Photography Contest
Smithsonian Magazine Annual Photo Contest 2025
Deadline |
CLOSEDTheme |
Several CategoriesTerritory |
WorldwideEligibility |
Open to photographers who are 18 years old or older.Entry Fees |
FREEPrizes |
Cash PrizeHost |
Smithsonian MagazineThe Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest 2025 is the 23rd annual installment of their photography competitions, inviting photographers of all levels to showcase their vision through powerful images. The contest highlights creativity, originality, and storytelling across six dynamic categories: Wildlife, Travel, People, The American Experience at 250, Artistic Images, and Drone/Aerial photography. All photographs must have been taken since January 1, 2023, ensuring that entries capture fresh, contemporary perspectives on our world today. Submissions are judged by Smithsonian editors on factors such as artistic merit, technical excellence, and emotional impact, with finalists and winners gaining global recognition on Smithsonian Magazine’s website.
Beyond celebrating the art of photography, the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest 2025 emphasizes the importance of documenting culture, nature, and human experiences in a rapidly changing world. The Wildlife category encourages participants to reveal the beauty and fragility of animals in their natural habitats, while the Travel and People categories highlight diverse cultures, communities, and personal stories from across the globe. With the inclusion of The American Experience at 250, photographers are invited to reflect on history, heritage, and identity as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary. Artistic Images reward experimental creativity, and the Drone/Aerial category embraces the latest technology, offering a fresh perspective from above.
The competition has become a prestigious platform for both emerging and professional photographers, with past contests receiving tens of thousands of submissions from more than 100 countries. Finalists and winners are not only awarded cash prizes but also gain significant exposure through Smithsonian’s extensive readership and online platforms. By participating, photographers join a global conversation about the power of images to inspire, inform, and connect. For anyone passionate about photography, whether hobbyists or seasoned professionals, the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest 2025 is a remarkable opportunity to showcase talent on an international stage.
Eight prizes will be awarded: a Grand Prize of USD 2,500, six category winners each receive USD 500, and a Readers’ Choice winner (from among the 60 finalists) will also receive USD 500; winners may also receive additional non-cash prizes.
Beyond celebrating the art of photography, the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest 2025 emphasizes the importance of documenting culture, nature, and human experiences in a rapidly changing world. The Wildlife category encourages participants to reveal the beauty and fragility of animals in their natural habitats, while the Travel and People categories highlight diverse cultures, communities, and personal stories from across the globe. With the inclusion of The American Experience at 250, photographers are invited to reflect on history, heritage, and identity as the nation approaches its 250th anniversary. Artistic Images reward experimental creativity, and the Drone/Aerial category embraces the latest technology, offering a fresh perspective from above.
The competition has become a prestigious platform for both emerging and professional photographers, with past contests receiving tens of thousands of submissions from more than 100 countries. Finalists and winners are not only awarded cash prizes but also gain significant exposure through Smithsonian’s extensive readership and online platforms. By participating, photographers join a global conversation about the power of images to inspire, inform, and connect. For anyone passionate about photography, whether hobbyists or seasoned professionals, the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest 2025 is a remarkable opportunity to showcase talent on an international stage.
Eight prizes will be awarded: a Grand Prize of USD 2,500, six category winners each receive USD 500, and a Readers’ Choice winner (from among the 60 finalists) will also receive USD 500; winners may also receive additional non-cash prizes.
Featured Photo Contest
AAP Magazine #56 / SHADOWS
$1,000 cash prizes | Winning image(s) published in AAP Magazine #56 | Website feature and International Press
© Francesco Pace Rizzi
Best Photography Contests in 2025
Each year, there are hundreds of photography competitions all over the world, so we've decided to select for you the best of the best! Our selection of the best photo contests in 2025 is thoroughly curated to help you, whether you are a professional photographer or an amateur, to help find your next creative breakthrough. These all-star competitions offer the greatest opportunities for international exposure and/or incredible financial benefits. Some of them are closing soon, so get your photo submissions in!
ENDS 04/07/26
Three separate grants of $5,000 each will be awarded to deserving photographers!
ENDS 04/07/26
Creative Photo Awards is a project of Siena Awards, dedicated to rewarding originality, experimentation, and imagination by encouraging the creative use of the medium of photography in all its forms, including abstract and conceptual ideas.
ENDS 04/12/26
The winner will receive a grant of $14,000 for a solo exhibition
ENDS 04/16/26
Present your work to exhibit at PhMuseum Days 2026, our International Photography Festival taking place on 1–4 October in Bologna, Italy.
ENDS 04/16/26
Emerging Photographers (under 30 year old ) 2 X $ 5000 grants.
ENDS 04/16/26
The main grant is open to professional photographers worldwide, one $30,000. grant
ENDS 04/21/26
Be Featured in our April 2026 Online Juried Solo Exhibition!
ENDS 04/21/26
The first prize winner will receive £15,000, the second prize winner £3,000, and the third prize winner £2,000.
ENDS 04/30/26
If you're a passionate amateur or professional photographer, we invite you to share your photographic project with us.
ENDS 04/30/26
The IPA recognizes photography’s leading talents who are creating, shaping and defining the world of photography today.
ENDS 04/30/26
Tthe Inge Morath Award, a $7,500 grant given to a woman photographer under the age of 30 to support the completion of a long-term documentary project.
ENDS 05/04/26
For the tenth year running, the Société des Auteurs des Arts Visuels et de l’Image Fixe (SAIF) is funding the €8,000 prize to encourage the work of a photojournalist committed to long-term projects.
ENDS 05/07/26
The 2026 Virginia Prize, worth €10,000, will be awarded to its winner in November 2026.
ENDS 05/11/26
The Bibliothèque nationale de France will present the work of the Bourse du Talent winners alongside other prestigious photography awards as part of the exhibition La Photographie à tout Prix in December
ENDS 05/13/26
This prize, with a production budget of €25,000, is open to any new photographer or artist using photography, submitting a previously unpublished dummy book.
ENDS 05/17/26
MonoVisions Photography Awards are an international open call for photographers using black and white medium to express their visual language.
ENDS 05/19/26
The Grant is given in order to allow the winnerto carry out the photo-reportage which has been presented for the Grant.
ENDS 05/31/26
This season will feature five main categories, with ‘Family’ serving as the primary theme.
ENDS 06/01/26
The Lenscratch Student Prize has opened up a whole new line of connections, opportunities and exposure.
ENDS 06/03/26
BUDAPEST INTERNATIONAL FOTO AWARDS is an international platform for photographers from all levels and genres to share their best images with the creative community in Hungary and Eastern Europe.
ENDS 06/15/26
Submit your best photographs now and get your chance to be one of the winners awarded in Siena!
ENDS 07/22/26
Submit your best work to our photo competition for a chance to win up to $11,500 in cash prizes, be selected by our curators for the PX3 exhibition in Paris and inclusion in the Annual PX3 book.