RAW Photography Awards

REAL

AND

WILD

RAW Photography Awards

The most honest photography competition in the world.

Every image must be made within 100 km of the photographer's residence.

No travel budget. No exotic advantage. Just real nature, real skill — real close.
A 100 km radius is larger than Belgium — almost 32,000 km² of territory to explore.

The wild begins at home.

🌍 Global Competition | 📍 100km Rule Verified | 💰 Cash Prizes | 🧠 Judged by Consummate Professionals | ⚖️ Blind Judging

CANCELLED - A note from RAW

With real regret, we have decided to cancel the 2026 RAW Photography Awards. I dropped the ball marketing this wonderful idea and I will try again when I can dedicate the time and effort it deserves. I would be open to any help in this way. We did not receive enough submissions to run the competition properly. All refunds have been processed. Thankyou in advance for our next attempt.

No winners will be announced, and no prizes will be awarded for 2026.

Full refunds

Every entry fee will be refunded in full to your original payment method via Stripe. Please allow 5–10 business days for it to appear.

Your images

Your photographs remain yours. They will not be published, judged or used in any way, and uploaded files will be deleted from our servers.

RAW Junior & Pet

RAW Junior and the Pet Photographer award are cancelled too. All images entered in them will be deleted in the same way.

Thank you to every photographer who went looking for the wild close to home.

Questions about your entry or refund? Email hello@rawpoty.com and include your RAW code.

🌍 Global Competition | 📍 100km Rule Verified | 💰 Cash Prizes | 🧠 Judged by Consummate Professionals | ⚖️ Blind Judging

32,000 km² of possibility

See on the interactive map just how huge a 100km radius gives a person. Plenty of space to stretch your creative might. RAW rewards observation, patience, and local knowledge instead of travel budget. In a single home radius, a photographer has almost 32,000 km² of land, shoreline, wetlands, forests, sky, and seasonal change to explore. The result is a competition built on commitment, not expedition access.

Explore Your 100km Territory

CLICK ANYWHERE TO SEE A 100KM RADIUS

🌍 Global Competition | 📍 100km Rule Verified | 💰 Cash Prizes | 🧠 Judged by Consummate Professionals | ⚖️ Blind Judging

The Five RAW Categories

Not sure where your image belongs?
No human elements → RAW Neighbors
Human presence → RAW Coexistence
People interacting → RAW Connection
Small world → RAW Macro
Big scene / perspective → RAW Perspective

These five categories define the RAW Photography Awards. Each category offers a different way of seeing the wild within your own 100 km territory. Entries within these 5 distinct categories compete for Professional and Amateur Category Gold. There are subcategory winners as well with Highly Commended and Commended Awards up for grabs. The single best photograph from all five categories will be awarded as our REAL AND WILD - RAW Photographer of the Year.

Your turf. Your comfort zone.

Fairer

Travel budget no longer determines who can compete at the highest level.

Deeper

Repeat access builds stronger understanding of wildlife, seasonality, and light.

More creative

Constraints push photographers to see more, not less, inside their own territory.

More relevant

Images made near home often become images tied to care, stewardship, and advocacy.