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The votes are counted, the judges have made their decisions and LCE Photographer of the Year 2026 has its winners. From fighting foxes and acrobatic ants to one very memorable fisherman, meet the photographers and images that caught our attention this year.
What do you get when you bring together 14,500 photographs, 14 categories and photographers from around the world?
Quite a lot for our judges to think about, as it turns out.
The results of LCE Photographer of the Year 2026 are officially in, and this year’s competition has been our biggest yet. Nearly 14,500 photographs were entered — an increase of around 40% on 2025 — with more than 30% of entries coming from photographers taking part in POTY for the first time.
There were landscapes and portraits, owls and orangutans, street scenes and sporting moments. There were photographs taken close to home and others captured thousands of miles away.
And ultimately, it was a chance encounter with a fisherman in Vietnam that took the top prize.
Sophia Spurgin is our 2026 Photographer of the Year with Fish Eyes, a wonderfully playful portrait captured on a boat in Hoi An, Vietnam.
A retired teacher based in the UK, Sophia had set herself the goal of dedicating some time to serious travel photography during a family holiday.
But sometimes the best photographs arrive when things become a little less serious.
Sophia explains:
“I was keen to dedicate some time to serious travel photography during a family holiday and had been taking photos of this fisherman at work alongside a local photographer.
This was the playful end of the photography session and a genuinely entertaining moment! I especially like that his fishing net is visible in the background, adding context and authenticity to the image.”
Fish Eyes, captured on a Canon EOS R5 Mark II, wins the Travel category as well as earning Sophia the overall LCE Photographer of the Year title and £3,000 in LCE vouchers.
And apparently one category wasn’t enough.
Sophia also takes first place in Wildlife with Fighting Foxes in the Rain, earning her another £500 prize.
On being named Photographer of the Year, Sophia said:
“I am absolutely delighted to win the London Camera Exchange Photographer of the Year 2026. Photography has brought me immense joy – not only through the places it has taken me, but also through the wonderful friendships I’ve made along the way.
To be recognised in this competition means a great deal, as it shows that my photography resonates with others.”
From dramatic moments at sea to a very watchful pet, this year’s winners show just how many different forms a great photograph can take.
There was another important change for POTY this year.
For 2026, we introduced our AI-Generated Imagery Verification and Authenticity Policy.
AI-generated imagery is becoming increasingly sophisticated, and we saw a noticeable rise in AI-generated submissions this year. But POTY exists to recognise photography — images of real people, places, subjects and moments captured by photographers.
Our new policy helps us protect that principle and ensure the work recognised by the competition remains authentic photography.
Technology will continue to change. Cameras will change. The ways photographers edit and work will change.
But the person behind the photograph remains at the heart of POTY.
Yesterday, Sunday 15 March, we got to celebrate the photographers themselves at the LCE POTY Awards at The Photography & Video Show at the NEC Birmingham.
Finalist images were displayed in a dedicated gallery close to the entrance of the show, giving thousands of visitors the chance to see the photographs in print.
Many of the shortlisted images have also been brought together in a special commemorative POTY book, while our winners went home with their share of the £10,000 prize fund — and a POTY trophy to find a suitable shelf for.
And the photographs may be travelling further still, with plans to take the exhibition to other locations around the UK during 2026.
LCE Managing Director Lee Harasyn said:
“Once again, we were stunned by the quality, creativity and sheer volume of entries. The standard was just incredible.
We look forward to continuing the competition next year, supporting true photographic talent across all genres. Congratulations to all the winners and runners-up – and thank you to everyone who took part.”
Three years in, POTY continues to grow.
Nearly 14,500 photographs. Fourteen categories. More than 30% new participants. A £10,000 prize fund. And a lot of difficult decisions for three judges.
This year’s competition was supported by headline sponsors Canon, Fujifilm and OM System; partners Lexar, Nikon and Sony; and affiliates Cewe and Sigma.
And those difficult judging decisions were taken by Angela Nicholson, SheClicks founder and journalist; Chris George, Content Director at Future Publishing; and professional portrait and travel documentary photographer Jimmy Cheng.
To everyone who entered a photograph, shared their work, cast a People’s Choice vote or came to see the exhibition: thank you for being part of POTY 2026.
And to Sophia and all of this year’s winners and finalists: congratulations. We can’t wait to see what you photograph next.
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