Have you got some great colour photos to share? Whether they focus on one or two colours, or all of the rainbow – we want to see them! Non-professional photographers around the world are invited to enter the International Amateur Photographer of the Year award (APOY). Amateur Photographer Magazine champions the best in image-making with this annual competition, which takes place over ten themed rounds and offers the chance to win some fantastic prizes throughout the year. The competition is now open, with the third category, CELEBRATING COLOUR, open for entries until 17 August 2026.
Colour has the power to elevate a photograph into something memorable but be careful, it can also ruin a photograph if not handled with care! Colour can draw in the eye, create mood, reveal contrast or bring energy to a photograph. Colour can be the defining element that holds an image together whether bold and vibrant or soft and understated. Use this round to celebrate colour in all its forms. Find a subject and decide what colour can add. Consider how composition, light, timing and subject matter work with colour – from busy streets, serene landscapes to quiet interiors and everyday objects. The judges want to see how colour helps tell your story, create atmosphere or simply show the world a little differently.
Entry is free to photographers aged 13-21 in the Young Amateur Photographer of the Year competition.
Your guest judge: Barry Lewis
Barry stopped teaching chemistry in 1974 when he won a scholarship to the RCA where he studied under Bill Brandt. In 1980 he was a co-founder of the photo agency Network. A regular contributor to international Magazines, Barry has made over 20 books from Miami to Moscow. He has exhibited international and received several honours including the Oscar Barnack medal and the Amateur Photographer magazine Lifetime Achievement Award.
How to enter
For the main APOY 2026 award, you can enter up to 5 images in each of the 10 rounds. 1 free entry per round can be obtained via a unique code published in Amateur Photographer magazine during the period in which that round is open. Without the code, you’ll be able to enter a maximum of 4 images per round.
For the Young APOY 2026 award, eligible photographers can enter up to 4 free images per round.
APOY prizes
The winner of each round of APOY 2026 will receive:
- Free DxO software (DxO PhotoLab 8 and DxO FilmPack 7) worth £340
- A £300 voucher to spend on anything at Park Cameras
- An annual subscription to The School of Photography worth £120
- A £50 voucher for Bob Books.
The two runners-up in each round will receive a free DxO Nik Collection licence worth £146 and a £25 voucher for Bob Books.
The top ten entries from every round will also be published in AP.
The overall winner after ten rounds wins £1,000 to spend at Park Cameras and a £100 voucher for Bob Books.
Young Amateur Photographer of the Year
Now a well-established part of APOY, the Young Photographer of the Year competition encourages our up-and-coming snappers. Entrants should be 21 years old or younger by the competition’s final closing date of 1st February 2027. All the categories are the same as for the main contest – simply select the Young APOY option on Photocrowd when you upload your images. Entry is free. Each round winner and two runners-up in each round wins prizes, with the overall winner after ten rounds receiving vouchers from Park Cameras and Bob Books.
Young APOY Prizes
- Free DxO PhotoLab and FilmPack licences worth £340
- A £100 voucher to spend at Park Cameras
- An annual subscription to The School of Photography worth £120
- A £50 voucher for Bob Books.
The two runners-up in each round will receive a free DxO Nik Collection licence worth £146 and a £25 voucher for Bob Books.
The overall winner of Young APOY will receive a £250 voucher to spend at Park Cameras and a £100 voucher for Bob Books.
The camera club award
Do you belong to a camera club or photographic society?
You can accumulate precious points for your society when you enter Amateur Photographer of the Year. The winning club after all ten rounds receives a beautiful new website build from Amazing Internet, worth £1,500.
Plan your APOY 2026 Entries
| Theme | Opens | Closes |
|---|---|---|
| Celebrating Colour | 21 July 2026 | 17 August 2026 |
| Architecture | 18 August 2026 | 14 September 2026 |
| People & Portraits | 15 September 2026 | 12 October 2026 |
| Landscapes | 13 October 2026 | 9 November 2026 |
| Close-up & Macro | 10 November 2026 | 30 November 2026 |
| Night & Low Light | 1 December 2026 | 4 January 2027 |
| Open | 5 January 2027 | 1 February 2027 |
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