The Rory Peck Trust has added a Photojournalism Award to its annual honors for freelance photojournalists submitting single images, photo essays or series judged on eyewitness reporting, editorial judgment and visual skill. The category is open to freelance photojournalists covering news, conflict, crisis, social issues and human stories, and recognizes “powerful eyewitness journalism and excellence in photojournalism.”
Entries for the 2026 Rory Peck Awards are open until Friday, July 10, for work first broadcast, published or screened between July 2025 and July 2026. The new photojournalism category accepts either a single image or a photo essay or series, and submissions will be considered for ethical journalism, truth, accountability and originality as well as the photographer’s visual judgment.
The Rory Peck Awards are in their 32nd annual edition, and the Trust has recognized freelance journalists and filmmakers for 30 years.
Entry fees for 2026 are £95 for organisations, companies and media outlets, and £40 for freelancers. A limited number of fee waivers are available for freelancers who cannot afford the cost. The Trust supported more than 430 freelance journalists last year, and its 2026 work has already reached freelancers from places including Palestine, Mexico, Britain and Bangladesh.
The awards were established in 1995 in memory of Rory Peck, the freelance cameraman killed in Moscow in 1993. The 2026 ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, November 25, at BFI Southbank in London, where finalists will have a chance to attend and network with industry professionals.
Every story on Photography News is assembled by an automated editorial system that works from verified research, official records, and credible reporting, then clears automated accuracy and moderation checks before it goes live. The standards that system follows are set and overseen by the people who run the publication. Read our full editorial policy.
Did this article answer your question?
