World Press Photo Adds Nature and Sports Awards for 2027 Contest
World Press Photo has added three awards to its 2027 contest that will recognize nature and sports photography from around the world.
World Press Photo says that the introduction of nature and sports is in response to feedback from World Press Photo’s exhibition audiences and industry partners, who “missed seeing nature and sports photography represented among the Contest’s winning work.”
Nature and sports photography is part of news and documentary photography. The back pages of newspapers are traditionally taken up by sports coverage and animal photos frequently appear as standalone pictures among news articles.
“Nature and sports are part of how people understand the world. We hope these awards encourage photographers from all over the globe to enter stories that are visually exceptional and reveal something new, whether from a local, regional or global perspective,” says Joumana El Zein Khoury, executive director of World Press Photo.
For the 2027 Contest, the jury will select three Nature Awards and three Sports Awards from eligible Singles and Stories entries submitted across all regions. Neither award will function as a standalone submission category, and photographers do not need to enter separately.
World Press Photo Nature Award
The World Press Photo Nature Award will recognize visual stories exploring the relationships between people, animals, and the ecosystems they share.
It focuses on themes including ecological healing, adaptation, friction, coexistence and animal agency, and aims to highlight stewardship and resilience, including solutions-oriented reporting that documents restoration and meaningful ecological healing. While the award encourages hopeful narratives, the jury retains full discretion to consider nuanced and complex entries where human and environmental interconnections meet.
“As with all World Press Photo awards, work must demonstrate exceptional visual quality and meaningful storytelling. The award seeks stories that capture human-animal interconnections and deepen public understanding of issues affecting people, animals and shared ecosystems,” World Press Photo says.
The Nature Award is distinct from environmental crisis reporting. Work primarily focused on the climate crisis, severe pollution, and other aspects of the global environmental crisis will continue to be eligible across all regions in the Singles, Stories and Long-Term Projects categories.
World Press Photo Sports Award
The World Press Photo Sports Award recognizes work that captures the energy, action, and human emotion of individual and team sports.
It encompasses the full spectrum of sports photography, from decisive single moments to broader narratives and thematic issues within the sporting world. Eligible work includes major sporting events and high-profile news moments, as well as socio-political dynamics, cultural connections and protests within sport, alongside everyday sporting life, community traditions and local sporting cultures.
The 2027 World Press Photo Contest opens for entries on December 1. Further information about eligibility and the entry process will be announced on November 3 via World Press Photo’s website and social media channels.
