Istanbul Photo Awards 2026

The Istanbul Photo Awards is a global competition by Anadolu Agency celebrating photojournalis, awarding artists with prizes up to $6,000, and showcasing selected works in international exhibitions.

Overview

The Istanbul Photo Awards is an international photography competition organized each year by Anadolu Agency, created to highlight excellence in press and documentary photography. Each edition awards photographers across ten categories, spanning news, sports, nature and environment, daily life, and portraiture, with the Photo of the Year standing as the main honor. The winning works are featured in the official IPA photobook and are exhibited internationally, including at major venues and sometimes even at institutions such as the United Nations headquarters.

Practical Info

Professional photographers from anywhere in the world may participate, provided that the photographs were taken between 1 January and 31 December 2025. Entries may include both published and unpublished work, and all submissions must be uploaded through the official contest website along with the required metadata.

The competition categories include Single and Story formats for News, Sports, Nature & Environment, Daily Life, and Portrait, reflecting the award’s commitment to a broad and inclusive representation of global photojournalism. The total prize pool amounts to $58,000: the “Photo of the Year” receives $6,000, while first, second, and third prizes in each category are awarded $3,000, $1,500, and $1,000, respectively. In addition to prize money, prize recipients have their images published in the annual book and showcased in traveling exhibitions in Turkey and abroad.

The jury is composed of photojournalists, visual storytellers and consultants such as Carol Guzy, Ami Vitale, Goran Tomasevic, Yuri Kozyrev, Michel Scotto, Cameron Spencer, Marion Mertens, Ahmet Sel, Fırat Yurdakul.

About Istanbul Photo Awards

Since its founding in 2015, the contest has become a globally recognized platform, attracting tens of thousands of submissions annually from over one hundred countries. By bringing together a jury composed of internationally established photojournalists and editors, the contest ensures a high professional standard and a strong editorial perspective. Its mission is rooted in giving visibility to stories that matter—ranging from conflict and humanitarian crises to environmental issues and everyday life—while fostering a global conversation through powerful visual narratives. Exhibitions of the winning works are presented not only across Turkey but also internationally, affirming the contest’s ambition to function as a bridge between cultures and a platform for impactful visual storytelling.