The People Photography award category at the 2026 New York Photography Awards celebrates the art of capturing human emotion, connection, and the essence of individuals. This category honors photographers who excel at portraying people in their most authentic moments, whether in portraits, lifestyle shots, or candid photography.
This category is open to photographers worldwide who specialize in photographing people. Whether you focus on intimate portraits, environmental portraits, lifestyle photography, or documenting the human experience in any setting, your entry is welcome.
Capture the essence of humanity through people photography. Enter today and share your powerful, emotive work with a global audience.
$30/image for professional and $25/image for amateur/student categories. There are no limits in the number of entries.
Fees are non-refundable. Withdrawn entries (whether withdrawn by entrant or by the New York Awards for entrant's failure to comply with the entry rules) will NOT be refunded.
Multiple entries must be submitted at the same time as your first entry in order to be counted as "additional entries". An entry submitted at a later time will be counted as a "first entry".
Enter AwardsParticipants may purchase a Bundle Entries Package, which can be used within the year of the competition when the package is purchased.
The package is priced at $185 for 10 Credits. One (1) Entry Category = One (1) Credit. With the package, you are be able to save up to $11 per entry.
Get Now, Save On Entry Fee| 2026 Entry Period | Early Bird (Aug 6 - Sep 3, 2026) |
Regular (Sep 4 - Oct 1, 2026) |
Final (Oct 2 - Oct 29, 2026) |
Final Extension (Oct 30 - Nov 25, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Professional Single | $25 | $30 | $35 | $40 |
| Professional Series (2-8 images) |
$35 | $40 | $45 | $50 |
| Amateur / Student Single | $20 | $25 | $30 | $35 |
| Amateur / Student Series | $30 | $35 | $40 | $45 |
| Additional Category | $15 | $20 | $25 | $30 |
| Bundle Entries Package: $185 for 10 Credits (Save Up-to $115!) One (1) Category = One (1) Credit | ||||
| Judging: Nov 12 - Dec 11, 2026 | ||||
| Winners Announcement: Dec 11, 2026 | ||||
| Work submitted must have been created within the last 5 years (2021 - 2026). | ||||
| Benefits / Winning Level | Photographer of the Year | Category Winners of the Year | Gold Winners | Silver Winners | Honorable Mentions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash Prizes | $3,000 (Pro) $2,000 (Amateur / Student) |
$100 / Category | - | - | - |
| New York Statuette | • | - | - | - | - |
| Winner’s Special Feature on Category Page | • | - | - | - | - |
| Highlight Gallery on Main Page | • | - | - | - | - |
| Mentioned in Winner Press Release | • | • | - | - | - |
| Photo Showcased at New York Photography Awards’ Gallery Section | • | • | • | - | - |
| Mentioned in Media Partner Website: Muse.World | • | • | • | - | - |
| Mentioned in New York Photography Awards’ e-Newsletter | • | • | - | - | - |
| Dedicated Social Post | • | • | • | - | - |
| Winner’s Website Links | • | • | • | • | - |
| Eligible to Purchase New York Photography Awards’ Statuette | • | • | • | • | • |
| Winner's Interview | • | • | • | • | • |
| Winner’s Profile/Page | • | • | • | • | • |
| Winner e-Certificate | • | • | • | • | • |
| Winner’s Badge (Digital) | • | • | • | • | • |
| Winner’s Site Bug | • | • | • | • | • |
| Email Signature Badge (Digital) | • | • | • | • | • |
| Winner’s Press Release Template | • | • | • | • | • |
*Note: Cash prizes are not cumulative. Only one cash prize can be awarded to each winner with the highest available prize applied.
For example, if a winner is awarded both New York Photographer of the Year (Professional Category) and Category Winner of the Year, they will only receive the $3000 cash prize from the New York Photographer of the Year and not $100 from the winning the latter. First placed Category Winners can only receive one $100 cash prize even if they win the title in multiple categories.
If you submitted your entries through an award agent and won either New York Photographer or Category Winner of the Year, IAA will proceed to issue the cash prize to the closest representative of the winning entry, the award agent, to collect it on your behalf. Please liaise with your award agent on the matter of cash prizes. Cash prizes will be issued either to the winners or award agent within a month after the announcement of results.
The New York Photography Awards and International Awards Associate’s decision are final in its sole discretion and binding in relation to all matters relating to Competitions and may not be subject to any discussions or correspondence.
The New York Photography Awards competition is designed for convenience
of the entrant by entering online and uploading your entries.
Image Limits; Up to ten images in JPEG and one PDF can be uploaded per entry. For easy results, ensure images are formatted as a flattened JPEG/JPG, 1,920px wide, 300 dpi, RGB, and no larger than 4MB.
Each individual image should pertain to the category you have entered into. For example, Architecture Photography submissions should include photos that depict buildings of all shapes and sizes whilst People Photography submissions should include photos that depict the individual as the main focus. Detailed descriptions are required to allow the judges to better understand the emotion/meaning behind the images you chose to submit.
Submissions can be entered as professional, amateur, or student works. All images submitted may not be older than five years.
Limit written descriptions of your images to 350 words or less.
