Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) 2026
TPOTY combines a strict AI ban with one of the cleanest enforcement designs in the industry: every entrant ticks a confirmation box at submission, and every finalist must supply original RAW or as-shot JPEG files for forensic checking. The 2026 cycle includes Portfolio and One Shot categories with entry fees from £14, plus a £99 TPOTY Pass for unlimited entries. Entrants 18 and under enter free. The published exception list (Radiant Photo's non-generative AI is permitted) makes the boundary explicit rather than ambiguous.
- Deadline
- October 12, 2026
- Entry fee
- From £14 per entry; free for entrants 18 and under; TPOTY Pass £99 for unlimited entries until 31 July
- Opens
- April 30, 2026
Authenticity policy
AI policy
Under NO circumstances will images generated by artificial intelligence be accepted and any which are entered will be disqualified. On your entry page there is a tick box to confirm that your images are NOT wholly or partially generated using AI.
RAW files
Entrants who are shortlisted as finalists will be required to provide the original image files (RAW or jpeg as shot). Every finalist had to submit their original RAW files to prove the images were free from manipulation.
Editing rules
Radiant Photo's non-generative AI is explicitly permitted under TPOTY's rules. Entry includes a mandatory tick-box confirming the image is not wholly or partially AI-generated — a useful belt-and-braces design that combines policy and friction.
Verified on June 8, 2026