İstanbul Photo Awards announces 2026 jury

By Asiye Latife Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - İstanbul Photo Awards, a prestigious international photo contest organized by Anadolu, revealed its jury lineup for 2026 on Monday.

The contest once again brings together an esteemed panel of experts, including Pulitzer Prize and World Press Photo winners renowned for their work in sports, environmental, portrait and conflict photography.

This year’s prominent jury features photojournalist Carol Guzy, Yuri Kozyrev from NOOR Agency, Globe and Mail photojournalist Goran Tomasevic, National Geographic photographer and filmmaker Ami Vitale, Getty Images Chief Sports Photojournalist Cameron Spencer and Turkish photojournalists Ahmet Sel and Firat Yurdakul.

Also joining the İstanbul Photo Awards jury in 2026 are Nicole Tung and Muhammed Muheisen, both internationally acclaimed for their powerful visual storytelling.

Tung is a Hong Kong-born freelance photojournalist based in Istanbul who works with international media outlets including The New York Times as well as nongovernmental organizations.

Her reporting primarily focuses on the Middle East, with an emphasis on the human impact of conflict. Tung’s work earned her the 2025 Philip Jones Griffiths Award, and she was also named a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Breaking News Photography.

Muheisen is a Jerusalem-born photographer and a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner. Over the past two decades, he has gained international recognition for his long-term work focusing on refugees and forced migration.

His life and work are the subject of National Geographic’s Finding the Light documentary. He is also the founder of the Everyday Refugees Foundation.

Applications for the 2026 contest are still open and accept entries in 10 categories, including news, sports, nature and environment, daily life, and portrait photography. Both single and series submissions are allowed.

Photographers may submit up to four works in single-photo categories and two works in series categories, with each series comprising up to 10 photos. A maximum of 120 photos may be submitted per participant.

Winners of the contest, which is again supported by Turkcell as the communications sponsor, will be determined at an online jury meeting in March 2026.

For more details on the jury members and submission guidelines, visit the official website: www.istanbulphotoawards.com.