Open Call: 81st College Photographer of the Year Competition

Deadline: 30-Sep-26

The College Photographer of the Year (CPOY) Competition recognizes outstanding photography, filmmaking, and documentary storytelling by undergraduate and graduate students from higher education institutions worldwide. The competition provides students with opportunities to have their work recognized by experienced professionals while gaining exposure through the CPOY website and social media channels. Winners and recognized entrants can also receive photography equipment, workshop tuition, project funding, travel support, monetary awards, plaques, and digital certificates.

About the College Photographer of the Year Competition

CPOY is an international competition celebrating the work of student photographers, filmmakers, and visual storytellers. The competition includes a wide range of categories covering different forms of photography and visual journalism, allowing students to submit work that demonstrates their creative, technical, and storytelling abilities.

Categories include:

- Portfolio. - Sports. - Documentary projects. - Online storytelling. - Micro documentaries. - Other photography and visual storytelling categories. Each category is evaluated by experienced professionals working in the relevant field. Awards and Prizes Recognized students can receive a range of awards and opportunities.

Awards include:

- Nikon Z Series Mirrorless Camera/Lens. - Tuition to the Missouri Photo Workshop. - Tuition to the Mountain Workshops. - Tuition to the MediaStorm Workshop. - Monetary awards from the National Press Photographers Foundation. - A $1,000 project grant for the Alexia/CPOY Project Grant recipient. - $500 toward travel and lodging expenses. - Plaques. - Digital certificates. The combination of financial awards, professional equipment, and educational opportunities provides students with opportunities to further develop their photography and storytelling careers. Recognition and Exposure All recognized entries are featured on the CPOY website and social media channels. This exposure provides student photographers and visual storytellers with an opportunity to showcase their work to a wider audience and build recognition for their creative achievements. Competition Categories The CPOY Competition features multiple categories designed to recognize different forms of student visual storytelling. Portfolio Students can demonstrate their overall photographic ability through a collection of work that reflects their style, skills, and storytelling approach. Sports This category recognizes photography capturing sporting events, athletes, competition, and the human stories associated with sports. Documentary Projects Documentary categories provide an opportunity for students to present visual stories that explore people, communities, events, and issues through photography. Online Storytelling This category recognizes digital storytelling projects that combine visual content and other storytelling techniques to communicate a compelling narrative. Micro Documentaries Micro documentary categories highlight concise documentary storytelling and the ability to communicate meaningful stories through short-form visual work. Open and Transparent Judging CPOY is committed to maintaining an open and transparent judging process. Student photographers have the opportunity to learn from discussions among the jurors as entries are evaluated. This approach is intended not only to identify outstanding work but also to create an educational experience for student participants. Transparent judging can help students understand how experienced professionals assess photography, visual storytelling, documentary work, and related creative approaches. Professional Judging Each competition category is judged by experienced professionals in the relevant field. Their expertise allows entries to be evaluated according to the creative, technical, documentary, and storytelling qualities appropriate to each category. The judging process also provides students with insight into professional standards and expectations within photography and visual media. Who Can Apply? The competition is open to undergraduate and graduate students enrolled at colleges, universities, or other educational institutions worldwide. Students must have been enrolled for at least one: - Semester. - Trimester. - Quarter. The qualifying period for student enrolment is between September 2025 and December 2026. Professional Experience Requirement CPOY is intended for student photographers and visual storytellers rather than established professional photographers. Entrants must not have accumulated two or more years of paid professional experience as a: - Photographer. - Photo editor. - Videographer. Paid internships are also included when determining professional experience. Applicants who have accumulated two or more years of qualifying paid professional experience are therefore not eligible. Student Status Verification Entrants must have their student status and eligibility verified by a faculty member or advisor. This verification confirms that the applicant meets the competition’s student eligibility requirements. Students should therefore coordinate with an appropriate faculty member or academic advisor before completing the submission process. How to Prepare a Strong Entry Students should select work that demonstrates their strongest photography, filmmaking, or documentary storytelling abilities.

A strong entry should:

- Clearly fit the selected competition category. - Demonstrate strong visual storytelling. - Show technical and creative ability. - Present a clear and compelling subject or narrative. - Reflect the student’s individual perspective. - Meet the competition’s student eligibility requirements. - Be supported by the required faculty or advisor verification. Students should carefully consider which category best represents the work before submitting an entry. Why Participate in CPOY? The College Photographer of the Ye