Free Photography Competition for Students 2027 – Win Photography Equipment Worth €30,000
Applicant criteria
- NationalityNo specific nationality required
- Age18 - 30
- GenderBoth
Opportunity criteria
- Opportunity FieldPhotography and Filmmaking
- Job locationUnited Kingdom
- Deadline2026-11-27
Opportunity description
The 2027 Sony World Photography Awards Student Competition is a free photography contest for students aged 18 to 30 who are enrolled in photography programmes at selected participating institutions. Entrants create a series on the theme “Journeys”; the stated entry deadline is 27 November 2026, while the rules say that image uploads must be completed by 13:00 GMT that day.
About the Student Photography Competition
The 2027 brief asks students to explore journeys from their own perspective. The theme can be interpreted broadly, including rites of passage, changes in cities, everyday shifts within a community or animal migration. Each entrant must submit a photographic series of five to ten images depicting a journey of their choice. Images may be taken on any device and in any style, but the series must respond to the brief.
A selected World Photography Organisation judging panel will review the entries and choose a shortlist of up to 10 photographers, followed by one overall winner who receives the Student Competition Winner title. The shortlist is to be announced after 1 January 2027, and the overall winner in April 2027. Winners are announced online and at a ceremony in London. Depending on the prize category, awards include Sony Digital Imaging equipment, inclusion in the London exhibition and annual book, and other forms of exposure. The overall winner’s university or institution receives Sony Digital Imaging equipment valued at approximately €30,000.
Entries must be submitted through worldphoto.org, and a student’s institution must be registered. The entry page gives 27 November 2026 at 16:00 GMT as the deadline, while the rules separately state that all entries must be uploaded by 13:00 GMT on that date. Images must be JPEG files between 1MB and 5MB, saved in sRGB with EXIF data intact. If shortlisted, photographers must be able to provide a high-resolution file suitable for exhibition printing if requested. Digital manipulation is allowed, but the entrant must describe it; computer-generated content cannot be the original source of an entry.
Students retain copyright in their work. By entering, photographers grant the World Photography Organisation a non-exclusive licence to use submitted images in connection with the competition and its promotion for three years after April 2027. Submitted images may be displayed at exhibitions, included in the website or book, or shared with the press in connection with the competition. For comparable photography competitions and awards, or to explore other opportunities for young people, see the related listings.
Who Should Apply
This competition is intended for photography students aged 18 to 30 on the deadline date who study through a formal photography programme at a selected participating university or institution. The programme may be a course, credit, module or foundation taught at higher-education level within a diploma, Bachelor of Arts or Master of Arts curriculum. Applicants may come from anywhere in the world, provided their institution is selected and registered. Applicants should be prepared to submit their own original photographic work and follow the brief and image specifications.
Key Highlights
- Free entry for eligible photography students.
- Theme: Journeys; submit a series of five to ten images.
- Deadline: 27 November 2026; upload cutoff stated in the rules is 13:00 GMT.
- Up to 10 shortlisted photographers and one overall winner.
- Shortlist announced after 1 January 2027; overall winner announced in April 2027.
- London ceremony and prizes that may include equipment, exhibition inclusion and book inclusion.
Benefits
- Entry to the competition is free.
- The overall winner receives the Student Competition Winner title.
- Sony Digital Imaging equipment is listed among the prizes for the overall winner and the winner’s university or institution. The equipment awarded to the winning institution is worth approximately €30,000.
- Flights and accommodation to the London Awards ceremony for the student and one tutor.
- A certificate for the overall winner, winning institution and shortlisted photographers; it may be digital depending on the position.
- A trophy for the overall winner.
- Global press exposure for the overall winner and shortlisted photographers.
- A copy of the book, inclusion in the book and possible inclusion in the exhibition. Images may be shown digitally on screens or printed.
- Promotion on the World Photography Organisation website and to its online community, depending on the prize category.
Eligibility criteria
- Entrants must be photography students at a selected participating university or institution, and the institution must be registered for the competition.
- Entrants must be aged 18 to 30 on the competition deadline.
- The photography programme must be formalised and taught at higher-education level, such as a course, credit, module or foundation within a diploma, Bachelor of Arts or Master of Arts curriculum.
- Submit a series of at least five and no more than ten images responding to the “Journeys” brief.
- Images must be the entrant’s own original work, and the entrant must have the rights to submit and display them. Purchased stock images, commercial content and screen credits are not allowed.
- The rules state that images must have been taken between 1 January and 27 November 2026; another section says images must have been taken in the 18 months before the competition closing date.
- If work has been published, it must have been first published between 1 January and 27 November 2026. Up to 20% may have been published at any time on a personal website or social media, or exhibited as part of an official programme: two images for a series of 8–10, or one image for a series of 5–7.
- Submit JPEG files sized from 1MB to 5MB, saved in the sRGB colour model with EXIF data left in the image file.
- Shortlisted photographers must be able to provide a high-resolution image suitable for exhibition printing if required. The rules state that failure to provide a high-resolution image of at least 5MB and 300ppi may result in disqualification.
- Digital manipulation is allowed but must be described in the image description. The original source must be an analogue or digital photograph, not computer-generated content. Archival images may be used in new work if permissions are obtained and their use is stated.
- Entrants must obtain permission from people depicted and the necessary permissions for costumes, props, locations and other relevant materials. Entries must respect intellectual-property and privacy rights and must not include prohibited content, third-party trademarks or copyrighted materials.
- Animals must not be harmed, disturbed, provoked or distressed. Rules also prohibit practices such as live baiting and flash photography on nocturnal birds. Entrants must follow applicable wildlife and natural-environment rules and permissions. Drone use must comply with the laws and permissions of the country where the image was taken.
- Entrants must use their correct names. Shortlisted or winning photographers may need to respond to correspondence to confirm their entry. A valid UK ETA or Standard Visa is required to attend the ceremony; entrants are responsible for obtaining it and paying related costs.
Ready to apply?
Free Photography Competition for Students 2027 – Win Photography Equipment Worth €30,000