What photo contests take

How this report was made

Which contests

A contest counts only when WinPhoto’s record of it is marked verified: its terms have been checked against the organiser’s own published rules, linked on every row, on the date shown. The records cover the international awards and open calls WinPhoto follows for photographers; they are not a random sample of every photo contest.

As of

Licence and AI terms were last checked on 11 October 2026 for 31 of the 34 records; 1 record has terms last checked on 12 October 2026; 2 records have terms last checked on 3 July 2026. Each contest shows when its licence and AI terms were last checked against the organiser’s rules; where the two were checked on different days, the earlier date.

Who the licence covers

Whether the licence covers every entry; shortlisted work, including finalists and nominees, as well as winners; or winning and selected work only.

How long it lasts

A licence ends in full when a fixed term covers every use, and in part when a fixed term covers only some uses or some entries. Otherwise it has no end date: it is perpetual, or the rules state no term. Perpetual and irrevocable count the records whose licence wording uses those words.

What else it allows

Sponsors, partners or other third parties: the licence names parties besides the organiser, not counting the press. Sub-licensing or transfer: the organiser may sub-license the rights, including to the press, or transfer them. Commercial use or merchandise: the licence covers commercial purposes, merchandise, “advertising and trade” or the right to “exploit” the work, without a separate agreement.

AI rules

WinPhoto classes each contest’s AI rule. Bans AI-generated images groups three of those classes: strict bans, nature rules that also bar composites, and bans that leave editing tools alone. A contest asks for originals when one of its eligibility rules asks entrants for original or RAW files, always, on request or once shortlisted.

Fees

Free to enter means no fee for a single-image entry. A fee is the standard entry fee in the organiser’s own currency; some cover several images, and many vary by entry date or entrant status. No currency is converted.

Not stated is not the same as not done

Each figure counts what the published rules say, as WinPhoto recorded them. Where the rules say nothing, the contest is counted as not stating it. That describes the rules, not what a contest does in practice: a contest may check original files without saying so in its rules.

Not measured

Two terms are not reported. Photographer credit: the records do not yet hold the credit wording for every contest. Deadline time zones: the records do not show reliably whether a contest’s rules state one.

Sources and corrections

Every contest links to the official rules it was checked against, and quotes are the organisers’ own wording; an ellipsis marks a cut. The same records feed the Rights & AI-Policy Ledger, whose public change log dates changes and corrections to contests’ terms. Buying a WinPhoto brief never changes how a contest is counted here, and corrections to the records are free for anyone.

Run a contest? Benchmark your own rules against these.

Data version fcd95249ca48 · records as of 12 October 2026 · JSON · PDF snapshot