Ocean Photographer of the Year prizes
Alongside the opportunity to have your work seen and admired by hundreds of millions of people around the world, OPY offers photographers the chance to win some unique and useful prizes, courtesy of a select range of prize-giving supporters.
Included this year is £10,000 in cash, the opportunity to join an Ocean Census expedition as a commissioned photographer (just as Jialing Cai did in 2025), £10,000 to spend on camera equipment courtesy of Canon, and, of course, copies of the Edition 2026 coffee table book, to name a few…
Some prizes are specific to certain categories, others will be distributed to category winners on a ‘draft style’ basis, whereby each prize-giving supporter chooses, in turn, the most suitable photographer for their prize (e.g. a thermal jacket for a photographer who regularly shoots in the poles, or cutting edge freediving fins for a photographer who shoots exclusively on breath-hold).
PRIZES PROVIDED BY
The offer from each prize-giver:
Oceanographic Magazine
- £10,000 in prize money: £2,000 to the overall winner and £1,000 to each category winner (with the exception of FFF).
- A one-week take-over of the OPY Instagram feed for the overall winner.
- Inclusion of all winners and a selection of Highly Commended photographers in Oceanographic Magazine’s Behind the Lens.
- Placement of selected photographs in exhibitions around the world.
- A copy of the Ocean Photographer of the Year Edition 2026 coffee table book, for all category winners.
- A complimentary 1-year subscription to Oceanographic Magazine.
Blancpain
- A Fifty Fathoms timepiece for the winner of the Female Fifty Fathoms Award.
Canon
- Up to £10,000 worth of Canon equipment.
- Equipment value based on the UK recommended retail price of such equipment. The Prize is non-transferable, and no cash alternatives will be substituted for the Prize on offer. If the desired equipment is unavailable due to circumstances beyond Canon's control (e.g. stock availability), Canon reserves the right to offer an alternative prize of equal or greater value.
Ocean Census
- Ocean Census is offering one category winner the opportunity to join the team as a commissioned photographer on an upcoming expedition.
Agulhas
- To be announced during the entry window!
Finisterre
- To be announced during the entry window!
