The International Pet Photography Awards have announced the finalists for their 2026 competition, highlighting some of the year's most remarkable images of companion animals. Now in its eighth year, the awards continue to recognize excellence in pet photography while showcasing the creativity, technical skill, and storytelling behind the genre.
This year's competition was the largest to date, attracting 4,220 entries from photographers in 48 countries. The finalists were selected across 12 categories, with four new additions making their debut: Commissioned Portfolio, In-Camera Artistry, Phone, and Studio, joining established categories such as Action, Creative, Documentary, Canine Portrait, Feline Portrait, Pets and People, and Open Portrait.
The images were evaluated by a panel of 27 internationally recognized animal photographers and industry experts, with finalists determined by the highest combined scores across multiple submissions. The category winners, along with the overall International Pet Photographer of the Year, will be announced during a live online ceremony on August 1, 2026. Until then, we've selected some of our favorite finalist photographs for you to enjoy below.
#24 Canine Portrait Category Finalist - "Call Of The Wild" By Callie Soden
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17points
#25 Open Portrait Category Finalist - "The Watchman" By Adam Claus
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17points
#26 Pet Photographer Of The Year Finalist - "The Vegan Hunt" By Inge Heimensen
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17points
#30 Canine Portrait Category Finalist - "Boreal Bear" By Natalie Hodges
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16points
#31 Feline Portrait Category Finalist - "The Fairywood Watcher" By Lenne Renders
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16points
#34 Documentary Category Finalist - "Joy Against The Odds" By Magdalena Szklarska
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15points
#36 Phone Category - "If Not Box, Why Box Shaped?" By Monica Plummer
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15points
#37 Feline Portrait Category Finalist - "Golden Perch" By Betty Brodie
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14points
#39 Pet Photographer Of The Year Finalist - "It's A Catastrophe!" By Belinda Richards
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14points
