If an image says more than a thousand words, nature photography speaks volumes about the beauty of this world – but also about its challenges.
The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation has launched its annual call for entries for the 2026 Environmental Photography Award, one of the conservation world’s most anticipated visual storytelling competitions. Now in its sixth year, the award continues to champion photographers who translate environmental urgency into compelling imagery.
Registration is currently open until 2 November 2025, with participation free for both professional and amateur photographers. Entries are submitted online across five categories: Ocean, Forests, Polar Regions, Changemakers and Humanity vs. Nature.
The award is a flagship awareness-raising event for the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and one of the three pillars of its Green Shift initiative, which is dedicated to promoting inspiring environmental storytelling.
This year’s competition carries particular resonance following the 2025 edition’s success, which saw Spanish photographer Angel Fitor claim the Grand Prize with ‘Unseen Unsung Heroes’, a striking image of polychaete worms flushing sand from their burrows amidst Mediterranean seagrass.
Fitor, who holds degrees in both photography and marine biology, swept the competition with four shortlisted images and two category wins. His triumph exemplified the award’s mission to illuminate the ‘silent actions of humble creatures’ that sustain entire ecosystems.
The 2026 jury will be chaired by Dutch photographer Jasper Doest, himself the 2023 Grand Prize winner and a senior fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers. Doest brings a formidable pedigree, including four World Press Photo Awards and regular contributions to National Geographic. He joins an international panel of seven conservation photography specialists spanning Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, France and Germany. Sergio Pitamitz, acclaimed conservation and wildlife photographer, National Geographic contributor, and photographer for National Geographic Expeditions, will once again serve as Contest Chairman.
“Photographers have a unique ability to translate the urgency of today’s environmental challenges into a universal language that touches hearts and inspires action. With this Award, we aim to amplify their voices and ensure their stories resonate far beyond the conservation community.”
— Oliver Wenden, Vice-Chairman and CEO
Prize money remains substantial: each category winner receives €1,000, with the Grand Prize winner claiming an additional €5,000 plus a trip to Monaco to receive the honour in person. A Public Award and Students’ Choice Award each carry €500 grants, with the Public Award winner also receiving the opportunity to visit SEK International University’s research station in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest.
The competition forms a cornerstone of the Foundation’s Green Shift Initiative, dedicated to promoting ecological narratives that inspire action.
Winners will be announced in mid-April 2026, with an exhibition of 36 shortlisted photographs touring from Monaco during summer 2026. This is a unique opportunity for participants: exhibitions of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation’s Environmental Photography Award have already travelled to Italy, San Marino, Spain, the United States, Canada and France, and a book is published every year.
For photographers seeking to join the ranks of previous winners in giving voice to threatened ecosystems, the message is clear: the natural world awaits its interpreters, and Monaco is ready to amplify their vision.
All photos courtesy Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco, except lead image courtesy and © Brian McInnis, Canada
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