Epson International Pano Awards

What you will actually pay

Entry costs, explained.

2026 final rates: US$22 per Open image; US$20 per Amateur or VR/360 image.

Early multiple-entry discounts ended 22 June; final entry closed 13 July 2026 at midnight UTC−11. The exact old bundle discount was not recoverable in the readable schedule. Three final-period entries cost US$66 Open or US$60 Amateur. [2]

The shape should serve the photograph

Ordinary entries require a ratio of at least 2:1, whether cropped or stitched. Open and Amateur cover Nature/Landscape, Built Environment and Aerial. Judging is blind. Overall title eligibility normally requires one top-ten image and two further top-fifty placements; merit medals are separate from podium awards. [2]

Our editorial suggestion is to examine both ends of the frame at the final output size. Empty width, repeated foreground and awkward joins become more conspicuous in an extended composition. A panorama should guide the eye through a relationship or a scene, rather than merely include more scenery. [4]

Visible results beyond the organiser's gallery

PetaPixel's illustrated 2025 report identifies Alex Wides as Open Photographer of the Year and Kevin Nyun as Amateur Photographer of the Year. It also presents Christoph Simon's VR work and Daniel Viñé's Digital Art recognition. The range supports the contest's claim to serve several kinds of panoramic practice, rather than only stitched landscape vistas. [5]

The official site separately records a June 2026 Sydney Botanic Gardens gallery exhibition of fifty highly scored photographs from 2023–2025. That is a concrete exhibition programme, although it is the organiser's account. Neither a past exhibition nor press coverage guarantees an audience, sale or commission for a future entrant. [1]

Goods and vouchers make up much of the headline

The 2026 advertised pool exceeds US$50,000 but contains US$15,000 cash. The highest-scoring Open category winner receives $3,000 cash alongside Epson products and vouchers; the two other category winners receive $1,000 each plus goods. Amateur first place combines $3,000 cash with a Japan photography tour and a music voucher. VR first place includes $1,000 cash plus equipment, software and vouchers. [3]

We would value those packages according to what you can actually use. A specialist software licence, a music voucher or travel on fixed dates is not interchangeable with money. The package valuations are the organiser's figures. Import levies, shipping attached to vouchers and payment conversion charges can reduce practical value. [3][2]

Old photographs can still qualify

There is no entrant-age or image-date limit. Previous Pano top-ten or major/special-award images are excluded. Entries must be wholly the photographer's own photographic work; generated AI elements are forbidden, although small content-aware corrections are allowed. [2]

For our edit, an older well-resolved photograph would be a better choice than a recent image selected only for novelty. Check the original files and the history of prior awards before considering how the image performs aesthetically. [2]

A lasting licence with a restricted purpose

Copyright stays yours. The worldwide non-exclusive, irrevocable contest licence includes perpetual exhibition, website and catalogue uses and five-year press sublicensing. Credit is required; sponsors do not gain general commercial use. [2]

Our assessment is favourable to the purpose limit, with a reservation about duration. Before entering, consider whether the picture can remain publicly associated with the awards indefinitely. That is especially relevant if a client or another publisher expects exclusive future publication. [2]

Export for the actual viewing format

Open and Amateur files are JPEGs exactly 3,000 pixels on the long edge and no more than 1,500 on the short edge, using sRGB or Adobe RGB. The preparation page requests 300 ppi and high JPEG quality. Do not place a watermark over the picture. [4]

VR entries use a 6,144 by 3,072 equirectangular JPEG. Test the opening pan and tilt before submitting: the organiser says these cannot be previewed after setting them in the upload process. We would inspect the horizon, stitching seams and initial viewpoint as a viewer, not just check whether the file uploads. [4]

Entries are closed. The current homepage expects results on 20 October 2026, explicitly subject to progress. No later call is inferred here. [1]