Eyewitness Photo Awards

An international photography award for honest, human-centered visual stories.

Get Competition Updates

Enter
Submit up to 5 images that fit this year’s theme.

HOW IT WORKS

Get Reviewed
Work is judged by working photojournalists & editors.

Get Recognized
Winners are featured in the online exhibition + prizes.

Category 1: Humanity & Resilience
Stories of people facing, overcoming, or navigating challenges.

SUBMISSION CATEGORIES

Category 2: Environment & Climate
Work highlighting environmental issues or landscapes in change.

Category 3: Journeys
Travel, movement, migration, or exploration.

Grand Prize

  • $500 cash

  • Portfolio review w/ Ethan & Laurin

  • Feature on Eyewitness Collective

  • Free entry to next competition

PRIZES

Category Winners

  • Mentorship session

  • Online exhibition feature

Honorable Mentions

  • Social media feature

  • Certificate

JUDGES

  • A young man with dark, curly hair, wearing a white button-up shirt with rolled-up sleeves, standing outdoors against a green wall with horizontal siding. The lighting casts a shadow of his profile on the wall.

    Laurin Strele

    Photographer & Workshop Leader

  • A person wearing a press helmet and vest, holding a camera, taking a photo during a wildfire with smoke and trees in the background.

    Ethan Swope

    Documentary Photographer (AP/Getty)

  • Plain black textured background

    Guest Editors TBD

How to Submit

Next call for entries coming soon.

Submissions are currently closed while we prepare the next Eyewitness Photo Awards.

Join the update list to receive the theme, eligibility rules, entry fee, judging panel, and deadline.

RULES / ELIGIBILITY

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Be first to know when entries reopen.

Get Competition Updates
Eyewitness Competitions

Competitions with purpose.

Open calls designed to recognise clear seeing, strong editing and documentary stories with consequence—not trends, spectacle or empty style.

View the next callGet notified
A golden eagle spreads its wings above a seated hunter in the mountains of Mongolia.
Stories with consequenceEyewitness Collective
What matters
  • Independent judging
  • Clear criteria
  • Meaningful feedback
  • Photographer-first
The standard

We look for intent.

A strong photograph does more than attract attention. It rewards attention.

Eyewitness competitions centre work with a clear relationship to people, place and consequence. We value access, observation, visual intelligence and the discipline required to build a story.

Every call is structured around transparent criteria and judges chosen for their experience with the kind of work being considered.

Mounted police officers push into a crowd of protesters. Documentary photograph by Ethan Swope.
Next competition
2027 callDetails forthcoming

Next call.

The next Eyewitness competition is in development. Theme, eligibility, judges, dates and submission requirements will be published here before entries open.

Get notifiedFollow updates
The process

Clear from entry to outcome.

01Read the briefEach call states the theme, eligibility and judging criteria in plain language.→
02Build the editSubmit only the work the brief asks for, sequenced with intention.→
03Independent reviewJudges assess the work against the published criteria.→
04Results and recognitionSelected work is announced and shared with appropriate context.→
Judging principles

The work comes first.

We judge what is submitted, not reputation, audience size or proximity to the industry.

Context matters. Captions, ethics and the photographer’s relationship to the story are part of how documentary work is understood.

When a call is open, all requirements and fees will be visible before submission.

Is a competition currently open?
The next call is being developed. Dates and full submission details will appear on this page before entries open.
Who can enter?
Eligibility will be stated clearly for each call. Eyewitness intends to create opportunities for photographers working across regions and experience levels.
How will work be judged?
Each competition publishes its own criteria, but visual coherence, access, intent, ethics and the strength of the edit remain central.
Where will results be announced?
Results will be published on the Eyewitness website and shared through the collective’s newsletter and Instagram.
Future calls

Be there when entries open.

Join the list for competition announcements, deadlines and judging updates.

Get notified