URBAN Photo Awards 2026

URBAN Photo Awards is the international photography competition paired with Trieste Photo Days, the Italian photography festival held each autumn. The 2026 edition is the contest's 17th, with winners exhibited at Trieste Photo Days from October 23 to 25, 2026, alongside the festival's main programming.

Submissions are accepted across three groups. Single Photos covers four thematic categories: Streets (the urban thoroughfare and its life), People (urban figures and portraiture), Spaces (the city as architectural and photographic subject), and Creative (images that challenge perceptions of the urban). Projects & Portfolios is for series-based work. A dedicated free track is open to photographers under 35.

Fees are tiered. For Single Photos, the first image is free, up to three images cost €20 (including the free one), and each additional image is €10. Projects & Portfolios costs €40 per project, with special categories at €50. The under-35 track is free to enter. Submissions are made through the official site.

The 2026 jury presidents are Mark Power, a Magnum Photos member chairing the Projects & Portfolios section, and Christopher Morris, a founding member of VII Photo Agency chairing the Single Photos section. They are joined by photography curators, editors, and journalists from international publications. Winners receive trophies and medals designed by Venice Biennale artist Giorgio Celiberti (valued around €1,500), photography prizes from partners, Amazon vouchers, a two-night stay for two in Trieste, and the URBAN 2026 gala dinner at Trieste Photo Days. The deadline is June 14, 2026.