Underwater Photographer of the Year

What you will actually pay

Entry costs, explained.

2026: £20/3, £35/10 or £45/20 paid entries; three categories free, five images each.

Free categories have fixed awards and do not earn prize-pool points. Their value is not inferior simply because there is no fee: choose the route whose subject and equipment restrictions fit your photograph. [4][5]

Specialist categories make the edit matter

The 2026 programme covered wide angle, macro, wrecks, behaviour, portraits, coral reefs and black and white, alongside equipment and British-water sections. All nationalities could enter. British categories concern where the picture was made, not the photographer's passport; their UK-water definition excludes overseas territories, aquariums and swimming pools. [5]

The judging guidance explains why technically impressive pictures can fail: the category may be wrong, processing heavy-handed or the composition too close to an already familiar winner. That makes the competition useful as an editing exercise. Our advice is to ask what the picture communicates before considering how difficult it was to capture. [3]

Winners receive documented outside attention

Digital Camera World published an illustrated 2026 winners feature, discussing Matty Smith's split-level photograph of elephant-seal pups and examples from other categories. It reports more than 7,900 submissions. The detail devoted to lighting, composition and equipment is evidence of photography-focused editorial attention rather than merely an entry announcement. [7]

That feature also illustrates why the contest's appeal extends beyond divers identifying species: the winning frame combines the pups, the waterline and sunset into a complete scene. Our reading is that a convincing relationship between subject and setting matters. Entry totals establish competition, not an audience size, and press coverage for selected winners offers no guarantee to an unsuccessful entrant. [7]

A choice-based pool alongside fixed awards

UPY described 58 prizes in 2026, half fixed to awards and half in a pool. The overall winner receives first choice; other eligible photographers choose in order of accumulated placement points. Some awarded photographers can finish without a material prize. The free categories do not contribute points. [4]

The published list includes £500/£300/£200 cash for the first three smartphone, conservation and British Waters Living Together places. Other offerings include equipment vouchers and dive stays. A £500 holiday voucher requiring £1,500 spending is a discount with a further cost, not £500 cash. Some stays have expiry and blackout dates. Examine the specific item, rather than treating the entire pool as equally useful. [2]

Check dates and the specialised routes

Images had to be made after 1 November 2022. Main-category photographs must be underwater, with split levels allowed; conservation also accepts above-water work. One image belongs in one category. AI-generated content is forbidden, though photographer-controlled processing and AI noise reduction are allowed. [1]

The compact route includes action cameras and excludes interchangeable-lens cameras. Up & Coming is for new talent, with restrictions concerning earlier awards, paid publication and equipment ambassadorship. Those distinctions deserve a specific check before selecting that category. [5]

Credited contest publicity, including sponsors

Copyright remains yours. UPY reserves royalty-free reproduction of selected images for results and contest promotion, with credit. Sponsored categories also allow the sponsor's competition-related campaigns. No expiry is stated. This is continuing publicity permission, not a copyright transfer. [1]

Keep originals ready after submission

The 2026 deadline was 4 January at 23:59 GMT. Initial files were high-quality JPEGs, 2,000 pixels long-edge, retaining EXIF and without watermarks. Keep original files available for authentication. [1]

The homepage's 2026 timetable gives RAW requests on 9 January and receipt by 13 January, while another rules paragraph retains 10 and 17 January. For this closed-round review, that discrepancy is recorded rather than resolved by guesswork. Winners were publicly announced on 27 February. A future call needs its own dates and fee check. [6][1]