Apply Commonwealth Youth Photography Competition 2026 (Full Benefit)

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.

Application Deadline: June 8, 2026

This year’s theme:  Waves of Change

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.

Commonwealth invites you to explore your 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.

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CATEGORIES:

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Eligibility

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.

How to Apply

• 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  : 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.

Apply Commonwealth Youth Photography Competition 2026