What if a single photograph from your 2025 portfolio could bring you real recognition, a cash prize and a place in front of viewers from all over the world? Photography of the Year 2025 by Grid Photo Gallery is an international open call that invites photographers to submit their strongest single images, with no restriction on genre or style. The winner receives a €300 cash prize, a feature interview and a central spot in an online exhibition that will launch on February 1, 2026.
The submission deadline is January 15, 2026. Entries cost €10 per image and there is no limit to how many images you can send, which makes the contest accessible if you are just starting out and equally useful if you already have a well developed body of work. Selected images will appear in an online exhibition and the top entries will be highlighted through the gallery’s channels. The contest also offers visibility through promotion, profile pages and potential inclusion in a printed catalog.
If you are browsing trending photo challenges online and looking for a focused opportunity to share your best image from the year, Photography of the Year 2025 is a clear and straightforward option that puts all the attention on a single photograph and how it resonates with viewers.
The Photography of the Year 2025 Prizes
All selected entries will appear in an online exhibition hosted by Grid Photo Gallery, and the strongest images will receive additional recognition and benefits.
- 1st Place (“Photography of the Year 2025”). The winner receives a €300 cash prize. The photographer also gains the official title “Grid Photo Gallery Photography of the Year 2025”, a prominent feature position in the virtual exhibition, a published profile interview, priority visibility on promotional banners and posters, and one free entry to the gallery’s next open call.
- 2nd and 3rd Places. These images are highlighted within the virtual exhibition, giving them clear visibility alongside the overall winner.
- All Selected Entries. Selected photographs appear on the gallery’s main page exhibition for at least one month and are then kept online on a permanent basis. They are also promoted through the gallery’s social media channels and each participating photographer receives a digital certificate of participation and a personal profile page on the platform that can include a link to their own website.
- Possible Publication. Some selected works may be included in a printed catalog that will be available for purchase.
Related Photo Contests
Categories
Photography of the Year 2025 does not divide entries into separate categories. You can submit work from any genre or style, whether that is classic landscape, intimate portrait, atmospheric black and white, highly experimental work, narrative documentary projects, travel stories, candid street scenes or more contemplative fine art images. The key is that the single image feels resolved, clear in its intent and strong enough to stay with the viewer.
Photography of the Year 2025 Dates and Entry Fees
The timeline and entry costs are simple, which helps photographers plan their submissions alongside other projects and calls.
- Entry opens: December 1, 2025
- Submission deadline: January 15, 2026
- Online exhibition launch and announcement of results: February 1, 2026
The entry fee is €10 per image.
There is no limit to the number of photographs you can submit, so you can choose to send a single defining image or build a small selection that reflects the breadth of your work.
How to Enter
To enter, visit the official contest page and use the “Upload images Here” button to access the submission platform. Create an account or log in to your existing profile, then upload your photographs following the technical specifications provided in the rules, including file format, color space and size. Once your files are ready, pay the €10 fee for each image to confirm your entry.
Why Enter Photography of the Year 2025?
Photography of the Year 2025 is built around a very simple idea: one strong photograph can say a lot about a year of looking, learning and experimenting. Because the contest accepts every genre, you do not have to fit your work into a narrow theme. You can send the picture that feels most “you”, whether it comes from your landscape series, a personal portrait project, a quick moment caught in street photography or a carefully constructed fine art image.
The prize structure combines a clear financial reward with visibility. The €300 award for first place connects it to many other cash prizes, but the value of the contest also lies in the online exhibition, the profile interview and the long term presence on the Grid Photo Gallery website.
Because the call is open worldwide, it sits naturally alongside other international photography contests. If you already keep an eye on current photo contests, this one is a good option to include in your yearly plan. The combination of straightforward rules, a focused format and long running online exposure makes it a practical choice whether you are building your portfolio, refreshing your website or testing how a new direction in your work connects with an audience.
Rules and Copyright
This section about the rules and image rights of the Photography of the Year 2025 by Grid Photo Gallery has been generated automatically. If you are interested in participating in this contest we suggest you review the complete rules provided by the contest.
Rules
- Entrants must be at least 18 years old and participation is open to photographers from anywhere in the world.
- Images must follow the technical specifications. Files should be JPEG (.jpg) in sRGB or Adobe RGB (1998). The longest side of the image should be at least 2,500 pixels and the file size should not exceed 100 MB. Watermarks, borders, logos and visible copyright notes are not allowed. The organizers may request RAW files or JPEG files with intact metadata to verify authenticity.
- Submission takes place through the gallery’s online platform. After the submission period closes, entries cannot be edited or replaced.
- Content that is illegal, defamatory, hateful, pornographic or excessively violent will be disqualified. Entries must respect third party rights, including privacy, trademarks and copyrights.
Copyright and Image Usage
Entrants keep full copyright to their images. By submitting work, photographers grant Grid Photo Gallery a non exclusive and perpetual license to display the images in online exhibitions, to use them in promotional materials related to the contests and exhibitions, and, when applicable, to print and distribute them as part of the contest catalog. This license does not prevent photographers from licensing, selling or exhibiting their images elsewhere in any way they choose.
For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.
