LCE Photographer of the Year 2026 Now Open with £10,000 Prize Fund

London Camera Exchange is calling for entries to the 2026 LCE Photographer of the Year competition – now in its third year. The contest is open to photographers of all levels of expertise and entrants can submit images for up to 14 different categories.

Following the successful introduction last year of the ‘Emerging Talent’ category, designed for photography students, the competition will offer a £500 prize for both the student and their university or course, supporting the development of up-and-coming photographers and showcasing their talent. The popular ‘People’s Choice’ category, voted by the public, will also feature.

Entries can be submitted online at https://poty.lcegroup.co.uk/ or in person at any London Camera Exchange store. Locations for the 26 stores can be found at https://www.lcegroup.co.uk/our-stores/. The entry deadline is midnight on 21 January 2026, with early submissions having a better chance of gaining extra support in the publicly-voted category.

The competition is generously backed by major photo industry brands including headline sponsors Canon, Fujifilm and OM System, as well as partners Lexar, Nikon and Sony, and affiliates Cewe and Sigma.

All shortlisted entrants will be invited to an awards ceremony at The Photography & Video Show at the NEC in Birmingham (March 2026) where they will receive a share of the £10,000 prize fund and a unique trophy to take home. The overall winner will be presented with £2,500 in LCE vouchers to spend on equipment of their choice. All shortlisted images will be displayed at a high-profile exhibition space in the entrance hall at the NEC and their work will be included in a special edition commemorative book.

This year, judges include renowned photographers and publishers including SheClicks founder and journalist Angela Nicholson, Chris George, content director at Future Publishing, and professional portrait and travel documentary photographer Jimmy Cheng.

Lee Harasyn, managing director of LCE, commented, “The competition has exceeded all expectations over the last two years, and we are excited to host it again for our 70th anniversary year in 2026. We hope to discover more extraordinary talent and showcase outstanding photography to a wider audience. We are looking forward to seeing the diversity and creativity of submissions this year across a wide range of genres.”

LCE POTY is open to photographers aged 18 and over. Entries will be accepted from photographers worldwide, however, prizes will only be awarded to UK residents.

Categories:

• Action
• After Dark
• Birds
• Creative
• Emerging Talent
• Events
• Landscape
• Macro
• People’s Choice
• Pets
• Portrait
• Street
• Travel
• Wildlife

Below: 2025 Overall Winner: ‘Sunkissed Boy’ by Capri McPherson-Noel

Image Credit: Capri McPherson-Noel

LCE is the UK’s largest chain of independent photographic stores and celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2026. A trusted brand, the retailer offers a wide selection of products and services for beginner, enthusiast and professional photographers, as well as filmmakers and creators, and has been recognised for its outstanding customer service and support across the photographic media for many years.

For more information, please visit the LCE Photographer of the Year competition website.