The World Sports Photography Awards 2027

Organizer

The World Sports Photography Awards, sponsored by Canon as the official imaging partner; the awards also run a centenary photography project in collaboration with the ITTF.

Location

A global online photography competition open to photographers and specialist sports photographic agencies worldwide; entries are submitted online via the Picter platform, and results are published on the official website and social media.

Deadline

Entry deadline: November 23, 2026. Winners are notified by email and announced on the official website and social media (exact announcement date not specified).

Competition Category

Entries are organized by sport; the categories listed on the official website include (22 in total):

01. Football; 02. American Football; 03. Basketball; 04. Athletics; 05. Baseball; 06. Boxing; 07. Cycling; 08. Golf; 09. Tennis; 10. Racquet Sports; 11. Aquatic;

12. Swimming & Diving; 13. Martial Arts; 14. Gymnastics; 15. Equestrian; 16. Ice Hockey; 17. Hockey; 18. Motor Sports; 19. Formula 1; 20. Sumo; 21. Urban Extreme; 22. Venues & Views.

In addition, the Canon Emerging Talent Award runs alongside the main competition, and in 2026 the awards partnered with the ITTF on the ITTF Centenary Photography Awards (combining a professional competition with a search for historic images).

Eligibility

Open to professional, semi-professional and amateur sports photographers and specialist sports photographic agencies worldwide, except those involved in organizing the awards. Each entrant may submit up to 10 camera-made images taken between December 2025 and November 2026; images entered in the 2026 competition are ineligible; synthetic or AI-generated images and generative AI edits are prohibited; the Canon Emerging Talent Award is restricted to photographers under 25.

Entry Fee 

Free; no entry fee is charged for up to 10 images.

Prizes/Awards

Prizes are provided by the awards' sponsors; the specific prize items or values for the 2027 edition have not yet been published. Winners are notified by email and announced on the World Sports Photography Awards website and social media, gaining international exposure and industry recognition.

Core Introduction

The World Sports Photography Awards is one of the world's largest annual celebrations of sports photography. The 2027 edition, sponsored by Canon, is open to professional, semi-professional and amateur photographers and specialist agencies worldwide, seeking outstanding images that capture the action, emotion, athleticism and defining moments of sport. It spans a broad range of disciplines including football, athletics, cycling, motorsport, swimming, tennis, winter sports and more, judged by leading figures from sport, media, photography, branding and the creative industries on the basis of technical skill, diversity, originality and creative composition. Entrants may submit up to 10 free images taken between December 2025 and November 2026, and the Canon Emerging Talent Award is open to photographers under 25; a centenary project with the ITTF was also launched in 2026. From grassroots sport to elite competition, the awards provide a dedicated international platform for the craft and visual storytelling of sports photography.