Another call has gone out to competitive divers with cameras – this time to enter the prestigious UK-based Underwater Photographer of the Year contest.
UPY 2026 opens for entries today (1 November), closing on 4 January, 2026. The contest offers entrants what are described as “a glittering array” of prizes, with the organisers reporting that more than 50 individuals took home a prize from the 2025 event.
UPY’s bespoke results system provides individual competitors with feedback on how far their entries progress in the competition, with the expert judging panel of Peter Rowlands, Tobias Friedrich and chair Alex Mustard gathering in person to evaluate every image entered.
The competition has 14 categories: Wide Angle, Macro, Wrecks, Behaviour, Portrait, Coral Reefs, Black & White, Up & Coming, Compact, Mobile Phone, British Waters Wide Angle, British Waters Macro and British Waters Living Together, as well as Save Our Seas Foundation Marine Conservation.
Mobile Phone is a new category, an innovation also seen in the recently announced Ocean Art photo competition. Sponsored by housing manufacturer Divevolk, entry in this UPY category is free in the first year for up to five pictures.
Up to five images can also be entered free in the SOSF Marine Conservation and British Waters Living Together categories. Otherwise photographers pay an entry fee of £20 for up to three images, £35 (up to 10) or £45 (up to 20) across the categories.
“UPY is the most important contest for underwater photographs,” says Mustard. “It’s always packed with astonishing images being revealed for the first time.
“The first Underwater Photographer of the Year, Phil Smith, was named in 1965 and today the contest celebrates every style of underwater photography, from icy oceans to swimming pools.”
The past four overall winning UPY images, shown here, “captured breath-taking scenes from the Pacific Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, the Amazon River and the Indian Ocean, highlighting the contest’s global reach”.
The 2026 winners will be revealed at a private awards ceremony in central London and showcased publicly on stage at the British Go Diving Show at the NAEC, Stoneleigh Park (28 February – 1 March), as well as being seen through major international media outlets, including Divernet.
UPY says it is continuing its partnerships with the Crown Estate, Save Our Seas Foundation and PADI as well as a range of diving brands to provide prizes and sponsorship. Find full details and enter the competition here.
