World Report Award 2026

The Festival of Ethical Photography seeks social documentary stories. Categories include Master, Spotlight, and Student, with €19,000 in prizes, along with exhibition opportunities in Italy and travel support.

Overview

The competition is designed to highlight visual narratives centered on human rights, social injustice, and cultural realities, as well as environmental conservation and solution-based photojournalism. There are no geographical or temporal restrictions on when or where the photographs were taken, and both published and unpublished works are eligible for entry.

In addition to the €19,000 in total cash prizes, prize recipients receive significant professional exposure. The Festival of Ethical Photography covers the costs of printing and mounting exhibitions for the awarded projects, which are displayed in Lodi, Italy, during the festival in October. Selected photographers are provided with travel and accommodation expenses to attend the event and present their work. Beyond the main festival, projects are included in a traveling exhibition program for four years, featured in the annual festival catalogue, and promoted through international press channels and a permanent online gallery.

Practical Info

The award is divided into five distinct categories tailored to different levels of experience and project types. The Master Award is open to all photographers and requires a reportage of 20 to 25 images, offering a top prize of €8,000. The Spotlight Award is reserved for photographers who have not previously won major international prizes like the World Press Photo or Pulitzer, requiring 20 to 25 images with a prize of €4,000. For shorter narratives, the Short Story Award accepts projects of 5 to 10 images with a €3,000 prize. Students or recent graduates can enter the Student Award for a chance to win 2,000 euros. Finally, the Single Shot category awards €2,000 for a single impactful image and recognizes 30 finalists for exhibition. There is also a dedicated Nonprofit Open Call for NGOs and foundations to showcase their humanitarian work through visual storytelling.

To participate, applicants must make a donation to the nonprofit association, with fees varying by category. The entry fee for the Master and Spotlight categories is €30 for the first project, while the Short Story fee is €20, the Student fee is €10, and a Single Shot entry costs €5. Discounts are applied for multiple project submissions.

Following the close of entries in March, the organization will announce the shortlisted photographers on May 19, 2026, followed by the final winners on May 26, 2026. Submissions are judged based on the photographer's ability to build a cohesive and emotional narrative through strong sequencing and ethical representation of their subjects.

About Festival Of Ethical Photography

The award is organized by the Festival of Ethical Photography, founded in 2010 with the goal of emphasizing ethically significant content and bringing social issues closer to the general public. We believe photography has long been a powerful tool for exposing social injustice worldwide, and through this innovative and multifaceted festival, we seek to explore the relationship between ethics, communication, and photography. World Report Award Documenting Humanity isn't simply a contest that, through its prize,s economically supports those who are actively engaged in these difficult sectors of photography, but it also provides access to a strong, collaborative community built over the past 15 years, made up of professionals actively engaged with our organization.