European Photography Awards names 2026 winners

The European Photography Awards has announced its 2026 top photographers and category winners, with Michelle Valberg of Canada and Thea Mihu of Germany taking the year’s highest honors. The competition drew more than 3,000 blind-reviewed entries from over 40 countries and will award $7,600 in cash prizes.

Why it matters: - The 2026 results spotlight photographers whose work stood out across artistic vision, technical control and visual impact. - The competition drew more than 3,000 submissions from photographers representing more than 40 countries, underscoring its global reach. - The awards include $7,600 in total cash prizes across the professional and amateur/student divisions.

What happened: - The European Photography Awards announced its 2026 winners. - Michelle Valberg of Canada won Professional Photographer of the Year for Edge of the Feast. - Thea Mihu of Germany won Amateur Photographer of the Year for The White Harvest. - Each top winner received a European Photography Awards statuette. - Valberg received a $3,000 cash prize. - Mihu received a $2,000 cash prize. - The competition also named Category Winners of the Year across 13 photography categories. - The awarded entries were selected through a blind evaluation process.

The details: - Professional Category Winners of the Year were: - Architecture Photography of the Year: Hong Kong From Above by Derry Ainsworth of Hong Kong SAR. - Editorial Photography of the Year: Silent Resilience by Lucas Dragone of Belgium. - Fine Art Photography of the Year: BLACK HOLE by Eva Wang of China. - Nature Photography of the Year: Standing Tall by Michelle Valberg of Canada. - People Photography of the Year: Vanishing Worlds by Roberto Pazzi of Italy. - Amateur Category Winners of the Year were: - Architecture Photography of the Year: L'Arbre Urbain: Montpellier's white canopy by Felipe Martín-Serrano Ortiz of Spain. - Editorial Photography of the Year: Survive to legacy by Philipp Schmieja of Germany. - Nature Photography of the Year: Veins of Fire by Andreia Costa of Portugal. - People Photography of the Year: Fading - the last of their kinds by Philipp Schmieja of Germany. - Each eligible Category Winner of the Year receives a $100 cash prize. - The complete winner gallery includes the Photographers of the Year, Category Winners of the Year and Platinum, Gold and Silver recipients across all recognized categories. - The European Photography Awards is an international competition for professional, amateur and student photographers worldwide. - The competition recognizes work across commercial, editorial, artistic and personal photography. - The awards are organized by the International Awards Associate (IAA). - A spokesperson for IAA said the 2026 winners represent an exceptional international body of photographic achievement.

Between the lines: - The same photographer can win across multiple categories, as Michelle Valberg did with both the overall professional title and Nature Photography of the Year. - Philipp Schmieja won two amateur category titles, suggesting strong repeat performance in the competition. - The blind evaluation process is meant to reinforce credibility by judging work without identifying creators. - The awards continue to position themselves as an international showcase for photographers across experience levels, not just professionals.

What's next: - The 2026 winner gallery is available at the full winner gallery. - The 2026 New York Photography Awards are now accepting entries as the final IAA photography competition of the year. - The Early Bird Deadline for the New York Photography Awards is 3 September 2026. - Winners of the New York Photography Awards will be announced on 11 December 2026. - Entries for the New York Photography Awards are available through the 2026 New York Photography Awards.

The bottom line: - The European Photography Awards closed its 2026 cycle by elevating a small group of global photographers and handing out its top prizes across professional, amateur and category-level competition.