- Organizer: The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, in collaboration with Photocrowd, the platform hosting the competition.
- Participation format: Submit original photographs in one or more of the five environmental categories.
- Location: International. Applications are submitted online through Photocrowd. The main exhibition takes place in Monaco, with selected photographs potentially displayed at other international exhibitions.
- Duration: The competition is held annually. No uniform participation period is specified after the photographs are accepted, but the deadline for the current edition is November 1, 2026.
- Application fee: Free of charge.
- Number of photographs: Participants may submit up to five photographs per category, with a maximum of 25 photographs across all five categories.
- Photography date requirement: Photographs must have been taken within the five years preceding the competition and must not have been taken before September 1, 2021.
- Application method: Create an account on Photocrowd, upload photographs electronically under the appropriate category, and provide a title, description, and accurate information about each photograph.
- File requirements: The shortest side of the original photograph must be at least 3,000 pixels. Images must be submitted in JPEG format at the highest available quality and at 300 dpi, with an embedded color profile; Adobe RGB (1998) is preferred.
- Information accompanying photographs: Each photograph should have a title and description that help the jury understand its content. Where relevant, include the name of the animal or plant species shown and the precise location where the photograph was taken.
- Camera data: Participants must retain the original image files containing metadata about the camera, lens, and shooting settings.
- Originality: All submitted photographs must be the participant's original work. AI-generated images, AI-generated additions, and generative image expansion are prohibited.
- Language requirements: The published rules reviewed do not specify an explicit language-proficiency requirement. However, participants should prepare titles, descriptions, and other required information in accordance with the application form.
- Image rights: Photographers retain their intellectual property rights. However, finalist photographs are subject to a non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free license for promotional uses related to the award, including the annual book and exhibitions. Under the published rules, photographs that are not selected as finalists are not used by the foundation.
Publish Date
10/17/2026
Application Deadline
11/1/2026
Opportunity Type
Competitions
Publisher
Foras Khadra
Available Countries
All World, The Arab World, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, Egypt, Sudan, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania, Djibouti, Somalia, Comoros
Description
The Environmental Photography Award is an annual international initiative launched by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation in 2021. Its purpose is to recognize photographers who use photography to raise environmental awareness, highlight the beauty of nature and biodiversity, and draw attention to the relationship between humans and the natural world, including both positive efforts to protect the environment and harmful activities that contribute to its degradation.
The competition targets photographers from around the world who are at least 18 years old on the specified eligibility date. Participants can submit original photographs documenting natural environments, wildlife, forests, oceans, polar regions, and human initiatives that contribute to protecting natural resources and addressing climate change.
An international jury evaluates the submissions and selects finalists and winners across five main categories. Selected photographs are exhibited in Monaco and at international exhibitions and are published in the annual award book. The competition also offers cash prizes to winners and provides photographers with opportunities to showcase their work internationally.
Details
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must be at least 18 years old on November 1, 2026.
- Applicants may hold any nationality; the competition is open worldwide.
- Applicants must not be employees or agents of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation or Photocrowd.
- Applicants must create a Photocrowd account and provide the required contact information.
- Applicants must comply with the competition rules and Photocrowd's terms and conditions.
- All submitted photographs must be the applicant's original work and must not contain elements protected by another person's intellectual property rights.
- Photographs must have been taken on or after September 1, 2021.
- No more than five photographs may be submitted per category.
- Each photograph must correspond to the subject matter of the category in which it is submitted.
- Photographs must not contain watermarks, text, copyright symbols, logos, or added borders.
- Images must meet the required technical specifications, including the minimum image dimensions and original camera metadata requirements.
- AI must not be used to generate photographs, add elements to them, or expand their boundaries using generative tools.
- Applicants must follow ethical practices when photographing people, animals, and natural habitats. Photography must not directly or indirectly cause harm, distress, injury, or death to the subject.
- Photographs of captive animals are not accepted except in exceptional cases documenting a specific situation, which must be clearly explained in the photograph's description.
- Live bait must not be used to photograph animals.
- Applicants must obtain consent from identifiable individuals appearing in their photographs and from a legal guardian when the individual is a minor.
- Applicants must provide proof of eligibility if requested by the organizers.
- No specific educational qualification, years of professional experience, or professional photography certificate is specified.
- No explicit language-proficiency requirement is stated in the published rules reviewed.
Opportunity Benefits
- Grand Prize
- €5,000 — Environmental Photographer of the Year 2027
- The overall winner receives:
- A cash prize of €5,000.
- An invitation to attend the exhibition opening ceremony in Monaco.
- Travel and accommodation for attending the ceremony.
- Category Prizes
- €1,000 for each category winner
- The winner of each of the five categories receives a cash prize of €1,000.
- Public Choice and Student Choice Awards
- €500 for each award
- Public Choice Award: A cash prize of €500.
- Student Choice Award: A cash prize of €500.
- The 2027 award page does not specify additional travel and accommodation benefits for these two awards.
- Benefits for All Finalists
- Exhibition of selected photographs at the Environmental Photography Award exhibition in Monaco.
- Potential inclusion in the award's international exhibition tour.
- Publication of selected photographs in the Environmental Photography Award 2027 book.
- Two complimentary copies of the book.
- The opportunity to present their work to an international jury of professional photographers.
- Greater international visibility and opportunities to connect with audiences interested in photography, nature, and environmental protection.
- Important note: Cash prizes, travel, and accommodation are not guaranteed for all participants; they depend on the specific award won. Exhibition, publication in the book, and two complimentary copies are benefits specified for photographers whose work is selected as a finalist.
