APA Awards 2026 Call for Entries
Photo by Eli Meir Kaplan.
APA Awards 2026 - accepting entries in our National photography contest!
Juried by industry creatives and art producers
14 Categories - target your specialty
Valuable prizes from APA partners
Discounted rates for APA Members
View Past Winners https://apanational.org/awards for all APA contests
Awards Call for Entries Deadline: June 29, 2026 - noon Pacific time
TO Enter a Series from any Project- GO to the Picter website
Entry Fees - Single Image
$20: APA members (above Contributor level) per image
$30: APA Contributor level members per image
$50: Non-APA member entry fee per image - QUICK - Join first for member rate
Have a question or need to upgrade your membership level? membershiprep@apanational.org
Entry Fees - Series
$50: One rate per project (2-6 images) same rate for member/non-member
The series is not on the APA site - go here to submit a series
Awards Categories
Architecture / Interiors
Beauty / Fashion
Celebrity / Musicians
Conceptual / Altered
Corporate / Industrial
Documentary / Street Photography
Food / Still Life
Lifestyle
Nature / Animals
Personal Projects
Portrait
Sports / Adventure
Travel / Landscape
FRESH / New work
SERIES - A dedicated project on any subject (2-6 photos) note; to enter a series for a flat rate, go to Picter
PRIZES
The APA Awards celebrates photographers, showcasing winning images online and in printed book editions.
Select winners may also receive valuable prizes from APA partners:
Sony alpha7Rv & lens
Sony a7RV (a7R5) Mirrorless Camera | ILCE7RM5
Sony - FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS Standard Zoom Lens | SEL24105G/2
State-of-the-art AI processing uses detailed information about human forms and postures to dramatically improve the camera's subject recognition accuracy
Adobe
12 Month Creative Cloud subscription
The Adobe Creative Cloud Pro Plan unlocks all of Adobe’s premium creative apps (including Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere Pro), cloud collaboration, and generative AI tools designed to help creators work smarter and create more.
Agency Access
One-year Membership North American Database
Powerful Directory Search — designed specifically for creative industry prospecting — allows you to find and target over 100,000 contacts with laser precision.
Blazing Editions
24”x36” Dye Sub Aluminum Print with an Inset Backing of the winning image
Blazing Editions has become a leader in the Fine Art Printmaking industry offering unique custom solutions for professional photographers.
Dye Sublimation is an innovative archival process that produces incredible image quality without needing protective acrylic or glazing.
Capture One
One-year subscription
Capture One is professional photo editing software trusted by photographers across every genre. It gives you easy-to-use tools to refine your images with precision, collaborate directly in-app, and deliver exceptional quality images. Whether you're working solo or as part of a team, Capture One supports your creative process from start to finish.
Cradoc fotoSoftware
fotobiz business software
Developed by photographers for photographers, Cradoc fotoSoftware has been helping photographers streamline business and simplify workflow for over 30 years and is considered the industry standard for freelance photographers. Programs provide pricing, quoting, invoicing, keywording, and complete, end-to-end business management and workflow.
Found
One year portfolio membership Found Artists
Connecting advertising agencies, magazines and brands to the very best photographers, illustrators and production artists working today.
ImageRights
Search and Copyright Enforcement
ImageRights International provides intelligent image search and copyright enforcement services to photo agencies and professional photographers worldwide.
PhotoShelter
Two-year Pro Account
More than 80,000 photographers worldwide use PhotoShelter to power their photography business. Offering websites with e-commerce, searchable galleries, client log-in, reliable cloud storage and essential Internet marketing tools; PhotoShelter is the industry's leading resource for serious photographers looking to have their images found, sold and delivered online.
Tether Tools
AeroTrac Workstation System ($300 value)
Tether Tools helps simplify digital photography workflow by offering modular workstation solutions and elegant connection tools to create a seamless tethered workflow. With versatile gear designed to improve your process, you can worry less about your tech and focus more on capturing the perfect images.
Think Tank
$50, $100, $200 certificates to various winners to purchase products online
Think Tank designs and creates high-quality travel gear for the world’s venturing observers. Our sophisticated travel gear raises the bar in carrying solutions — durable across the miles and versatile in every situation. Armed with insights from our community of photographers, Think Tank’s product designers meld form with function so that what you carry is a help, not a hindrance.
All winning photographs are included in the APA Awards printed edition.
Interested in making a purchase from one of our APA partners?
Take a look at APA benefits page and check for an APA member discount.
