Points make prizes

How the UPY prize allocation, and prize-pool work

A single photographer can win all the categories they enter. A single photographer, can theoretically, win all the special awards, if they eligible for them all.

Each photographer will receive points for every one of their photos that places in the top 8 positions in a category, with the exceptions of positions where fixed prizes are offered (apart from Category 1, Wide Angle) and categories that are free to enter (more details below). We judge all images into an ordered top 8, although the results are reported as Winner, Runner Up, Third Place, Highly Commended (x3) & Commended (x2).

UPY 2026 has 58 prizes – half are fixed to particular awards, and half are in the prize pool. Theoretically, there is no limit to how many fixed prizes an individual can win. See Prize Page for more details on allocation. Beyond the fixed prizes each winning photographer gets points for all their awarded images and the one with the most points gets first choice from the Prize Pool, this system usually ensures at least 50 different photographers claim a prize.

We know that the UPY prize system is complicated, but means our winning photographers get to choose the prize they want. You don’t need to understand it – as we add up everyone’s points and contact you with a list of the prizes remaining in the pool, when it is your time to choose your prize!

The overall Underwater Photographer of the Year is awarded a nominal 1000 points, ensuring they always have first choice of the prize pool. Thereafter the photographer with the most points (in total across all categories) will get the next choice from the prize pool, then the photographer with the next highest points total will get next choice, and so on until the prize pool is exhausted. The more pictures that you have awarded, the higher your points total and the bigger the prize pool you get to choose from.

The 10 main international categories (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) will award points for the top 8 places as follows: 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4, except where fixed prizes are allocated, in that case 0 points are awarded for fixed prize placings (with the exception of Category 1, Wide Angle, where points are still given).

Categories 9, 11 & 12 attract fewer entries so award a lower levels of points, on the scale: 13-11-9-7-6-5-4-3. However, these categories also have fixed prizes (and therefore do not award points for images receiving fixed prizes).

Categories 10, 13 and Marine Conservation are free to enter and do not award points, but do have fixed prizes.

It is possible for an entrant to have an image placed in UPY but not win a prize as there can be more winning photographers that there are prizes in the pool.