Amateur Photographer Magazine is championing the best in image-making with the launch of this year’s International Amateur Photographer of the Year award (APOY), where the best non-professional photographers in the world compete over ten rounds throughout the year to win some fantastic prizes. The competition is now open, with the first category, STREET, open for entries until 25th May 2026.
The beauty of street photography is it takes almost no organisation – you simply grab your camera, walk out of your front door and start seeking opportunities for a shot. Using a wideangle lens within the ‘action’ will often produce a dynamic and exciting shot, while a longer lens will allow you to isolate your subject from its surroundings, concentrating on expression and pose. Whether you’re drawn to the aesthetics of a place or how people interact with their environment, this category offers huge scope to create all manner of creative shots.
Entry is free to photographers aged 13-21 in the Young Amateur Photographer of the Year competition.
Your guest judge for the Street category: Dawn Eagleton
Dawn Eagleton is a renowned British street photographer. She captures authentic depictions of her subjects in unguarded moments and uses expressions, subtle gestures and mannerisms to create relatable images. Her photography has been exhibited internationally and has featured in many publications. Her debut book is Through the Glass. www.dawneagleton.com
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 2025 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 |
| Street | 5 May 2026 | 25 May 2026 |
| Black & White | 26 May 2026 | 22 June 2026 |
| Animal Kingdom | 23 June 2026 | 20 July 2026 |
| 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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