Drone Photo Awards 2026

The Drone Photo Awards is an annual international aerial photography contest run by Siena Awards, the umbrella organization that also runs the Siena International Photo Awards (SIPA) and Creative Photo Awards. The contest is held alongside the wider Siena Awards Festival in Siena, Italy.

Submissions are accepted across nine categories. Seven cover single-shot themes: Wedding, Nature, People, Urban, Animals, Abstract, and Sport. Two additional categories are Videos and Series (5 to 9 images). All categories require aerial-perspective work — drone, aircraft, or other non-ground vantage. AI-generated images are not accepted.

The overall Drone Photographer of the Year receives the Pangea Prize crystal trophy, €500 worth of photography equipment, and €400 toward travel to the Siena Awards Ceremony weekend. Selected work from across categories is exhibited in the "Above Us Only Sky" group exhibition at the festival, with the awards ceremony held at the historic Teatro dei Rinnovati on October 10, 2026.

Entry is free of charge. Eligibility is open globally. Submissions go through Siena Awards' contest portal at sienawards.com. The 2026 deadline is June 15.