AI-Generated ‘Photo’ Disqualified From Hasselblad Masters 2026

May 18, 2026

Jeremy Gray

A man and woman sit at a small round table outdoors at night, engaged in conversation. An arrow highlights a close-up of a Coca-Cola bottle and a white ashtray on the table.

Hasselblad has disqualified a photographer accused of using generative artificial intelligence (AI) from Hasselblad Masters 2026.

Almost immediately after Hasselblad unveiled the 70 finalists for its Hasselblad Masters 2026 photography competition, with 10 finalists per seven categories, online commenters quickly identified a very questionable photo in the Street category.

A man and a woman sit at a small round table outdoors, engaged in a serious conversation. The woman rests her head on her hand, looking pensive. A glass bottle of Coca-Cola and a pack of cigarettes are on the table. — The offending image that has since been removed from contention in Hasselblad Masters 2026

Two people sit across from each other at a round table. On the table are a glass bottle with a red label and a white rectangular object. Their faces are not visible, and the scene is dimly lit. — A close-up crop showing the offending “Coca-Cola” bottle that shows strong evidence of generative AI

When asked about the finalist that had all the typical markers of generative AI, Hasselblad told PetaPixel that it took the accusations very seriously and was immediately conducting further review.

“Pending the completion of the verification, we will not make any premature judgment on the compliance of individual entries. Should any violation be confirmed, the shortlisted qualification of the offending work will be revoked immediately,” Hasselblad told PetaPixel last month.

As promised, once the violation was confirmed, as expected, the offending was “revoked immediately.”

While Hasselblad has stopped short of releasing an official statement or comment on the disqualification, the company told PetaPixel today that the offending photographer has been removed from the contest and replaced with a new photographer. However, Hasselblad said it remains committed to the authenticity of photography.

At this stage of Hasselblad Masters 2026, all the photographers are officially anonymous, although some have remarked about the competition on social media.

As PetaPixel noted when the AI controversy kicked off late last month, the 70 finalists were selected via internal voting at Hasselblad, and not selected by the Hasselblad Masters 2026 Grand Jury. This is important to note again because one, the Grand Jury, which is full of talented, respected photographers, and two, the new finalist has just as much of a chance to win the category as the other nine remaining finalists. While it is true that the new finalist is technically the “11th place” entry selected by the internal voting process, the Grand Jury that makes the ultimate decision has not yet evaluated any of the entries.

A silhouette of a person and a dog walking inside a glass-covered pedestrian bridge, with tall buildings and a cloudy sky in the background. — The new Hasselblad Masters 2026 finalist in the Street category

A silhouette of a person carrying bags walks across a glass skybridge at sunset, with a clear evening sky and tree branches framing the scene.

A person wearing a bright red jacket stands in the shadowy interior of a storefront, partially visible through a window with an "AVAILABLE SPACE" sign taped to it. Light and shadow create dramatic contrasts in the scene.

Each category winner will earn a 5,000-euro cash prize, a Hasselblad photo kit valued at more than $10,000, and the prestigious title “Hasselblad Master.”

Alongside the Grand Jury’s judging process, the public also has a say. Users with registered Hasselblad accounts can vote for their favorite entries across all the categories now. Sign-up is free. Voting is open until June 1, and Hasselblad Masters 2026 winners will be announced on June 30.

Image credits: Hasselblad Masters 2026