World Press Photo 2021

The 2022 World Press Photo Contest is now open for submissions until 11 January 2022. Entering the World Press Photo Contest is free and open to all professional photographers working in the field of photojournalism and/or documentary photography.

The 2022 Contest has adopted a new regional approach and will work with a regional system that includes six regions. Winners of this year’s contest have a chance to win €1,000 as a regional winner and an additional €5,000 as a global winner, as well as to have their work showcased to a global audience through the annual World Press Photo Exhibition travelling to over 80 countries and global media outreach and exposure on social channels with over 2 million followers. All information on the prize package can be found here.

Format-based categories

This year entrants can submit their work to four format-based categories. These format-based categories encompass all thematic categories from previous contests – such as general news, spot news, contemporary issues, environment, nature, sports, portraits – therefore entries on a wide range of themes may be submitted to the appropriate format-based category: Singles, Stories, Long-Term Projects and Open Format. Open Format is a new category that welcomes a range and/or mixture of storytelling mediums in which the main visual content is still photography. All information on the new categories can be found here.

Judging in the new regional set-up

An independent jury selects the prize-winning photographs and productions. In each region, a selection of entries per category will be chosen by a regional jury. Once the regional juries have made their selection, a global jury will decide on the regional winners and from those, the global winners. The global jury will be composed of the six regional jury chairs and one additional member. All information on the new judging process can be found here.

Important dates

Entries open: 1 December 2021, 12.00 (noon) CET

Entries close: 11 January 2022, 12.00 (noon) CET

Regional winners announcement: 24 March 2022

Global winners announcement: 7 April 2022

Flagship World Press Photo Exhibition 2022 in Amsterdam: opening 16 April 2022

We are excited to welcome a multiplicity of stories and a diverse range of photographers from all over the world to enter the contest!

Image announcement copyright: Mads Nissen / Panos