The call for entries is now open for the Global Peace Photo Award 2025, inviting photographers from all corners of the globe to submit images that answer the profound question: “What does peace look like?” This prestigious award has grown into a major international platform for peace photography, attracting submissions from over 120 countries annually. Organized by Edition Lammerhuber in partnership with prominent organizations including UNESCO and the Austrian Parliament, the competition offers significant recognition and exposure. Participation in the Global Peace Photo Award 2025 is entirely free of charge, removing financial barriers for photographers worldwide. The deadline for submissions is firmly set for May 18th, 2025 (extended to May 25, 2025).
The Global Peace Photo Award 2025 is structured to accommodate both single impactful images and cohesive photographic stories. Entrants can submit individual photographs to the ‘Single Image’ category or a series of 5 to 12 images exploring a theme or narrative to the ‘Stories’ category. A distinct and equally important part of the competition is the ‘Children’s Peace Image of the Year‘, open specifically to young photographers aged 14 and under, with human rights activist Waris Dirie serving as its honorary chair. Regardless of the category, the underlying theme remains the diverse interpretation of peace – whether depicted through grand narratives, intimate moments, societal observations, or environmental connections. The award seeks visually compelling work that explores this multifaceted concept with originality and artistic merit.
The prize structure for the Global Peace Photo Award 2025 includes substantial financial awards totalling €11,000 alongside unique honours. The most prestigious title, the ‘Peace Image of the Year’, selected from the top category winners, carries a €7,000 cash prize. Further cash prizes of €1,000 each are awarded to three winners in the ‘Stories’ category, one winner in the ‘Single Picture’ category, and the winner of the ‘Children’s Peace Image of the Year’. All these top winners are also awarded the Alfred Fried Peace Medal and are invited to the award ceremony in Vienna in September 2025, with travel and accommodation expenses fully covered. Given the free entry, significant prize money, prestigious partnerships, and exceptional exposure opportunities (including potential inclusion in international exhibitions), the Global Peace Photo Award 2025 stands out as a highly valuable competition for photographers. This is one of the most notable free photography contest opportunities available.
The Global Peace Photo Award 2025 Prizes
The Global Peace Photo Award 2025 offers a compelling combination of cash prizes, prestigious honours, and significant exposure opportunities, reflecting its status as a major international award partnered with organizations like UNESCO and the Austrian Parliament.
- Peace Image of the Year (1 Overall Winner): Selected from the winners of the Stories and Single Picture categories, this top award includes:
- A cash prize of €7,000.
- The Alfred Fried Peace Medal.
- Exhibition of the winning image for one year in the Austrian Parliament.
- Inclusion of the image in the permanent art collection of the Austrian Parliament.
- Invitation to the award ceremony in Vienna (September 2025) with travel expenses and accommodation covered.
- Stories Category Winners (3 Winners):
- A cash prize of €1,000 each.
- The Alfred Fried Peace Medal.
- Invitation to the award ceremony in Vienna with travel expenses and accommodation covered.
- Single Picture Category Winner (1 Winner):
- A cash prize of €1,000.
- The Alfred Fried Peace Medal.
- Invitation to the award ceremony in Vienna with travel expenses and accommodation covered.
- Children’s Peace Image of the Year Winner (1 Winner, age 14 or under):
- A cash prize of €1,000 (sponsored by Vienna Insurance Group).
- The Alfred Fried Peace Medal.
- Invitation to the award ceremony in Vienna for the winner and his or her parents (or one representative and parents if a group wins), with travel expenses and accommodation covered.
- International Exhibition Potential (All Submitted Images): Beyond the main winners, all submitted images are considered for potential inclusion in various international exhibitions associated with the award, offering broader exposure opportunities. Past exhibitions have been held at UNESCO HQ, Willy-Brandt-Haus Berlin, Geneva Peace Week, and major photo festivals like La Gacilly-Baden.
These prizes represent significant recognition within the field, offering financial support, unique institutional validation (via the Parliament exhibition and collection), and global visibility. The comprehensive nature of these rewards makes it stand out among photography contests and awards.
The Categories of the Global Peace Photo Award 2025
The Global Peace Photo Award 2025 allows submissions through three primary pathways, all centered around the theme “What does peace look like?”:
- Single Images: This category is for individual photographs that stand alone in conveying a message or interpretation related to peace. Photographers can submit multiple single images (up to 99), each judged on its own merit.
- Stories: This category is for photographic series or essays comprising 5 to 12 images. The images should work together cohesively to explore a theme, narrative, or concept related to peace. The story is judged as a whole body of work.
- Children’s Peace Image of the Year: This is a distinct competition exclusively for young photographers aged 14 or younger. Entrants in this category can submit either single images or stories (following the same guidelines as above) that represent their vision of peace.
Photographers can submit entries to both the Single Images and Stories categories if applicable. The core requirement across all categories is the thoughtful engagement with the theme of peace in its diverse forms.
Global Peace Photo Award 2025 Dates and Entry Fees
Participating in the Global Peace Photo Award 2025 requires adherence to the official schedule. Tracking photography contest deadlines is crucial, and this award has a clear timeframe.
| Event | Date / Deadline |
|---|---|
| Call for Entries Opens | April 1, 2025 |
| Submission Deadline | May 18, 2025 |
| Extended Deadline | May 25, 2025 |
| Jury Meeting / Winner Notification* | Likely late July 2025 (Based on 2024 schedule, confirm on official site) |
| Award Ceremony in Vienna | September 2025 |
*The official website indicates winners are notified right after the jury meeting; the specific date for 2025 should be confirmed via the award organizers.
Entry Fees:
Participation in the Global Peace Photo Award 2025, including the Children’s Peace Image of the Year category, is completely free of charge.
How to Enter:
Visit the official Global Peace Photo Award website.
Upload your digital files in .jpg format, with more than 3000 pixels on the longest side.
Submit up to 99 images for the single image category and up to 12 images per story.
Each entry must include a brief caption in English (max 2000 characters).
Children’s entries must be submitted by a legal guardian.
Why Enter Global Peace Photo Award 2025?
The Global Peace Photo Award 2025 offers compelling incentives for photographers engaging with themes of peace, humanity, and the state of the world. Firstly, the complete absence of entry fees makes it accessible to photographers everywhere, regardless of financial status. Secondly, the prize package is substantial, highlighted by the €7,000 top prize and the unique honour of having the winning work exhibited for a year and acquired by the Austrian Parliament. The additional €1,000 prizes and the all-expenses-paid trip to the Vienna award ceremony for winners add significant value. Thirdly, the award’s high profile, backed by partners like UNESCO, the World Press Photo Foundation, and LensCulture, ensures considerable international visibility. Past exhibitions in prestigious venues and large festivals demonstrate the potential reach. To see examples of past winning work and the caliber of photography recognized by this award, readers can view Deartline’s coverage of the Global Peace Photo Award 2024 winners here.
Rules and Copyright for Global Peace Photo Award 2025
This section about the rules and image rights of the Global Peace Photo Award 2025 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
The Global Peace Photo Award 2025 is open to photographers worldwide. Entries must be submitted as JPG files, over 3000px longest side, without watermarks or borders. Submissions fall into Single Image, Stories (5-12 images), or Children’s Peace Image of the Year (age 14 or under) categories. The theme is “What peace looks like?”. Work should generally be no older than three years (allowances for long-term projects apply). Manipulations altering the meaning of reportage photos are disallowed; creative editing must be declared. AI-generated images may be excluded. Captions in English (max 2000 characters) are required. There is no entry fee. Previously awarded/entered photos are acceptable. Deadline is May 18, 2025 (extended by May 25, 2025).
Copyright
Photographers retain the copyright to their images submitted to the Global Peace Photo Award 2025. By entering, participants confirm they are the copyright holder and have consent from depicted individuals for public presentation. Entrants grant the award organizers and partners (Edition Lammerhuber, UNESCO, Austrian Parliament, etc.) a non-exclusive, non-commercial right to use submitted images for marketing and promotional activities directly related to the Global Peace Photo Award. This includes potential use in publications, exhibitions, catalogues, and public screenings, always with credit given to the photographer. This license does not prevent the photographer from using the images elsewhere. High-resolution files may be requested from winners/shortlisted entrants. Statements made by entrants may also be used for promotional purposes.
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For more information and to enter the competition, visit: the oficial website.
