Hasselblad has announced the launch of its Hasselblad Masters 2026 competition. The company is inviting professional photographers to submit their best work, captured with any camera system, for a chance to win a Hasselblad system, a substantial cash prize, and the coveted Hasselblad Masters title.
The globally renowned professional photography competition, Hasselblad Masters, is now open for submissions. Free to enter, the competition welcomes professional photographers to submit their most inventive and extraordinary work. Images captured with any camera are eligible, and the submission window is open from now until 28 February 2026.
Established in 2001, Hasselblad Masters is one of the world’s most important photography competitions. Celebrating excellence, it brings together professionals and emerging talents from around the world to share their work on an international stage.
2026 Categories
The 2026 edition continues this momentum, with seven categories: Landscape, Portrait, Street, Architecture, Art, Project // 21, and Wildlife. Photographers may submit up to three images per category and enter as many categories as they wish.
The judges will evaluate entries for photographic ability, creativity, composition, conceptual strength, and technical excellence. Once finalists are announced, public voting will open alongside the Hasselblad Grand Jury’s evaluation. Final winners will be determined by the Hasselblad Grand Jury.
Prizes
Earning the coveted title of Hasselblad Master places photographers among an exclusive group, recognised for their mastery of the craft. One winner will be selected for each of the seven categories. Each will receive a Hasselblad X2D II 100C camera, two XCD lenses of their choice, and a €5,000 cash prize.
Winners will also collaborate with Hasselblad to create new work for the Hasselblad Masters Photography Book. Selected photographs will be showcased across Hasselblad’s global channels.
The 2026 Hasselblad Grand Jury
The Hasselblad Masters 2026 Grand Jury brings together imaging experts from the world’s most influential photography institutions, publications, and artistic communities.
- Kalle Sanner (Jury Chair) — Executive Director at the Hasselblad Foundation
- Alex Pollack — Director of Photography at National Geographic
- Aya Musa — Senior Curator at Foam
- Paul Lachenauer — Managing Photographer at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Rebecca Swift — Senior Vice President, Creative at Getty Images
- Rong Rong — Co-founder and Artistic Director at The Three Shadows Photography Art Centre
- Sonia Jeunet — Global Education Director at Magnum Photos
- Zack Hatfield — Managing Editor at Aperture Magazine
Category expectations
The Hasselblad Masters 2026 competition features seven categories. Each focuses on the essence of visual art: exceptional image quality, authentic beauty, profound insights, fresh perspectives and creativity.
The company has laid out its expectations for entries in each of these categories.
Landscape
Entries in the Landscape category reflect photographers’ unique perspectives, balancing aesthetics with narrative depth. The judges hope to see works that go beyond surface beauty to draw viewers into the scene, creating a sense of presence and vivid emotional resonance. Ultimately, these works should forge a shared connection between humanity and nature.
Architecture
Architecture photography transcends mere technical proficiency, urging fresh perspectives that break conventional views of buildings. The works should carry creators’ unique interpretation, using photographic language to shift viewers’ experience of structure and built environment. The judges look forward to works that reveal cultural memories, social traces, and the marks of time, thereby unveiling profound humanistic meanings.
Portrait
Portrait photography reveals the subjects’ inner worlds, complex emotions, and inner selves, while also embodying the encounters, connections, and resonance between the photographers and the subjects. Beyond superficial appearances, the judges hope to see works that capture the unseen, special moments of different identities and resonate deeply with viewers.
Street
Entries in the Street category go beyond merely documenting a city. They carry photographers’ unique interpretation, turning ordinary urban fragments into a living, breathing narration of how we live and interact. The judges hope to see works that showcase authentic, subtle bonds between people and cities — stories that speak volumes and evoke a sense of co-presence.
Art
The Art category is a realm of fantasy where concept merges with technique, driven by creativity as well as human imagination and sensibility. The judges look forward to entries that break norms and reveal independent thinking through a distinct visual signature. These works should reshape perceptions of photography as art, and connect with global viewers through a visual language that resonates beyond the frame.
Project // 21
Project//21 is an unconstrained platform for photographers who are 21 years or younger to express their intuitive and uncharted power. With no restrictions on themes or genres, the judges hope to see works brimming with youthful power that explore the boundaries of photographic technology whilst revealing independent thinking, keen observation, and sincere creativity.
Wildlife
Wildlife photography requires technical mastery alongside a strong point of view, making it a bridge for viewers to admire the beauty and wonder of nature. The judges hope to see works that capture unrepeatable moments and visualise the subtle bond between humans and wildlife. These images should convey life’s vitality and nature’s rhythm, connecting viewers with these creatures and provoking in-depth reflections on our relationship with nature.
Key Dates
- Entry period: 16 December 2025 — 28 February 2026
- Finalists announced and public voting opens: 28 April 2026
- Winners announced: 30 June 2026
Photographers can submit their images today for a chance to join Hasselblad’s legacy of photographic excellence here.
Find the complete list of rules for Hasselblad Masters 2026 here.
* Project//21 is open to all young photographers worldwide who are 21 years old and under at the close of the competition submission period, with no restrictions on the theme. Valid proof of age will be required before the announcement of finalists.
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Nice!
These prizes are surely worth competing for. Not that I could compete, but those Hasselblad prizes are amazing.
Not only that, the ‘example’ photos themselves are very largely worth viewing, and some are spectacular. The samples in ‘architecture’, ‘portrait’ and street…