The 12th Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest Hasas Officially Opened In Moscow, With Submissions Now Underway

The annual Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest, held in memory of photojournalist Andrei Stenin of the Rossiya Segodnya Media Group, traditionally launches on his birthday, December 22. Stenin was killed near Donetsk in the summer of 2014 while performing his professional duties.

Announcing the opening of submissions for the 12th edition of the contest, Dmitry Kiselev, Director General of the Rossiya Segodnya International Media Group, said the upcoming edition holds special significance. He noted that the contest continues its mission of discovering new photographic talent while also recognising established professionals. This year, the organisers have introduced a new category titled Energy of Life, aimed at photojournalists aged 34 and above, reflecting a broader engagement with experienced voices in contemporary photojournalism.

The competition features six categories: Top News, Sports, My Planet, Portrait. A Hero of Our Time, Top View, and the newly introduced Energy of Life. Entries in Top News, My Planet, and Portrait. A Hero of Our Time may be submitted either as single photographs or photo series. The Sports and Top View categories accept single images only.

The Energy of Life category is open to photographers aged 34 and older, while the remaining five categories are available to participants aged between 18 and 33. Professional photographers may submit their entries through the competition’s official website, available in Russian and English, until February 28, 2026.

The prize fund for the 2025 competition includes awards of 125,000 rubles for first place, 100,000 rubles for second place, and 75,000 rubles for third place in each category. The Grand Prix winner will receive 700,000 rubles. The awards ceremony for the 12th Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest is traditionally scheduled to be held in Moscow between September and November 2026.

Over the years, the competition’s jury has included internationally acclaimed photographers such as Vladimir Vyatkin (Russia), Gabriele Cecconi (Italy), Sefa Karacan (Türkiye), and Juan Cañete (Argentina), among others. The list of laureates features renowned photojournalists including Yelena Anosova (Russia), Danilo García Di Meo (Italy), and Alejandro Martínez Vélez (Spain). In 2025, the Grand Prix was awarded to Yekaterina Yakel (Russia) for her photo series Russian Character: Obstacle Course, depicting war veterans who continue to show resilience and courage in civilian life.

The contest maintains a long-standing tradition of showcasing winning works through travelling exhibitions in Russia and abroad. Over the past 12 years, these exhibitions have been presented in countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, including China, South Africa, Mexico, Argentina, Türkiye, Germany, Italy, Egypt, and many others.

Organised by the Rossiya Segodnya Media Group under the auspices of the Russian Federation Commission for UNESCO, the Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest aims to support young photographers and raise public awareness of the challenges facing modern photojournalism.

The competition’s general media partners are VGTRK (All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company) and the Russian online platform SMOTRIM. Its international media partners include leading news agencies and media organisations from South Africa, China, Qatar, Brazil, India, Iraq, Iran, Nigeria, and other countries. Industry partners include the Union of Journalists of Russia, the Young Journalists information portal, and Photo-study.ru.