GWF Photo Awards · 5th Edition · 2026
For the photographerswho witness the wild.
India's flagship wildlife photography competition — where the people who document the wild are seen by the world.
Submit up to 6 photographs across 3 categories. Judged by a panel published in National Geographic, BBC Wildlife & World Press Photo — exhibited at GWF 2026 in front of 25,000+ visitors.
Lutyens' Delhi
The world's first dedicated wildlife tourism trade fair — and its global photo stage.
Global Wildlife Fair 2026 is a three-day curated platform built exclusively for the wildlife, safari and ecotourism industry — bringing together international tour operators, tourism boards, conservationists, gear brands, and photographers from over 37 countries at Travancore Palace, New Delhi.
The International Photo Awards is the official photography competition of GWF 2026. Winning frames are printed at gallery scale and exhibited inside the palace pavilions — seen by 7,500+ attendees including tourism ministers, lodge owners, magazine editors and conservation leaders from across the world.
4 Indian photographers took home ₹1,20,000+ last edition.
The jury judges the image — not your résumé. Hobbyists and seasoned professionals from across India have stood on the podium.
Our jury's work has appeared in
What Will
You Capture?
Three lenses on the same wild world. Choose the one that calls you — or enter all three.
Faces of the Wild
Capture the soul of wild creatures — mammals, birds, reptiles, and more — in their natural environment. Fine art portraits that reveal the essence of animals in all their glory.
Wild Instincts
Illuminate the fascinating behaviors of animals in the wild — tender moments, intense survival struggles, the complex relationships that shape all life on Earth.
Human / Nature
As habitats shrink and climates shift, document the struggles species endure and the conservation efforts offering hope. Showcase the delicate balance between humanity and the wild.
Note — Images that do not adhere to the theme will be disqualified. Camera trap, drone & AI-generated images are not permitted.
Three Steps from Shutter to Showcase
You've already done the hardest part — getting the shot. What's left takes less time than editing a single image.
Lock In Your Spot
Pay ₹2,360 once via UPI, card or net banking. Your entry slot is reserved the moment your payment clears — no second-guessing later.
Upload Your 6 Best Frames
Submit up to 6 high-resolution images across 3 categories. Most photographers spend 20 minutes choosing — your best work deserves more than a snap decision.
Stand on the Global Stage
An international jury reviews every entry — yours included. Winners notified first week of October and exhibited at the Global Wildlife Fair 2026.
By tomorrow this could be done. Or you could still be thinking about it.
A ₹2,40,000+
Prize Pool.
Gold, Silver and Bronze across all three categories — plus international exhibition, certificates, and lifelong recognition from the GWF jury.
Recognition
Worth Chasing.
Winners Also Receive
Through the Lens of Champions
International Photo Awards 2025 — Award-Winning Photographs
A dense school of striped eel catfish flows like a living ribbon through the waters of Anilao, Philippines — a moment of order in the ocean's chaos.
A raw, haunting moment on Bird Island, Seychelles — nature's uncompromising order captured in a single frame.
An elephant stands solitary on green earth, contrasted by distant figures — a silent story of shrinking habitats.
A halo of water droplets surrounds a leopard's face as it wakes in a tree — Kruger National Park, South Africa.
Two male fan-throated lizards in fierce combat for dominance — Aurangabad, Maharashtra. A species under threat from surrounding mines.
Critically endangered Sulawesi crested macaques search plastic bottle piles on a Tangkoko beach — a striking portrait of wildlife and waste.
A Eurasian hoopoe takes a dust bath in golden winter light — Aurangabad, Maharashtra. 15 days of waiting for one perfect frame.
A mother elephant pauses to feed her calf in Amboseli — an intimate moment of nurturing amid the open lake bed.
Flamingos arrive at Jayakwadi Dam as farmers burn their fields — an ironic, powerful image of human-wildlife conflict in Maharashtra.
Your photograph belongs on this wall next year.
Every photographer above was once someone who almost didn't enter.
Judged by the
World's Finest.
Your photograph will be reviewed by photographers whose work defines the field — published in National Geographic, BBC Wildlife, and crowned at Bird Photographer of the Year.
Marc Guyt
AGAMI Photo Agency
Founder and Director of AGAMI Photo Agency, a Dutch nature stock agency. Birder, seabird specialist, and globally recognized nature photographer.
Dhritiman Mukherjee
Wildlife Photographer
One of India's most acclaimed wildlife photographers, with 20+ years pushing the boundaries of nature photography for science and storytelling.
Rafael Armada
Bird Photographer of the Year
Two-time gold winner at Bird Photographer of the Year. Spanish wildlife photographer with 30+ years documenting extraordinary birds worldwide.
Jaime Culebras
Photo Wildlife Tours
Conservation researcher, co-founder of Photo Wildlife Tours, published in National Geographic and BBC Wildlife. Described 14 new amphibian species.
Jainy Maria Kuriakose
Bird Photographer
Full-time bird photographer whose journey took her from Bangalore's IT sector to the rainforests of Papua New Guinea and the wetlands of Andaman.
Note — Every entry is reviewed by the full panel. Decisions are final.
Photographers Trust GWF
Winning at GWF opened doors I'd been knocking on for years. My image was exhibited, picked up by magazines, and led directly to new assignments.
SAThe calibre of the jury is what sets this apart. Knowing photographers like Dhritiman and Marc Guyt were looking at my work pushed me to submit my very best.
CSI've entered competitions across three continents. GWF stands out for how seriously they treat photographers — clear rules, fast communication, real exhibition.
CWEverything You Need to Know
Do I keep copyright of my photographs?+
Absolutely. Copyright always remains with you, the photographer. We only ask for permission to use your image for promotional purposes related to the awards, always with proper credit.
What's the refund policy?+
The entry fee is non-refundable in normal circumstances. However, if your entry is disqualified for a technical reason on our end (corrupt upload, server issue), we refund in full or let you resubmit free of charge. See our full Refund Policy for details.
What are the image specifications?+
JPEG only. Minimum 1920px on the longer side. Maximum 10MB. Aspect ratio 4:3 or 3:2. No borders, watermarks, text, signatures or identifying marks on the image itself. RAW files may be requested from shortlisted entries.
Can I edit my submission after I've paid?+
Yes — you can swap or re-upload any of your 6 images until the submission deadline (31st July 2026) using the link sent in your confirmation email. After the deadline, submissions are locked.
Do you provide a tax invoice / GST receipt?+
Yes. A GST invoice is generated automatically and emailed to you within 24 hours of payment. If you need it under a company / GSTIN, mention it on the entry form.
I'm outside India. Can I pay in another currency?+
Yes. Our checkout accepts international Visa, Mastercard and Amex cards in INR; your bank converts at the prevailing rate. UPI and Indian net banking are available for Indian residents.
Can I submit mobile phone photographs?+
No. The competition is open to images captured with dedicated cameras. Camera trap, drone, and mobile phone images are not permitted.
Is my photograph safe? How do you handle uploads?+
Submissions go through the secure official form only. Images are stored on access-controlled cloud infrastructure. We never share your images outside the jury process, and we never sell or sublicense your work.
I'm not a professional. Should I still enter?+
Yes. The competition is open to photographers of all skill levels, worldwide. The jury judges the image — not your résumé. Multiple past winners were hobbyists.
When are winners announced?+
Winners are notified in the first week of October 2026. The awards ceremony and exhibition open in the second week of November 2026.
No fine print. Just a fair shot.
You keep your copyright
Always. We use winning images only for promotion of the awards, with full credit. Never sold, never sublicensed.
Secure payment
Razorpay-powered checkout. UPI, all major Indian cards, and net banking accepted. Industry-standard encryption.
Refund if disqualified
If we reject your entry for a technical reason (resolution, format), we refund your fee in full, no questions asked.
Reviewed by the full panel
Every single submission is seen by all 5 international jury members. Decisions are final and unanimous.
"The wild doesn't
wait for you to be ready."
The photographs you've already taken — sitting in folders, never seen — could be hanging in an exhibition this November. Or they could stay where they are.
Submissions close 31st July 2026
Less than what most photographers spend on a single coffee table book.
Need help? We respond within 24 hrs.
info@globalwildlifefair.com · +91 99583 50129