quick answers
- Is World Press Photo Contest 2027 free to enter?
- Yes — World Press Photo Contest 2027 is free to enter.
- Are AI-generated images allowed in World Press Photo Contest 2027?
- No. World Press Photo Contest 2027 does not permit AI-generated images — entries must be photographs, and AI image generators are prohibited.
- When is the World Press Photo Contest 2027 deadline?
- World Press Photo Contest 2027 closes on Jan 18, 2027 (in 196 days).
- How do I know if my photo is eligible for World Press Photo Contest 2027?
- Read your photograph against World Press Photo Contest 2027'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.