Steve McCurry Judges 2026 All About Photo Awards, Winners Span 15 Countries
Winners of the 2026 All About Photo Awards, also referred to as The Mind's Eye, have been revealed in its 11th edition, judged exclusively by Steve McCurry. This year, over 500 photographers from 15 nations submitted their work. Matt McClain claimed first place with 'Window to the Past,' which reflects on Thomas Jefferson's legacy. Brooke Shaden from the USA received second place for her conceptual self-portrait titled 'Obscura.' France Leclerc (USA/Canada) earned third place for 'Celestial Ladies,' showcasing women near the Benin/Togo border. Fourth place went to Javier Arcenillas (Spain) for 'Train Sleeping in Carthage (Tunisia),' while Beamie Young (USA) secured fifth with 'Bringing Home the Birds.' Established in 2015, the awards offer $5,000 in prizes and feature the winning images in AAP Magazine.
Key facts
- The 2026 All About Photo Awards marks the 11th anniversary of The Mind's Eye competition.
- Steve McCurry was the sole judge for the 2026 awards.
- Winning photographers represent 15 countries across four continents.
- First place winner Matt McClain's 'Window to the Past' explores Thomas Jefferson's legacy.
- The competition received submissions from over 500 photographers worldwide.
- Three women photographers were among the top five selections.
- The awards offer $5,000 in cash prizes and international exposure.
- Steve McCurry has received the Robert Capa Gold Medal and is a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters.
Entities
Artists
- Steve McCurry
- Matt McClain
- Brooke Shaden
- France Leclerc
- Javier Arcenillas
- Beamie Young
- Shrikanth Poojari
- Seppo Tuomaala
- Robert Lie
- Prescott Lassman
- Md Tanveer Rohan
- Marie Kent
- Marco Di Marco
- Khaichuin Sim
- Kerry Faulkner
- Jordi Cohen
- Jiri Kostal
- Hervé Boutrouille
- Gavin Libotte
- Gabi Steiner
- Florian Wurzinger
- Fenqiang Liu
- Eric Seidner
- Chris Yan
- Cheng Zhu
- Cesare Simioni
- Buck Holzemer
- Asako Naruto
- Archie Cludven
- Andrew Newey
- Wahyu Budiyanto
- Tommi Viitala
- Tittu Shaji Thomas
- Thibault Gerbaldi
- Thaddäus Biberauer
- Tebani Slade
- Takeshi Yamamoto
- Thomas Jefferson
Institutions
- All About Photo (AAP)
- AAP Magazine
- Pennsylvania State University
- Royal Photographic Society
- French Ministry of Culture
- International Photography Hall of Fame
- Celestial Church
Locations
- Philadelphia
- United States
- Pennsylvania
- Williamsburg
- Virginia
- Spain
- India
- Indonesia
- China
- France
- Benin
- Togo
- Tunisia
- Carthage
- Havana
- Cuba
- Casablanca
- Canada
- South Asia
- Afghanistan
- Xi An
- Amazon
- Nepal