Xposure Awards 2026–2027 Celebrates Global Creativity with Record-Breaking Submissions
The prestigious international photography and film awards have attracted over 22,000 entries from 108 countries, showcasing the event's status as a premier destination for visual storytelling and creative excellence.
The Xposure International Photography and Film Awards 2026–2027 have demonstrated remarkable international appeal, receiving over 22,000 submissions spanning photography and film from 108 countries worldwide. The submissions comprise 21,587 photographic works and 543 film entries, with judging now underway to identify finalists and winners across the diverse categories.
Organised by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, the awards represent the preliminary stage for the 11th edition of the Xposure International Photography Festival. The breadth of submissions reflects contemporary visual expression, with photography entries encompassing traditional disciplines such as nature, portraiture and urban environments alongside innovative work incorporating emerging technologies. Film submissions explore human, social and environmental narratives across multiple genres.
Tariq Saeed Allay, Director General of the Sharjah Government Media Bureau, observed that the participation levels underscore the festival’s global recognition and its capacity to engage creative practitioners from varied cultural backgrounds. He emphasised that Xposure exemplifies Sharjah’s commitment to nurturing visual talent and providing platforms for meaningful creative expression.
The photography awards feature ten distinct categories: Architectural Photography, Mobile Photography, Nature & Landscape, Night Photography, Portraiture, Photomanipulation and AI, Sports Photography, Street Photography, Visual Storytelling, and a Junior category for UAE residents aged under eighteen. Statistical analysis of submissions reveals Nature & Landscape commanding the largest share at twenty-three per cent, followed by Street Photography at nineteen per cent and Portraiture at fifteen per cent.
Geographical representation demonstrates the awards’ truly international character, with China, the United Arab Emirates and India leading in participation numbers. This distribution reflects the strong engagement of visual content creators across diverse regions.
The film awards comprise four refreshed categories: Narrative Short Film, Documentary Short Film, Environmental or Social Impact Film, and Action, Innovation and New Tools. An international judging panel comprising thirty-seven accomplished photographers, specialists and industry professionals undertakes evaluation against criteria including originality, visual appeal and artistic impact. Following initial assessment, shortlisted works receive detailed evaluation of composition, technical execution, storytelling quality and thematic relevance.
The awards structure designates winners and runners-up within each category alongside an overall winner designation. The Awards Oversight Committee conducts final review of judging scores to ensure consistency and adherence to established evaluation standards before results approval.
Finalists and award recipients will be announced during the festival, with selected works featured within the exhibition programme.
Source: WAM