The World Street Photo Awards 2026 is an international street photography competition organized by Berlin-based Unseen Imaging GmbH. The award focuses on photographs that capture real moments, everyday observations and visual stories from streets around the world, with an emphasis on authentic photographic image-making.
The 2026 edition presents 20 categories covering approaches such as Reflection, Weather, Geometry, Black and White, Color, Silhouette, Light & Shadow, Movement & Motion, Transport, The Decisive Moment, Minimalism, Night & Low Light, Cinematic Streets, Abstract & Surrealism, Juxtaposition, Layers, Details, Animals, Mobile Phone Photography and Open Theme. These are separate competition categories rather than a single overall theme.
Entries are assessed anonymously by an international jury, with composition, creativity, originality and technical excellence identified among the judging criteria. The wide category structure gives street photographers opportunities to place documentary moments, graphic compositions, atmospheric scenes and more experimental approaches within a relevant competition context.
Entry fee: €18 for the first photo; photos 2–4 cost €15 each, photos 5–10 cost €13 each, and photos 11+ cost €10 each; entering the same photograph in additional categories carries an extra fee, but the current competition materials list this inconsistently as €10 or €12 per additional category.
Eligibility
Open to photographers of all skill levels and nationalities, professional or amateur, with entrants under 18 requiring written parental or guardian consent; previously published or award-winning photographs and images entered in other competitions are permitted if the entrant retains full copyright, AI-generated images are prohibited, limited AI-assisted editing of photographs originating from a real camera is allowed, and competition judges may not enter.
Prize
The 2026 competition advertises a €2,500 total prize pool, with €500 for Photographer of the Year and €100 for each category winner. Winners receive an official digital Winner Certificate and Winner Badge, while winning and honorable mention entries are stated to receive a one-year online Winners’ Gallery showcase. The 2026 competition page also advertises a trophy, an exhibition at a Berlin gallery and inclusion in the official WSPA photobook, although the precise allocation of these benefits among winners and honorable mentions is not fully specified.