CEWE Photo Award 2027

The CEWE Photo Award 2027 is a free photography competition open to amateur and professional photographers worldwide, run by the European photo printing company CEWE under the slogan "Our world is beautiful". You can enter up to 100 images across ten categories, and there are 1,000 prizes worth more than €250,000. The overall winner receives a trip worth €10,000 plus €7,500 in vouchers. The deadline is 31 May 2027.

The competition is one of the largest in the world by number of entries, partly because it is free and accepts phone photography as well as camera work. A young talent award runs alongside the main categories.

For every photo entered, CEWE donates ten euro cents to its charity partner.

Who Can Enter the CEWE Photo Award 2027?

Anyone who enjoys photography can enter: amateurs, professionals and smartphone photographers. The photos must be your own, and images made entirely with AI are not accepted.

It is particularly relevant to:

• Nature, wildlife and landscape photographers
• Travel and street photographers
• Hobby photographers who want a free, large-scale competition
• Young photographers, through the Young Talent Award

What Can You Enter?

Up to 100 photos in ten categories:

• Nature and Wildlife
• Animals
• Landscapes
• People
• Architecture
• Sport and Action
• Travel and Culture
• Street Photography
• Close-up and Macro
• Abstract and Forms

Entry Fees

Entry is free.

What Do Selected Entrants Receive?

• 1st place: a trip worth €10,000, a €5,000 photo equipment voucher and a €2,500 CEWE voucher
• 2nd–10th (category winners): a €5,000 equipment voucher and a €2,500 CEWE voucher each
• 11th–30th: a €2,500 equipment voucher and a €1,000 CEWE voucher each
• 31st–1,000th: a €100 CEWE voucher each

Submission Requirements

Photos are uploaded through the CEWE Photo Award website. Choose a category for each image and keep the original files, as finalists may be asked for them.

How Are Entries Judged?

A jury of photographers and editors chooses a winner in each of the ten categories, then selects the overall winner from among them. Places down to 1,000 are ranked across the whole competition.

Who Is on the Jury?

The international jury is chaired by the British concert photographer Christie Goodwin, with Jimmy Nelson, Lois Lammerhuber, Ulla Lohmann, JC Pieri and CEWE's chief executive Thomas Mehls.

When Will Entrants Be Notified?

The jury judges after the deadline, and the category and overall winners are announced by CEWE.

Why Is It So Popular?

Most photography competitions charge a fee per image, which makes entering many photos expensive. The CEWE Photo Award is free and allows up to 100 images, so photographers can try several categories at no cost. The prize structure is also unusually deep: with 1,000 prizes, many entrants who do not win a category still receive a voucher. The categories are broad and accessible, covering nature, travel, people and cities, and phone photographers compete alongside camera users. For photographers new to competitions, it is a low-risk way to get feedback on how their work compares internationally.

Things to Consider

• Use your allowance well. 100 images is generous, but a few strong images per category beat many average ones.
• Match the slogan. "Our world is beautiful" rewards images that celebrate places, people and nature.
• Spread across categories. Different strengths can place in different categories.
• Keep originals. Finalists may need to prove the image is theirs.
• Phones are welcome. Smartphone images compete on equal terms.

Enter the Competition

Interested in submitting your work?

Enter the CEWE Photo Award 2027

For the full rules, categories and entry form, visit the official CEWE website.

Looking for more open calls? Browse all competitions and opportunities on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: October 16, 2026