Monochrome Awards 2026

An annual competition exclusively for black-and-white photography, with separate Professional and Amateur groups and subcategories including Architecture, Fine Art, Photojournalism, and Portrait. The Professional winner receives a $2,000 cash award and the title “Monochrome Photographer of the Year”; the Amateur winner receives a $1,000 cash award and the title “Monochrome Discovery of the Year.” Selected work is published in the Monochrome Photography Awards Annual Book.

Black-and-white photography

Applicants must be age 18 or older. Each entry consists of one image. Files must be JPEG, 1200 pixels on the longest side, in sRGB or Adobe98 8-bit, without watermarks, borders, or special characters in filenames. Applicants create a profile, upload their work, pay the applicable entry fee, and then submit. Entry fees range from $22 to $27. The $2,000 Professional and $1,000 Amateur cash awards are conditional winner prizes, not guaranteed participant compensation.