Media centre

Polar Photographer of the Year is a new international photography competition dedicated to the landscapes, wildlife, people and natural phenomena of the North, the Arctic and Antarctica. Its first edition, 2026, is open to photographers of all levels from around the world.

Photographers can enter single images in seven sections: Northern & Polar Landscapes, Northern & Polar Wildlife, Birds of the North & Polar Regions, Northern Lights & Night Sky, People of the North & Polar Regions, Polar Bears, Penguins of Antarctica. Each section has its Gold, Silver and Bronze Polar medals, a Jury Choice medal (the Northern Lights Award, the Polar Bear Award and the Penguin Award in their sections), five ribbons and five Honourable Mentions. One photographer receives the overall title of Polar Photographer of the Year.

An international jury of photographers, editors and curators judges the entries in two stages: every juror first scores each photograph online, anonymously, on three criteria (Artistic Excellence, Northern & Polar Identity, and Impact & Storytelling), then the jury meets in person to decide the awards.

Entries open on 1 November 2026 and close on 31 December 2026. The winners will be announced on 1 February 2027 and shown in the winners' gallery at polarphotoawards.com.