Monochrome Awards 2026

Monochrome Photography Awards is a competition exclusively for black-and-white photography, founded in 2014 and run annually. Entries are split between two main category groups — Professional and Amateur — with subcategories under each (Architecture, Fine Art, Photojournalism, Portrait, and others). Winners receive the titles "Monochrome Photographer of the Year" (Professional) and "Monochrome Discovery of the Year" (Amateur).

The cash prize pool is $3,000 across the two main categories, with category and subcategory medals stacking on top. Selected work is published in the Monochrome Photography Awards Annual Book — a print collection of first-, second-, and third-place winners plus honorable mention names — which functions as the long-term archive of each edition.

Submission requirements are tight: JPEG at 1200 pixels on the longest side, sRGB or Adobe98 8-bit, no watermarks or borders, no special characters in filenames. The entry portal is profile-based — applicants create an account, upload, and submit only after fees are paid. Early-deadline entries close July 5, 2026; final deadline runs through to November 15, with results announced January 3, 2027.