Eligibility
All entrants must be the legal and rightful owners of the images they submit. By entering, you confirm that you hold all necessary rights and permissions for the submitted content.
Entrants under the age of 18 must have the consent of a parent or legal guardian. By submitting an entry, you confirm that this consent has been obtained.
Entry Period
Submissions must be made between 12:00 AM PST on October 1, 2025, and 11:59 PM PST on October 31, 2025.
Finalists will be notified via email by Unsplash on November 20, 2025.
International Participation:
The contest is open to participants worldwide, subject to local laws and restrictions concerning contests and the participation of minors.
Winner Notification and Prize
Finalists will be required to provide their full name, address, email, and phone number to claim their prize: $500 USD, sponsored by Samsung Memory.
Please note: Due to US regulations, cash prizes cannot be awarded to residents of
Afghanistan, Balkans, Burma, Crimea, Cuba, Ethiopia, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Syria, Belarus, Venezuela or Ukraine.
If a finalist is a minor and local laws restrict minors from receiving prizes, the prize will be awarded to their parent or legal guardian.
Shortlist and Finalist Swag Prizing:
Shipping swag prize restrictions (not applicable to the cash prize of $500 USD)
Swag cannot be shipped to the following countries:
(This list is not exhaustive and is subject to change without notice)
Afghanistan
Albania
American Samoa
Andorra
Angola
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Benin
Bonaire
British Virgin Islands
Bulgaria
Burundi
Cook Islands
Cuba
Djibouti
East Timor (Timor-Leste)
Eritrea
Faeroe Islands
Fiji
French Guyana
French Polynesia
Gibraltar
Greece
Greenland
Iran
Israel
Kazahkstan
Kyrgyzstan
Laos
Lesotho
Liberia
Macedonia
Marshall Islands
Micronesia
Mongoli
Montenegro
Montserrat
New Caledonia
North Korea
Palau
Palestine
Papua New Guinea
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Russia
Saba
Samoa
Serbia
Sint Eustatius,
Slovenia
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Republic of Wallis Yemen
For additional shipping information and restrictions, review SwagUp’s Shipping Guidelines & Policy.
Unsplash is unable to send winners’ trophies and gifts to the following countries due to shipping restrictions:
(This list is not exhaustive and is subject to change without notice)
Afghanistan
Belarus
Democratic Republic of Congo
Ethiopia
Haiti
Iran
Iraq
Korea, North (Democratic People's Republic)
Libya
Russia
Somalia
Sudan
Syria
Ukraine
West Bank and Gaza Strip
Yemen
Samsung Memory Winners Prizes:
The two winners selected in the Photo of the Year and Illustration of the Year categories will receive the following prizes, as sponsored by Samsung Memory:
Publicity:
By entering, you agree that Unsplash and Samsung Memory may publish the winner’s name on their websites and social media channels after the winner has been selected.
Standard Contest Terms:
By participating, you also agree to Unsplash’s standard Contest Terms and Conditions.
All standard Unsplash Awards rules and regulations apply.
Unsplash reserves the right to amend these terms at any time.
By submitting to The Unsplash Awards 2025 you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these terms and conditions.