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UnderwaterPhoto Contests
Results outHas UW category · Online

Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026

by Oceanographic Magazine (opens in a new tab)

Entries closed

Results are out

  • Closed 30 JUN
  • Fee from £10
  • UW cat. 8 of 8
Add to calendar Official site (opens in a new tab) Rules (opens in a new tab) Results (opens in a new tab)

You're viewing a past edition. See Ocean Photographer of the Year 2027 →

Key dates

  1. Entries open

  2. Final deadline

  3. Results

  • Finalists announced: Aug 2026

Entry fees

Entry options and prices
Per category (up to 10 images; Portfolio needs exactly 10)£10

Enter as many categories as you like. The Female Fifty Fathoms Award is nominated by peers rather than entered.

Prizes

Prize details not verified yet.

Which category to enter

This is a general contest. Underwater work belongs in these categories:

  • Ocean Wildlife Photographer of the Year

    Other

    Restriction: Underwater and above-water ocean images both accepted.

  • Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year (Hope)

    Conservation

    Restriction: Underwater and above-water ocean images both accepted.

  • Ocean Conservation Photographer of the Year (Impact)

    Conservation

    Restriction: Underwater and above-water ocean images both accepted.

  • Ocean Adventure Photographer of the Year

    Other

    Restriction: Underwater and above-water ocean images both accepted.

  • Ocean Fine Art Photographer of the Year

    Other

    Restriction: Underwater and above-water ocean images both accepted.

  • Human Connection Award

    Other

    Restriction: Underwater and above-water ocean images both accepted.

  • Ocean Unseen: Hidden Worlds

    Other

    New category for 2026.

  • Ocean Portfolio Award

    Portfolio

    Restriction: Exactly 10 images.

Who can enter

Open to
Open to all

Images that had already won first place overall in an established international award before 1 April 2026 may not be entered. The standing rules also describe a Young Ocean Photographer of the Year category (25 and under) that did not appear in the 2026 finalist announcement.

Rules at a glance

AI-generated images
Banned
Previously awarded images
Not allowed
Wildlife ethics
Entrants confirm images were taken naturally without interfering with wildlife.

Files must be JPEG, PNG or TIFF, up to 5MB each, with captions supplied in one Word document.

Your image rights

Standard licence

You keep copyright, but the competition and its partners may use your images for competition-related exhibitions, events, publications and advertising, online and in print, including promotional, editorial and commercial uses tied to the competition. Selling prints is opt-in, with profits split 50-50.

Licence
Broad, non-exclusive
Duration
Not specified
How "Standard licence" is decided
  • Read carefully: the entrant grants an exclusive licence or transfers rights, or the organiser may use entries commercially (sell, license, use in paid products).
  • Photographer-friendly: use is limited to promoting the contest, there is no commercial use by the organiser, and credit is promised.
  • Standard: everything in between — typically a broad non-exclusive licence for marketing without commercial resale.

This is our plain-language summary, not legal advice. Read the official terms before entering: official rules & terms (opens in a new tab).

Research notes

The overall title went to Julien Anton, with a seahorse image that first won Ocean Wildlife, from more than 15,000 entries. The 2025 rules give the cut-off as 23:59 GMT; that was not confirmed for 2026, so closes is date only (London). The legal page still showed 2025 dates when checked, so the rights summary may reflect last year's wording. Third-party listings mention cash and Canon gear prizes, but the official site did not confirm them, so prizes are left out. No judge names were published in the sources found.

Provenance

Verified · 6 sources

  1. Oceanographic - Rules & FAQs (opens in a new tab) · accessed 2026-10-15
  2. Oceanographic - OPY registration (opens in a new tab) · accessed 2026-10-15
  3. Oceanographic - Entry rules (opens in a new tab) · accessed 2026-10-15
  4. Oceanographic - Legal terms (opens in a new tab) · accessed 2026-10-15
  5. Oceanographic - 2026 finalists revealed (opens in a new tab) · accessed 2026-10-15
  6. Oceanographic - 2026 winners announced (opens in a new tab) · accessed 2026-10-15

All editions

  1. Ocean Photographer of the Year 2027≈ late Jun 2027Expected
  2. Ocean Photographer of the Year 2026closed Tue 30 Jun 2026Results out Results (opens in a new tab)