Enter the best photography competitions in 2010

Digital Camera Photographer of the Year 2010
Opening date: NOW OPEN
Closing date: 31 August 2010
Top prize: £10,000

Last year’s Digital Camera Photographer of the Year attracted over 101,000 entries and is the biggest photo competition of its kind in the world. Categories include This is Britain, Digital Vision and Planet Earth. 2009’s top prize went to Bragi J. Ingibergsson of Iceland for his picture, Partners (see below). 

Visit the Digital Camera Photographer of the Year 2010 website for more information.

Partners, by Bragi J. Ingibergsson

Digital Camera Young Photographer of the Year 2010
Opening date: April 2010
Closing date: September 2010

Young Photographers can take part in the Digital Camera YPOTY, who have the chance to win up to £250. Categories are split into 10 and under, 11-14 and 15-17 and will be exhibited alongside the adult winners in an exhibition. Last year’s winners include Tadas Šlajus from Lithuania for his ‘Champion’s Breakfast’ portrait.

For more details, visit the Digital Camera Young Photographer of the Year website.

Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010
Opening date: NOW CLOSED
Closing date: NOW CLOSED
Winners announced: October 2010
Top prize: £10,000

The biggest and most prestigious wildlife photography competition in the world, the Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition has attracted controversy after the 2009 winner, Jose Luis Rodriguez was stripped of his award.

From this year onwards, captive animals will no longer be allowed in the competition. Categories include Animal Portraits, Black and White and the Underwater World. Also this year, a brand new award celebrating wildlife photojournalism will also be awarded. The competition is sponsored by both the Natural History Museum and BBC Wildlife Magazine.

The competition has also attracted more controversy as new rules state that only cameras capable of shooting at 10 Megapixels are eligible for the competition, meaning some older pro-bodies have been effectively banned. Read more about it in our news story.

An exhibition of current prize winners is at the Natural History Museum until April 2010. Visit the Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year website for more details.

Royal headgear by Sam Rowley © Sam Rowley / Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2009

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2010
Opening date: NOW CLOSED
Closing date: NOW CLOSED
Top prize: £12,000

The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize is supported by the National Portrait Gallery and boasts a top prize of £12,000. Last year's contest attracted over 6000 entries, so competition is fierce. ELLE Magazine also runs a category, with the winner shooting a photo story for the magazine.

Sony World Photography Awards 2011
Opening date: 1 June 2010
Closing date: TBC
Top prize: $25,000 (TBC)

The 2010 competition has already closed in the Sony World Photography Awards, but entries for the 2011 competition will open in June. The annual awards ceremony is held as part of a photography festival which this year will take place in Cannes. More than 84,000 entries were submitted to the 2010 awards, a shortlist is expected in February.

Visit the Sony World Photography website for more details.

British Wildlife Photography Award 2010
Opening date: NOW CLOSED
Closing date: NOW CLOSED
Top Prize: £5,000

Celebrating the best of UK Wildlife, the British Wildlife Photography Award comes with a top prize of £5,000 and the chance for photographers to have their award exhibited in a travelling tour.

For further details, visit the British Wildlife Photography Award website.

Gannets in flight, by Ben Hall, highly commended in the Coast and Marine category.

RSPCA Young Photographer of the Year 2010
Opening date: NOW OPEN
Closing date: September 7 2010
Top prize: 3-day photography break and £1000 camera vouchers

Entering something like the RSPCA Young Photographer Awards is a great way for young photographers to get started in entering competitions - many have gone on to have success with bigger competitions such as Wildlife Photographer of the Year - Catriona Parfitt and Sam Rowley have previously competed in both competitions.

International Garden Photographer of the Year 2010
Opening date: NOW OPEN
Closing date: November 30 2010 (with seasonal deadlines).
Top prize: £5,000 (TBC)

Now in its 4th year, the International Garden Photographer of the Year is associated with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Winners of the 2009 competition are expected to be announced in February. The IGPOTY also offers professional feedback on their entries once the judging is complete.

This year, you can enter seasonal competitions to win cash prizes all year round, with the first deadline, 'Winter Beauty' finishing on 28 February. Entrants into each of the seasonal competitions will automatically be entered into the overall competition.

Visit the International Garden Photographer of the Year website for more details.

Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2010
Opening date: NOW CLOSED
Closing date: NOW CLOSED
Winners announced: TBA
Top Prize: €5,000/Leica equipment to the same value

Open to pros, this award is named after the inventor of Leica, thought to be the first person to use a 35mm stills camera in reportage photography. The top prize is awarded for those entering a series of between 10 and 12 images depicting the relationship between man and nature.

Last year’s winner, Mikhael Subotsky from South Africa, shot a series of images of Beaufort West, a South African town (one of his images can be seen below).

For more information, visit the Leica Oskar Barnack Award homepage.

Beaufort Town by Mikhael Subotsky

CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year 2010
Opening date: NOW OPEN
Closing date: 31 July 2010
Top prize: £3,500

As the name suggests, this prize celebrates the best of environmental photographs, helping to understand and raise awareness of climate change issues. Categories include The Natural World, Quality of Life and, new for 2010, a View from the Western World.

For more details, visit the CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year homepage.

Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2010
Opening date: NOW CLOSED
Closing date: NOW CLOSED
Top Prize: £1000

One for the more scientifically minded, the Astronomy Photographer of the Year is sponsored by the Greenwich Royal Observatory. Entry is free to this competition, with categories including Earth and Space, Our Solar System and People and Space.

RHS Photographer of the Year 2010
Opening date: NOW OPEN
Closing date: 31 August 2010
Top Prize: £1000

For flower and garden photographers, this is the one to enter. Open to both amateurs and professionals, the RHS Photographer of the Year 2010 has a number of categories to suit all tastes. The top adult prize is £1000 but younger photographers can battle it out to win a digital camera.

Visit the National Maritime Museum website for more details on the competition.

Other photography competitions to look out for later this year (more details to be posted soon): 
Landscape Photographer of the Year 2010
Travel Photographer of the Year 2010