See the 7 Winners of the Prestigious Hasselblad Masters 2026 Contest

The prestigious Hasselblad Masters has just announced its winners for its 2026 competition. Selected from 70 finalists around the world, seven photographers have earned the title, signaling their technical mastery and strong artistic vision. They rose to the top from 108,000 submissions in 160 countries, with images in the following categories: Landscape, Architecture, Portrait, Art, Street, Wildlife, and Project//21 (a category dedicated to photographers aged 21 years or younger).

Both a contest jury and the public had a hand in selecting the finalists. Hasselblad Masters Grand Jury evaluated the finalists, but public voting was considered as part of the overall process.

“What this year’s Hasselblad Masters submissions demonstrated, with rare consistency, is that the most compelling photography does not simply record, it constructs,” explains Kalle Sanner, Executive Director at the Hasselblad Foundation and Grand Jury Chair.

“Across categories, the strongest work operated on more than one level simultaneously: legible on first encounter, yet resistant to easy interpretation. These are images that require attention, that continue to unfold the longer you stay with them,” Sanner continues. “What unites the winners is a shared understanding that photography’s real power lies not in what it shows, but in what it withholds, reframes, and quietly insists upon.”

The lauded pictures highlight the incredible visual capabilities of photography, as image makers record our world with their unique point of view. Selected projects include underwater photography by Panitbhand Paribatra Na Ayudhya. He captured his series Dwellers of the Night in the waters of Anilao, Philippines. There, pelagic and larval marine life migrate from the depths to feed in darkness—but not this time. The photographer used colored lighting to reveal their forms and beauty, illuminating a world we rarely see.

Still cloaked in darkness is Morning Ritual, although a different form than Dwellers of the Night. Photographer Gosse Bouman highlights moments of tranquility in a typically bustling city. Pairing architecture and weather, warm lighting illuminates street vendors serving food, their stalls a beacon in the blue fogginess of the rest of the world.

Winners of Hasselblad Masters receive a Hasselblad 100-megapixel medium-format camera, two XCD lenses, and a creative fund of €5,000. They will also participate in a collaborative project with the company. Scroll down to see the 2026 winners.