Applications are now open for the 12th edition of the Andrei Stenine International Photojournalism Contest, a global competition aimed at discovering and supporting new talent in photojournalism.
The call was launched in Moscow on December 22, marking the birthday of Andrei Stenine, a photojournalist with the Rossiya Segodnya media group who was killed in eastern Ukraine in 2014.
The contest, organized by Rossiya Segodnya under the auspices of the Russian Commission for UNESCO, invites professional photographers from around the world to submit their work online in Russian or English. The deadline for entries is February 28, 2026.
This year’s edition brings a major update: a new category called “Energy of Life”, open to photographers aged 34 and older.
The other five categories remain focused on younger photographers aged 18 to 33. They include Top News, Sport, My Planet, Portrait, A Hero of Our Time, and View from Above. Some categories accept both single photos and series, while others are limited to single images only.
In each category, first place will receive 125,000 rubles, second place 100,000 rubles, and third place 75,000 rubles. The overall Grand Prix winner will take home 700,000 rubles.
The awards ceremony is expected to take place in Moscow between September and November 2026.
Over the years, the contest has built a strong international reputation. Its jury has included well-known photographers from Russia, Italy, Turkey, Argentina, and other countries.
Past winners have gone on to gain global recognition, with projects covering issues such as women in prison, disability, migration, and the lives of war veterans.
Beyond the awards, the contest is also known for its traveling exhibitions. Winning works have been shown across Russia and in dozens of countries worldwide, from China and South Africa to Mexico, Germany, Egypt, and Argentina, reaching wide and diverse audiences.
The Stenine Contest is backed by a broad network of media and industry partners across Russia, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America.
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