Results announcedDonald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, University of Missouri

Pictures of the Year International (POYi) 83

POYi is the oldest sustained photojournalism competition in the United States, run out of the Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri. Its rules combine an absolute prohibition on AI-generated or manipulated imagery with a requirement that entries depict candid, unstaged news moments. Original RAW or JPG files can be requested at the jury's discretion. The clarity of the prohibition (no AI, no staging, no content added or removed) makes POYi a useful benchmark for photojournalism workflow expectations.

AI bannedRAW for finalists

Deadline: January 6, 2026
Entry fee: US$50 early; US$60 after 6 January

Official site Read full rules

Authenticity policy

AI policy

POY does not accept AI-generated or manipulated images in any category. Do not add or remove content from your images.
Source: https://poy.org/83/rules.html

RAW files

POY may request the original RAW or JPG image files, plus any images that the jury request.
Source: https://poy.org/83/rules.html

Editing rules

Entries should be accurate representations of a news scene or candid moment. Photographs cannot be set up or staged. Only portraits may be posed. Color images should replicate what the human eye experiences.

Verified on June 8, 2026