Photography hit a whole new level at the 11th annual 35 Awards Contest 2026, where some of the world’s most talented photographers dropped frames so good they honestly feel unreal. From wild aerial shots floating above dreamlike landscapes to razor-sharp macro photography revealing tiny hidden worlds, this year’s winners proved that creativity has absolutely no limits. These 33 award-winning photos are more than just pretty pictures; they’re visual stories packed with emotion, timing, and insane artistic vision.
Founded in 2015 by the creators of the photography community 35photo.pro, the 35AWARDS has grown into one of the biggest international photography competitions on the planet. What started with 36,000 participants from 110 countries exploded into over 124,000 photographers from 174 countries, with more than 470,000 photographs submitted. That’s massive. The contest’s intense three-stage voting system keeps the judging process sharp and highly competitive, making every winning image feel genuinely earned.
This year’s collection spans every genre imaginable, from street photography full of raw human moments to wildlife images bursting with energy, cinematic landscapes, underwater magic, still-life perfection, and beyond. Every photograph feels like a frozen heartbeat captured at exactly the right second.
Together, these winning images celebrate the power of photography to inspire, shock, connect, and completely stop us in our tracks.
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1. Aerial Photography – 1st Place: "Flamingos moving in Maharlu Lake" by Ali Azar, Iran
2. Aerial Photography – 2nd Place: "Volcano Phoenix" by Bronny, Germany
3. Aerial Photography – 3rd Place: "Photo" by Jiao Bo, China
4. Black and White – 1st Place: "Fishing in the mangrove forest, Myanmar" by Nadezhda Nikolaeva, Russian Federation
5. Black and White – 2nd Place: "Photo" by Ekaterina Vasileva, United Arab Emirates
6. Black and White – 3rd Place: "Photo" by Tony Douzenis, United States
7. Landscape, Daytime – 1st Place: "Photo" by Ernest Vakhedi, Bulgaria
8. Landscape, Daytime – 2nd Place: "Cactuses and the Andes" by Anna Politova, Russian Federation
9. Landscape, Daytime – 3rd Place: "Photo" by Daniel Vine Garcia, Spain
10. Landscape, Night – 1st Place: "Photo" by Anastasia, Czech Republic
11. Landscape, Night – 2nd Place: "Photo" by Natalia Zakharova, Russian Federation
12. Landscape, Night – 3rd Place: "Photo" by Alexander Dudarev, Russian Federation
13. Macro – 1st Place: "The crustacean Hyperia galba" by Ramil Shakirov, Russian Federation
14. Macro – 2nd Place: "Photo" by Andrea Grammatico, France
15. Macro – 3rd Place: "Detail Eupholus magnificus 10x" by Javier Ruperez, Spain
16. Mobile Photography – 1st Place: "Photo" by Muhammed Abdul Noor, India
17. Mobile Photography – 2nd Place: "Photo" by Nugroho Irianto, Indonesia
18. Mobile Photography – 3rd Place: "Random Guest" by Anna Bobkova, Russian Federation
19. Motion – 1st Place: "Mengapai Mimpi" by Deni Ardian, Indonesia
20. Motion – 2nd Place: "Photo" by Natalya, Russian Federation
21. Motion – 3rd Place: "Hard Luck" by Sameerah Qabel Abbas, United Arab Emirates
22. Reportage – 1st Place: "Photo" by Mahmoud Issa, Israel
23. Reportage – 2nd Place: "Hygiene in a failed state" by Michel Pedrero, Spain
24. Reportage – 3rd Place: "Photo" by Revkova Anastasiya, Russian Federation
25. Street – 1st Place: "Colouring Silence" by Sandile Ndlovu, South Africa
26. Street – 2nd Place: "Photo" by Manik deb, Bangladesh
27. Street – 3rd Place: "Photo" by Pınar Ergul Bayram, Sweden
28. Underwater – 1st Place: "Photo" by Anton Julien, France
29. Underwater – 2nd Place: "Marlin and Sea Lions Hunting Sardines" by Lissandra Sharllen Amezcua Lepe, Mexico
30. Underwater – 3rd Place: "Photo" by Camilo Diaz, Colombia
31. Wildlife – 1st Place: "Águila predadora" by Sergio Emmanuel Comisso, Argentina
32. Wildlife – 2nd Place: "Photo" by Ahmed Sobhi, Egypt
33. Wildlife – 3rd Place: "Photo" by Dr Caesar Sengupta, India
FAQs:
What is the 35 Awards photography contest?
The 35 Awards is a major international photography competition created by 35photo.pro in 2015. It recognizes outstanding photographers and highlights the best photographs across categories such as wildlife, street, landscape, macro, and portrait photography.
Why is the 35 Awards competition so respected?
The contest uses a strict three-stage voting system that carefully evaluates submitted photographs. This process helps maintain fairness, objectivity, and high artistic standards as it selects exceptional photographers and award-winning images from around the world.
What photography categories are featured in 35 Awards 2026?
The competition includes categories like aerial, macro, wildlife, street photography, underwater, still life, portrait, documentary, and landscape photography, showcasing diverse creative styles and visual storytelling from international photographers.
How many photographers participated in the 35 Awards?
The 11th annual competition attracted over 124,000 photographers from 174 countries, with more than 470,000 submitted photographs, making it one of the largest and most competitive international photography contests worldwide.
What makes award-winning photography stand out?
Award-winning photography combines storytelling, emotion, timing, creativity, lighting, and technical skill. These photographs capture unforgettable moments that emotionally connect with viewers while showcasing the photographer’s unique artistic perspective and vision.
