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International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026 is back with a simple challenge that’s harder than it sounds: make the judges stop scrolling. The awards are looking for the Top 101 aerial photographs of the year, and it’s not just about height or gear. Drones, planes, helicopters, balloons, even high mountains and skyscrapers are all welcome starting points. What matters is what the photographer does with that elevated perspective. With a total prize pool of $10,000 and a place in the annual book, this is one of the few photography competitions that turns “aerial” into a true editorial selection rather than a narrow category.
Run by the same team behind the acclaimed International Landscape Photographer of the Year awards, the contest keeps the format refreshingly direct. There are no categories, and the headline rules focus on authenticity: entries must be the photographer’s own work, and AI-generated content is not allowed. Photographs must have been taken after January 1, 2021. The final deadline is April 30, 2026, with an early entry offer until April 23, 2026, where every fifth entry is free. The fee is $22 per image, and selected photographers gain visibility through publication in the International Aerial Photographer of the Year awards book, available digitally and in print.
Because the awards have no category silos, photographers can submit across approaches and aesthetics, from documentary storytelling to abstract pattern hunting, or black and white aerial minimalism, as long as the image reads as aerial photography. For anyone building a serious track record in aerial photography contests, the Top 101 book angle is the real center of gravity: it is a curated outcome that lasts beyond the deadline.
Contest Prizes
The awards combine publication-based recognition with cash prizes and trophies. In addition to the main winners, the organisers publish a Top 101 selection in the annual International Aerial Photographer of the Year Awards Book.
International Aerial Photographer of the Year:
- 1st Place: $5,000 cash, a trophy, inclusion and feature in the Awards Book, plus a printed copy of the book.
- 2nd Place: $500 cash, a trophy, inclusion in the Awards Book, plus a printed copy of the book.
- 3rd Place: $250 cash, a trophy, inclusion in the Awards Book, plus a printed copy of the book.
International Aerial Photograph of the Year:
- 1st Place: $2,500 cash, a trophy, inclusion and feature in the Awards Book, plus a printed copy of the book.
- 2nd Place: $500 cash, a trophy, inclusion in the Awards Book, plus a printed copy of the book.
- 3rd Place: $250 cash, a trophy, inclusion in the Awards Book, plus a printed copy of the book.
Special Awards: The awards also include four special subject prizes, each worth $250, a trophy, inclusion in the Awards Book, and a printed copy of the book:
- Over Snow Award.
- Over Mountain Award.
- Over Water Award.
- Chairman’s Award.
The Top 101: Each selected photographer receives a PDF certificate and access to a PDF version of the Awards Book. Printed copies of the book are planned to be available for purchase by July 31, 2026.
Related Photo Contests
Categories
International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026 has no categories. Instead of separating entries into themes, the organisers judge all aerial photographs together and aim to build a Top 101 selection that feels varied in subject, location, technique, and creative approach. This makes it possible to submit anything from graphic abstract compositions to documentary scenes, as long as the perspective is clearly aerial and the work complies with the rules.
Dates and Entry Fees
The International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026 edition includes a single final deadline and a time-limited early entry incentive.
- Early entry (every fifth entry free): April 23, 2026
- Final deadline: April 30, 2026
Entry fee: $22 per image.
There is no limit on the number of images an entrant may submit. To be eligible for the International Aerial Photographer of the Year (portfolio-based) award, the entrant must submit at least four different entries. A single entry is enough for inclusion in the book selection and eligibility for single-image awards.
How to Enter
Entries are submitted by uploading images through the awards website. Files should be saved as JPEG/JPG and sized between 3000 and 4000 pixels on the longest side, following the on-screen instructions during the upload process.
About the Jury
The judging panel listed for the awards includes Peter Eastway (Chairman of Judges), Tom Hegen, Isabella Tabacchi, and Joanna Steidle. Eastway is a long-standing figure in photography publishing and judging, and his role is specified as chairman of the judging panel rather than someone shaping the process itself. The panel combines editorial experience with strong aerial and landscape specialisations.
Judging is carried out on calibrated monitors, with each photograph scored out of 100. Judges can review entries pixel by pixel where needed, and the process can involve multiple rounds. After the first round, the Top 101 is selected and checked for rule compliance and variety. The organisers also limit how many images a single entrant can place in the Top 101, with a maximum of four, to spread the selection across more photographers.
Why Enter International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026?
The strongest practical reason to enter is the format. A curated Top 101 list, published in a dedicated annual book, gives finalists a concrete editorial outcome that remains easy to reference long after the deadline. Combined with cash prizes and trophies, the awards offer clear, trackable results for photographers who want more than a social-media repost.
There is also an unusual amount of creative freedom here. With no categories, the International Aerial Photographer of the Year can reward an aerial image that is black and white, quietly observational, highly graphic, or experimental, as long as it reads as aerial photography and stands up technically. For photographers comparing drone photo contests and broader aerial awards, this one is structured around selection and publication rather than theme-fitting. It’s also among the best photography challenges to participate in for photographers who want their aerial work judged alongside a wide range of approaches, not inside a narrow subcategory.
Rules and Copyright
This section about the rules and image rights of the International Aerial Photographer of the Year 2026 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
Entries must be original photographs created by the entrant. AI-generated content is not permitted.
Photographs must have been taken after January 1, 2021.
To be eligible for the portfolio-based International Aerial Photographer of the Year award, entrants must submit at least four different entries.
After judging, the organisers select the Top 101 and check compliance with the rules and variety requirements. A maximum of four images per entrant may be included in the Top 101.
The rules also describe multi-round judging and ineligibility interactions between major awards (for example, winners in certain categories may become ineligible for others).
Copyright and Image Usage
The entrant retains full ownership of the copyright in each entry.
Entries may be used by the organiser for judging and for marketing and promotional purposes of the awards.
Winning entries may be used to promote the awards through public exhibitions, inclusion in websites and publications (including the awards book), promotional materials, future anniversary publications, and may be provided to the press for reproduction in connection with the competition and any exhibition.
Non-winning entries may be used solely to promote the competition for a period not exceeding three years from the close of the competition.
The organiser notes that it does not want to prevent winners from benefiting commercially from their work, and commits to providing a release if an entrant later needs exclusive licensing and contacts the organiser.
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For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.
