Photography Contest
Belfast Photo Festival: Open Submission 2026
Deadline |
CLOSEDTheme |
OpenTerritory |
WorldwideEligibility |
Open to allEntry Fees |
EARLY BIRD £22 / STANDARD £26Prizes |
ExhibitionHost |
Belfast Photo FestivalBelfast Photo Festival hosts an annual, world-leading, popular cultural event at locations citywide. We catalyse local debate, creative development and financial opportunities with a combination of commissions, exhibitions and global arts leadership. "One of the best photography festivals in the world" (Capture Magazine).
We invite photographers of all nations and backgrounds to apply to the Open Submission, to have their work viewed by an international panel of highly influential photography industry experts, with career enhancing opportunities on offer.
Opportunities include exhibition at the largest annual festival of photography in the UK and Ireland, before going on a European tour with significant media exposure and a range of awards including a £2,000 (Approx $2,700 / €2,300) cash prize.
Individuals and/or collectives are welcome to apply to the Photographs Category by entering between 1 and 15 photographs from a particular group series, completed project or body of work in development. To enter the Photo-Book category, add at least one image of your photo book project. This can be the cover, a product shot of the book dummy or some images of the book.
WHAT DO YOU WIN?
ALL SUBMITTING PHOTOGRAPHERS RECEIVE:
Submission review by a diverse jury of industry professionals
Opportunities for project exposure across festival materials, social media channels, website and press campaign
2026 Portfolio Review discount
20 TO 40 FINALIST PHOTOGRAPHERS RECEIVE:
Print production and exposure at our city centre and outdoor galleries for an accessible one month exhibition run of over 100,000 visitors
Permanent publication in the Festival programme, website and marketing materials
Festival representation and promotion in our award winning media and PR campaign with combined reach of 115 million
Participation in our Instagram residency scheme
Dedicated feature on the festival website with full online gallery
Inclusion in the festival issue of Abridged Magazine
Partner exhibition and exposure at the 2027 Photo Schwiez Festival in Switzerland
ADDITIONAL AWARDS AND CASH PRIZES:
Spotlight Award - £2,000 (Approx $2,700 / €2,300) Cash Prize
Abridged Editorial Award with full project feature
We invite photographers of all nations and backgrounds to apply to the Open Submission, to have their work viewed by an international panel of highly influential photography industry experts, with career enhancing opportunities on offer.
Opportunities include exhibition at the largest annual festival of photography in the UK and Ireland, before going on a European tour with significant media exposure and a range of awards including a £2,000 (Approx $2,700 / €2,300) cash prize.
Individuals and/or collectives are welcome to apply to the Photographs Category by entering between 1 and 15 photographs from a particular group series, completed project or body of work in development. To enter the Photo-Book category, add at least one image of your photo book project. This can be the cover, a product shot of the book dummy or some images of the book.
WHAT DO YOU WIN?
ALL SUBMITTING PHOTOGRAPHERS RECEIVE:
Submission review by a diverse jury of industry professionals
Opportunities for project exposure across festival materials, social media channels, website and press campaign
2026 Portfolio Review discount
20 TO 40 FINALIST PHOTOGRAPHERS RECEIVE:
Print production and exposure at our city centre and outdoor galleries for an accessible one month exhibition run of over 100,000 visitors
Permanent publication in the Festival programme, website and marketing materials
Festival representation and promotion in our award winning media and PR campaign with combined reach of 115 million
Participation in our Instagram residency scheme
Dedicated feature on the festival website with full online gallery
Inclusion in the festival issue of Abridged Magazine
Partner exhibition and exposure at the 2027 Photo Schwiez Festival in Switzerland
ADDITIONAL AWARDS AND CASH PRIZES:
Spotlight Award - £2,000 (Approx $2,700 / €2,300) Cash Prize
Abridged Editorial Award with full project feature
Featured Photo Contest
AAP Magazine #57/Portrait
$1,000 cash prizes | Winning image(s) published in AAP Magazine #57 | Extensive press coverage and global recognition
© Aline Smithson
Best Photography Contests in 2026
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 2026 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 04/15/26
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 04/16/26
Present your work to exhibit at PhMuseum Days 2026, our International Photography Festival taking place on 1–4 October in Bologna, Italy.
ENDS 04/16/26
The main grant is open to professional photographers worldwide, one $30,000. grant
ENDS 04/16/26
Emerging Photographers (under 30 year old ) 2 X $ 5000 grants.
ENDS 04/17/26
Our 57th printed issue of AAP Magazine will feature the best projects showcasing the theme "Portrait".
ENDS 04/21/26
The first prize winner will receive £15,000, the second prize winner £3,000, and the third prize winner £2,000.
ENDS 04/21/26
Be Featured in our April 2026 Online Juried Solo Exhibition!
ENDS 04/30/26
If you're a passionate amateur or professional photographer, we invite you to share your photographic project with us.
ENDS 04/30/26
The IPA recognizes photography’s leading talents who are creating, shaping and defining the world of photography today.
ENDS 04/30/26
Tthe Inge Morath Award, a $7,500 grant given to a woman photographer under the age of 30 to support the completion of a long-term documentary project.
ENDS 05/03/26
Praxis Gallery seeks the submission of photographic art that explores the in-between moments of life and endeavors to notice the unnoticeable, the mundane, the banal and anti-climactic.
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 05/19/26
The Grant is given in order to allow the winnerto carry out the photo-reportage which has been presented for the Grant.
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.