Photography Contest
Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025
Deadline |
CLOSEDTheme |
Several categoriesTerritory |
WorldwideEligibility |
Open to allEntry Fees |
Between £20 GBP and £45 GBPPrizes |
Cash PrizeIn addition to the results and prizes, five prestigious titles will be awarded by the judges, some of which trace their origins back to the original 1965 Brighton Festival. Three of these titles are open to eligible photographers from every country:
Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025 is the top award of the UPY competition, and will go to the photographer whose single image is the best in the show (so therefore is likely to also be one of the category winners). All entrants are automatically considered for this award.
Up & Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025 will be awarded to the overall winner of the Up & Coming Worldwide category.
'Save Our Seas Foundation' Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year 2025 will be awarded to the winning image in this category (which is free to enter). Open to both underwater and above water images.
Two additions for the 2025 iteration of the contest include a new category dedicated to coral reefs, with photographers invited to submit any style of underwater photography as long as it is linked to coral reefs. This year also sees PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) join the competition as a sponsor of the highly prized Up & Coming category which celebrates new talent. PADI’s Dave Murray said, ‘As the world’s largest purpose-driven diving organisation, PADI is committed to making the underwater world accessible for all and creating positive ocean change.
Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025 is the top award of the UPY competition, and will go to the photographer whose single image is the best in the show (so therefore is likely to also be one of the category winners). All entrants are automatically considered for this award.
Up & Coming Underwater Photographer of the Year 2025 will be awarded to the overall winner of the Up & Coming Worldwide category.
'Save Our Seas Foundation' Marine Conservation Photographer of the Year 2025 will be awarded to the winning image in this category (which is free to enter). Open to both underwater and above water images.
Two additions for the 2025 iteration of the contest include a new category dedicated to coral reefs, with photographers invited to submit any style of underwater photography as long as it is linked to coral reefs. This year also sees PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) join the competition as a sponsor of the highly prized Up & Coming category which celebrates new talent. PADI’s Dave Murray said, ‘As the world’s largest purpose-driven diving organisation, PADI is committed to making the underwater world accessible for all and creating positive ocean change.
Featured Photo Contest
AAP Magazine #56 / SHADOWS
$1,000 cash prizes | Winning image(s) published in AAP Magazine #56 | Website feature and International Press
© Francesco Pace Rizzi
Best Photography Contests in 2024
Each year, there are hundreds of photography competitions all over the world, so we've decided to select for you the best of the best! Our selection of the best photo contests in 2024 is thoroughly curated to help you, whether you are a professional photographer or an amateur, to help find your next creative breakthrough. These all-star competitions offer the greatest opportunities for international exposure and/or incredible financial benefits. Some of them are closing soon, so get your photo submissions in!
ENDS 03/29/26
Be seen, be supported, and be part of Head On Photo Festival 2026.
ENDS 03/31/26
If you're a passionate amateur or professional photographer, we invite you to share your photographic project with us.
ENDS 03/31/26
Entries are open worldwide to photographers using an iPhone or iPad. Photos should not be published previously anywhere. The posts on personal accounts (Facebook, Instagram etc.) are eligible.
ENDS 03/31/26
Our 56th printed issue of AAP Magazine will feature the best projects showcasing the theme "Shadows".
ENDS 03/31/26
Selected photobooks will be featured in Der Greif’s Articles section, including a dedicated editorial feature highlighting the project, its context, and the maker(s).
ENDS 04/01/26
Creative Photo Awards is a project of Siena Awards, dedicated to rewarding originality, experimentation, and imagination by encouraging the creative use of the medium of photography in all its forms, including abstract and conceptual ideas.
ENDS 04/02/26
$10,000 project development grant for up to eight participants. Funds may be used in whatever way fellows see fit in order to expand and complete projects
ENDS 04/07/26
Three separate grants of $5,000 each will be awarded to deserving photographers!
ENDS 04/12/26
The winner will receive a grant of $14,000 for a solo exhibition
ENDS 04/16/26
Emerging Photographers (under 30 year old ) 2 X $ 5000 grants.
ENDS 04/16/26
The main grant is open to professional photographers worldwide, one $30,000. grant
ENDS 04/21/26
Be Featured in our April 2026 Online Juried Solo Exhibition!
ENDS 04/30/26
The IPA recognizes photography’s leading talents who are creating, shaping and defining the world of photography today.
ENDS 05/04/26
For the tenth year running, the Société des Auteurs des Arts Visuels et de l’Image Fixe (SAIF) is funding the €8,000 prize to encourage the work of a photojournalist committed to long-term projects.
ENDS 05/07/26
The 2026 Virginia Prize, worth €10,000, will be awarded to its winner in November 2026.
ENDS 05/11/26
The Bibliothèque nationale de France will present the work of the Bourse du Talent winners alongside other prestigious photography awards as part of the exhibition La Photographie à tout Prix in December
ENDS 05/13/26
This prize, with a production budget of €25,000, is open to any new photographer or artist using photography, submitting a previously unpublished dummy book.
ENDS 05/17/26
MonoVisions Photography Awards are an international open call for photographers using black and white medium to express their visual language.
ENDS 05/31/26
This season will feature five main categories, with ‘Family’ serving as the primary theme.
ENDS 06/01/26
The Lenscratch Student Prize has opened up a whole new line of connections, opportunities and exposure.
ENDS 06/03/26
BUDAPEST INTERNATIONAL FOTO AWARDS is an international platform for photographers from all levels and genres to share their best images with the creative community in Hungary and Eastern Europe.
ENDS 06/15/26
Submit your best photographs now and get your chance to be one of the winners awarded in Siena!
ENDS 07/22/26
Submit your best work to our photo competition for a chance to win up to $11,500 in cash prizes, be selected by our curators for the PX3 exhibition in Paris and inclusion in the Annual PX3 book.