LensCulture Street Photography Awards 2026
LensCulture
Funding
$500 - $3,500 USD
Deadline
17 June 2026
Location
Open to all countries
Entry Fee
Free
About
International street photography competition with cash prizes up to $3,500 USD, a London exhibition, and global exposure reaching 150+ countries. Free entry
The LensCulture Street Photography Awards 2026 is an open international competition inviting photographers worldwide to submit their best street work — from fleeting gestures to monumental scenes.
This is one of the most visible street photography competitions in the world, with top winners featured on a platform reaching photography lovers in over 150 countries, and selected work exhibited at Photo London 2027, one of the world's premier international photography fairs.
What to submit: Strong series or outstanding single images in any street genre. Work must have been made within the last 10 years.
Cash prizes:
- Series: 1st Place $3,500 / 2nd Place $2,000 / 3rd Place $1,000
- Single image: 1st Place $2,000 / 2nd Place $1,000 / 3rd Place $500
- Individual Jurors' Picks selected by each jury member
- 25 Finalists featured in winners' promotions worldwide
Beyond cash: Winning series are published on LensCulture with ongoing exposure. Top-rated photographers are included in LensCulture Discoveries, a directory shared with editors, book publishers, gallery owners, festival directors, and curators. Past winners have been featured in BBC, The Guardian, The Washington Post, VICE, British Journal of Photography, and more.
Editors' Picks: Entries are reviewed daily, and selected submissions are featured in the Competition Gallery and across LensCulture's social channels — reaching an audience of around 3 million. In 2025, over 447 entries were selected, with 206 promoted via Instagram and Facebook to approximately 4.8 million people.
Free entry available for single images — enter early to maximise your chances of being featured during the open call period.
The jury includes photographers and editors from Magnum Photos, the New York Times, Getty Images, Le Monde, Travel + Leisure, Leica Gallery, and Women Street Photographers, alongside LensCulture's own creative team.