"Street photography begins with honesty. It doesn't wait for perfection or performance. It asks us to notice what everyone else walked past"

Black-and-white photo of five sailors in uniform drinking and smoking outside a building.

“Street photography begins with honesty. It doesn’t wait for perfection or performance. It asks us to notice what everyone else walked past,” explains Dimpy Bhalotia, Co-founder and Creative Director, Pure Street Photography.

Since its launch in 2020, the Pure Street Photography Awards have quickly become one of the world’s leading competitions dedicated exclusively to street photography. Now the prestigious awards have announced their 2026 winners – eight outstanding street shots across the Open and Black and White categories.

After last year's success, when more than 25,000 people visited the winners' exhibition in Mumbai in six days – making it India's first dedicated street photography exhibition – this year's winners' images alongside 158 finalists' photos will be exhibited from November 20 to 22 at Jawahar Kala Kendra, Jaipur, India.

Open Category

Grand Winner

Taken at one of France's most prestigious horse derbies "Prix de Diane" (Image credit: Daniel Kashi)

Chantilly June 2025 by Daniel Kashi (France)

Judge’s Comment: "I was really drawn to the abstract nature of this image of reflection. It’s a complex, atmospheric clash of activity and the band of clouds captured at the top of the frame gives it a surreal, Daliesque quality." – Fiona Shields, Head of Photography, The Guardian


First, Second & Third Place

Black and White Category

Grand Winner

At the heart of the Lambe Sujo and Caboclinhos Festival in Sergipe, a young boy looks out at the world through the lens of his heritage. Surrounded by his elders, he carries on his skin and in his expression the resilience, pain, and beauty of one of Brazil's most powerful folk traditions (Image credit: Cesare Simioni)

Soul Beneath the Paint by Cesare Simioni (Brazil)

Judge's Comment: "Indeed this is a great photograph. Humanism is one of the characteristics very important of Street Photography. It's a very impressive image. The black and white is perfect, as well as the composition and the light measurement.

"As dear Dimpy used to say, as well as me, this is a 'oh my goodness, wow'. Congratulations to this deserved award." – Rui Palha, Internationally Acclaimed Street Photographer

First, Second & Third Place

Pure Street Photography Awards

Founded by award-winning photographers and curators Dimpy Bhalotia and Kamal Kumaar Rao, Pure Street Photography is an international platform dedicated exclusively to street photography, offering awards, exhibitions, grants, memberships, interviews and educational initiatives.

With a global audience of more than 300,000 photographers and photography enthusiasts, the platform champions both emerging and established photographers through thoughtful curation, meaningful recognition and long-term artistic development.

For more information, visit the Pure Street Photography Awards website.

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