About the Competition

The Commonwealth Youth Photography Competition 2026 is a celebration of young talent, global connection, and the natural world that binds us all.

Organised by the Royal Commonwealth Society, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the City of London Youth Natural Environment Board, this competition invites young people from across the 56-nation Commonwealth family to share their vision through the lens.

This year's theme, Waves of Change, invites you to explore our oceans and waterways: their majesty, their vulnerability, and the communities whose lives depend on them. We're looking for images that move people. Images that tell stories words can't.

Open to all Commonwealth nationals and residents aged 18–30.

This Year's Theme

Waves of Change

From shifting coastlines to evolving cities, from cultural transitions to personal transformation: the world is in motion. Waves of Change asks you to look at your world and photograph what you see: the environment in flux, the communities adapting, the moments that mark a turning point.

Find out how the competition got its name:

There are four competition categories, each with one winner.

From the four category winners, one will be selected as the overall winner and awarded a cash prize of £1,000. The three remaining category winners will each receive £250.

Follow @royalcwsociety on Facebook, X, and Instagram for regular updates and to be the first to hear about prizes for the Commonwealth Youth Photography Competition 2026.

This competition is open to all young people aged 18–30 who are citizens of or resident in, a Commonwealth nation. Whether you're an experienced photographer or picking up a camera for the first time: your perspective matters.

STEP 1: Check you're eligible. You must be aged 18–30 and a citizen of or resident in a Commonwealth nation at the time of submission.
STEP 2: Create your entry. Take a photograph that responds to one of the 4 Categories. Your image must be your own work and not previously published or entered in another competition.
STEP 3 : Sign up for the competition platform and complete the entry form. Fill in our online entry form, upload your image, and tell us in no more than 300 words what your photograph means to you and how it connects to your chosen category.
STEP 4: Submit before the deadline. Entries close on 8 June 2026 (World Oceans Day). Late entries cannot be accepted.
IMPORTANT NOTE: By entering, you agree to our terms and conditions. Entries are free to submit.

ENTER NOW

Submit one original photograph that responds to one of the 4 Categories:

1. Human–Ocean Connection – Personal, cultural, or ancestral ties to the ocean, including Indigenous Peoples and local communities’ traditions and knowledge, as well as traditional stewardship of blue carbon ecosystems such as mangroves, seagrasses, and tidal marshes.

2. Hope & Resilience – Stories of protection, regeneration, or community action, particularly from regions affected by sea level rise, ocean acidification and warming, and efforts to build a sustainable blue economy.

3. Threats & Challenges – Personal or community experiences of marine degradation, overfishing, marine pollution (including plastics), and biodiversity loss, and the carbon emissions from shipping that contribute to ocean warming and acidification, as well as the destruction of blue carbon habitats.

4. Innovative Solutions – Community-driven or scientific efforts to protect the ocean, including coral reef restoration, marine protected areas, the High Seas Treaty, and the Global Plastics Treaty.