Global Photography Awards names 2026 winners

The Global Photography Awards, presented by the International Awards Associate, announced its 2026 winners after judging more than 6,000 entries from over 40 countries. Megumi Murakami of Japan and João Coelho of Portugal earned the top photographer titles as the competition spotlighted work across editorial, nature, architecture, people and black-and-white categories.

Why it matters: - The Global Photography Awards is a broad international snapshot of what judges see as standout visual storytelling across professional, amateur and student work. - The 2026 results highlight how photography is being used to document religion, labor, culture, architecture and nature for a global audience. - The competition drew more than 6,000 entries from over 40 countries, underscoring the scale of the field and the reach of the awards program.

What happened: - The Global Photography Awards announced its 2026 winners, presented by the International Awards Associate (IAA). - Megumi Murakami of Japan was named Professional Photographer of the Year. - João Coelho of Portugal was named Amateur Photographer of the Year. - Seven photographers also earned Category Winner of the Year titles across the professional and amateur divisions. - The competition recognized professional, amateur and student photographers for work judged on visual storytelling, technical execution and creative perspective.

The details: - Murakami won for “Sacred Fire Ritual,” entered in Editorial Photography – Religious. - The series documents a 1,200-year-old Shinto ritual at Toba Shinmei Shrine in Japan. - The work shows participants entering a burning structure to retrieve sacred ropes representing the months of the year. - Murakami receives a $5,000 cash prize and the 2026 Maia statuette. - Coelho won for “Plato’s Cave,” entered in Editorial Photography – Feature Story. - The series follows laborers dismantling a stranded ship under difficult conditions. - The project uses the ship’s dark, confined interior to explore hardship, isolation and hope. - Coelho receives a $3,000 cash prize and the 2026 Maia statuette. - Professional Category Winners included: - Architecture Photography: “Hong Kong Modern Mosaics” by Derry Ainsworth - Editorial Photography: “Beneath the Toll Road: The Final Evening at KM 17” by Lucky Rangga - Nature Photography: “Monolith: Sigiriya from Above” by Derry Ainsworth - People Photography: “Heritage Written in Skin” by Paul Bride - Black & White Photography: “Lord of the Flies” by Mats Andersson - Amateur Category Winners included: - Editorial Photography: “River of Life” by Jan Grodza - Nature Photography: “Papyrus” by Alejandro Murillo - People Photography: “Fading - the last of their kinds” by Philipp Schmieja - Each Category Winner of the Year receives a $100 cash prize. - The complete list of 2026 winners is available at the official winners page. - Entries for the 2026 New York Photography Awards remain open, with winners set to be announced on December 11, 2026. - Submission information is available at the New York Photography Awards.

Between the lines: - The blind judging process removed identifying entrant information, which can help reduce bias in a competition that spans multiple experience levels. - Professional submissions were evaluated separately from amateur and student work, allowing the awards to compare work within more similar peer groups. - The jury included photographers, visual artists, commercial specialists and photography educators, signaling a mix of artistic and industry perspectives in the final selection. - Entries were judged on originality, storytelling, technical execution, visual impact and overall impression, which suggests the awards value both concept and craft. - Thomas Brandt, spokesperson for IAA, said the winners were recognized for images that give viewers a reason to stop, examine and understand something more clearly.

What's next: - The 2026 New York Photography Awards are still accepting entries. - Winners of that sister program will be announced on December 11, 2026. - The Global Photography Awards is expected to continue its annual recognition of photographers worldwide through the IAA platform.

The bottom line: - The 2026 Global Photography Awards crowned two top photographers and a slate of category winners, with the strongest work spanning documentary depth, technical polish and strong visual storytelling.