Annual Photography Award
The Last Ones — 2026

The Last Ones
Photography Award

Celebrating the photographers who capture our world's most endangered species. Five categories. One mission: bear witness through beauty.

Submit Your Photo View Gallery
Five Categories

Choose Your Category

One entry per person per category. All species photographed must be accurately identified.

The Prizes

What You Can Win

Grand Prize
$1,000
Conservation Grant

Direct grant to the conservation organization of your choice, working to protect the species you photographed.

Publication
Featured in Annual Report

Your winning photo published in The Last Ones Annual Report, distributed to 50,000+ conservation stakeholders worldwide.

Recognition
Species Ambassador

Named official Species Ambassador for the species you photographed. Featured on creaturesincrisis.org for one year.

All category winners receive a certificate, feature on our social media (200K+ followers), and a print of their winning photo.

Official Rules

How to Enter

Eligibility

  • Open to: Professional and amateur photographers worldwide, age 18+
  • Entry fee: None. Completely free to enter.
  • Deadline: December 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM UTC
  • Announcement: Winners announced January 15, 2027

Photo Requirements

  • Format: JPG or PNG only
  • Max file size: 10MB per photo
  • Entries per category: One per person
  • Species ID: Must be accurately identified in submission
  • Original work: Must be your own photo. No AI-generated images.
  • Editing: Basic color/exposure adjustment allowed. No compositing or manipulation.
Judging Criteria

How Winners Are Selected

A panel of 7 judges including wildlife photographers, conservationists, and editors. Anonymous judging — no judge sees photographer names.

35%
Emotional Impact
How powerfully does the image convey the story and urgency of the species' situation?
25%
Technical Quality
Composition, lighting, focus, and overall technical execution.
25%
Rarity & Context
How rare is the species? Does the photo communicate the species' endangered status?
15%
Conservation Message
Does the image inspire action or shift perception around conservation?
Hall of Fame

Previous Winners

2025 Grand Prize
2025 Grand Prize
Elena Marchetti
Vaquita, Gulf of California
2025 Forest Creatures
2025 — Forest Creatures
Kenji Tanaka
Amur Leopard, Russia
2024 Grand Prize
2024 Grand Prize
Sofia Andrade
Hawksbill Turtle, Galápagos
Submit Your Entry

Enter the 2026 Award

📷
Click to upload or drag and drop
JPG or PNG · Max 10MB

By submitting, you confirm this is your original work and grant The Last Ones permission to feature winning photos on our platforms.