Berlin Photo Awards 2026 Winners Exhibition: A Weekend of Photography in Berlin
- Award News, Awards & Recognition
From 14-16 August 2026, the Berlin Photo Awards welcomed photographers, visitors and photography enthusiasts to the BPA 2026 Winners Exhibition at ERSTERERSTER Gallery in Berlin.
Over three days, the exhibition brought this year’s award-winning photography off the screen and into the gallery, presenting works by the Photographer of the Year, category winners, 2nd and 3rd place winners, and Honorable Mentions.
But what made the weekend particularly special was everything that happened around the photographs.
We were incredibly happy to welcome awarded photographers who travelled to Berlin from across Europe and beyond.
Some came from Italy, Belgium and the United Kingdom, others travelled from different parts of Germany, and one of our photographers joined us from Colombia. Some arrived with partners, friends or entire families.
Honorable Mention photographers also came to see their work presented as part of the exhibition, including the dedicated digital presentation showcasing the wider selection of recognized photographs.
For us, seeing photographers standing in front of their work, meeting one another and sharing the experience with the people who had travelled with them was one of the highlights of the weekend.
The Opening Vernissage gave us an opportunity to hear directly from some of the artists.
After a short introduction, photographers were invited to say a few words about their exhibited images. What began very spontaneously became one of the most memorable parts of the evening.
Hearing the stories behind photographs that we had previously known only as competition entries gave the exhibition another dimension. The images were no longer simply winning works on a gallery wall; they became personal stories told by the people who created them.
During the exhibition, several visitors told us that the experience had encouraged them to participate in the future. Others said they already knew photographers whom they wanted to tell about the next edition.
That is exactly what we hope BPA can continue to become: not simply a competition that announces results, but a platform that gives photographers recognition, visibility and opportunities to bring their work to a wider audience.
To every photographer who entrusted us with their work, thank you.
To those who travelled to Berlin to join us, some from remarkably far away, thank you for making the exhibition something much more personal than we could have planned.
Thank you to our jury, our visitors, the team at ERSTERERSTER Gallery, everyone who helped behind the scenes, and everyone who supported and shared the Berlin Photo Awards throughout the year.
The BPA 2026 Winners Exhibition may be over, but the photographs and the stories behind them remain.
We are already looking forward to what comes next.
Berlin Photo Awards Team
Berlin Photo Awards 2026
Every winning image tells a different story. Explore the complete Berlin Photo Awards 2026 Winners Gallery to discover winners and Honorable Mentions – exceptional photographers whose work impressed our international jury.
Browse hundreds of award-winning photographs and meet the artists shaping contemporary photography today.
