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World Street Photo Awards 2026 (WSPA) returns with an expanded program dedicated to the many ways photographers observe everyday life in public spaces. Open worldwide to professionals and amateurs, the competition now covers 20 categories and offers a €2,500 total prize pool, publication in the official photobook, a year-long Winners Gallery showcase, and an exhibition opportunity in Berlin. The final deadline is October 10, 2026.
The categories move between classic and contemporary approaches to street photography, from Black & White, The Decisive Moment, and Light & Shadow to Cinematic Streets, Layers, Juxtaposition, and Abstract & Surrealism. This breadth gives photographers different ways to approach street photo awards while keeping spontaneous observation, visual relationships, and everyday public life at the center of the competition.
Each photograph is evaluated anonymously by an international jury, with creativity, originality, and technical execution forming part of the published judging process. Deartline’s popular photography challenges online include competitions across many genres, while WSPA remains specifically focused on the visual possibilities of the street.
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Prizes
World Street Photo Awards 2026 combines cash prizes with exhibition, publication, and year-long online recognition.
- Photographer of the Year: €500 cash prize and the principal WSPA title.
- Category Winners: €100 for each of the 20 category winners.
- Berlin Exhibition: Awarded photography may be selected for presentation at a gallery exhibition in Berlin.
- Winners Gallery: Winning and honorable mention images are displayed in the official online gallery for one year.
- Official Photobook: Awarded photographs are included in the WSPA photobook, providing an additional publication opportunity.
- Certificates and Badges: Winners and honorable mentions receive official digital certificates and award badges.
Related Photo Contests
Categories
The World Street Photo Awards 2026 edition expands from 15 to 20 categories, covering both established street photography approaches and more experimental visual strategies:
- Reflection
- Weather
- Geometry
- Black & White
- Color
- Silhouette
- Light & Shadow
- Movement & Motion
- Transport
- The Decisive Moment
- Minimalism
- Night & Low Light
- Cinematic Streets
- Abstract & Surrealism
- Juxtaposition
- Layers
- Details
- Animals
- Mobile Phone Photography
- Open Theme
A photograph may be entered in more than one category when it fits multiple briefs, with each category entry receiving independent jury consideration.
Dates and Entry Fees
The World Street Photo Awards 2026 closes in October, with results announced less than a month later.
| Final deadline | October 10, 2026, at 23:59 CEST |
| Winners announced | November 8, 2026 |
Entry fees:
- First photograph: €18.
- Photos 2–4: €15 each.
- Photos 5–10: €13 each.
- Photos 11 and above: €10 each.
There is no limit on the number of photographs that can be submitted. The same image may also be entered in multiple categories for an additional category fee.
How to Enter
Photographers create an account on the WSPA website, select the appropriate category or categories, and upload their photographs through the online submission system.
Files must be JPEG, use the sRGB color profile, remain under 7 MB, and contain no watermarks. Previously published photographs and images that have already received awards elsewhere are eligible, provided the photographer retains full copyright and the work complies with the competition rules.
About the Jury
The 2026 jury includes German street photographer and educator Siegfried Hansen; British street photographer Matt Hall; Puerto Rican photographer, director, and Sony Alpha Ambassador Monaris; Spanish street photographer Joaquín Pastor Genzor; and Austrian fine art street photographer Ando Fuchs.
Entries are judged anonymously, with photographers’ names hidden during evaluation. Each image is scored independently on a 1–100 scale according to creativity, originality, and technical excellence, and judges cannot see one another’s scores or feedback.
Why Enter World Street Photo Awards 2026?
The expansion to 20 categories gives photographers considerable flexibility without moving away from WSPA’s central focus on street photography. A spontaneous human encounter can sit alongside a carefully observed geometric composition, a cinematic night scene, an abstract detail, or an image built around layers and visual relationships.
The World Street Photo Awards 2026 also combines immediate awards with longer-term presentation. Cash prizes are supported by the Berlin exhibition, official photobook, certificates, promotional coverage, and a Winners Gallery that remains online for a full year.
Within Deartline’s photography awards list, WSPA is a specialist option for photographers working primarily in public spaces. Those whose work relies strongly on monochrome composition can also explore related black and white photo contests.
Rules and Copyright
We reviewed the official rules of the World Street Photo Awards 2026 to summarize the key participation requirements, copyright terms and image usage conditions. Before entering, we recommend checking the complete rules published by the organizer.
Rules
- The competition is open worldwide to amateur and professional photographers of all skill levels.
- Participants under 18 require written consent from a parent or legal guardian.
- Entries must be JPEG files under 7 MB, use sRGB, and contain no watermarks.
- Previously published and previously awarded photographs may be submitted.
- Photographers may enter an unlimited number of images and categories.
- Entries must not infringe copyright, privacy, or other third-party rights.
- AI-generated images are not accepted.
- AI-assisted editing tools may be used when the image originates from a real photograph and the alterations do not substantially change its photographic context.
Copyright and Image Usage
Photographers retain full copyright ownership of their submitted photographs. By entering, participants grant World Street Photo Awards a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use their images for purposes connected with promotion of the competition.
Permitted uses include display on the WSPA website, social media, promotional materials, press releases, and exhibitions. The organizers state that photographers will be credited whenever their photographs are used.
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For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.
