The World Sports Photography Awards has announced Canon as its Official Imaging Partner for the 2026 edition.
The awards recognise the best images that capture the emotion, intensity, and skill of sport, bringing together photographers from across the globe. The 2025 competition set new records, attracting more than 2,200 photographers from 97 countries, submitting work across over 50 sports.
Speaking on the partnership, Simon Burton, Co-Founder of the World Sports Photography Awards, said, "If there’s one name synonymous with sports photography, it’s Canon. We couldn’t be more honoured or excited to welcome Canon to World Sports Photography Awards. It’s been an incredible year for sport around the world, and we are eager to see the images submitted this year across sports and geographies".
Canon’s involvement extends the brand’s long-standing legacy in sports photography. The 2026 awards will also introduce a new category, the Canon Emerging Talent Award, dedicated to photographers under 30. The category aims to highlight the next generation of sports photographers and recognise their creativity, skill, and passion.
"Canon has a proud legacy of supporting professional sports photographers and helping them capture some of the most iconic moments in sporting history. With the introduction of the ‘Canon Emerging Talent’ award, we’re building on that heritage by extending our support to the next generation of visual storytellers. This new category celebrates the creativity and passion of up-and-coming photographers and reflects our ongoing commitment to providing the tools and opportunities they need to thrive," said Richard Shepherd, Product Marketing Senior Manager, Imaging at Canon Europe.
The 2026 awards are now open for entries. Photographers can submit up to ten images captured between December 2024 and November 2025 across 24 sports categories. Submissions are free of charge, and the deadline is November 24, 2025.
Full details and rules can be found on the official competition website.
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