Organizer
Smithsonian Magazine

Location
International (global participation)

Deadline
December 1st, 2025 at 5:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

Competition Category

• Wildlife
• Travel
• People
• The American Experience at 250
• Artistic Images
• Drone/Aerial

Eligibility
Open to photographers worldwide aged 18 or older

Entry Fee
Free to enter

Prizes/Awards

• Grand Prize: $2,500
• 6 Category Winners: $500 each
• Readers' Choice Award: $500
• Winning works featured on Smithsonian Magazine website and publications

Core Introduction
The Smithsonian Magazine 23rd Annual Photo Contest is an international competition open to photographers worldwide, showcasing creativity and visual storytelling across six distinct categories. All submitted photographs must have been taken since January 1, 2023 . Entries will be judged based on creativity, quality, originality, responsiveness to the prompt and overall impact . The competition will select 60 finalists, with winners announced in spring 2026 .