Hasselblad Unveils the 70 Exceptional Hasselblad Masters 2026 Finalists
Hasselblad has announced the 70 finalists of its prestigious Hasselblad Masters 2026 competition, highlighting exceptional photos across seven categories.
Established in 2001, the Hasselblad Masters competition is among the world’s foremost professional photography competitions. However, unlike nearly all photo competitions, the Hasselblad Masters is not an annual affair. Before the 2026 edition, the last competition was in 2023, and the winners were spectacular. Based on the 70 finalists for this year’s competition, the bar will remain extremely high.
Photographers from more than 160 countries entered over 108,000 images in Hasselblad Masters 2026. The jury had their work cut out for them. The full panel of judges includes industry experts from major organizations like National Geographic, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Getty Images, Magnum Photos, and more. The panel includes Kalle Sanner, Alex Pollack, Aya Musa, Paul Lachenauer, Rebecca Swift, RongRong, Sonia Jeunet, and Zack Hatfield. The judges had the unenviable task of narrowing down the entries to just 10 per category across seven categories.
The categories this year are Landscape, Architecture, Portrait, Street, Fine Art, Wildlife, and Project//21. While most of these categories are self-explanatory, the Project//21 one warrants further explanation. This category tasked photographers aged 21 or younger to showcase their best and most powerful work across any genre or theme. In all cases, the finalists exhibit exceptional artistic talent and technical expertise.
One finalist from each category will be named a “Hasselblad Master,” earning acclaim and prestige, plus a Hasselblad X2D II 100C camera, two XCD lenses of their choice, and a €5,000 cash prize. Winners will also have the opportunity to work with Hasselblad on the Hasselblad Masters book that celebrates the competition and its awardees.
It isn’t only the judges who get a say, though. Other photographers are also encouraged to vote for their favorite finalists across all seven categories, and these results will be included as part of the broader judging process. Voting is open until June 1.
The seven new Hasselblad Masters will be revealed on June 28, 2026.
Image credits: Hasselblad Masters 2026. Hasselblad elected not to share the names of the finalists at this time, meaning they cannot be appropriately credited in the photo captions.
