Summary
- The IPPAWARDS 2026 winners have been announced.
- The Grand Prize went to Robyn Jensen from the Cayman Islands.
- The winning photo was shot on an iPhone 15 Pro in Guatemala.
- Gellert Gombai, Arnold Plotnick and Catherine Wang also received top honors.
- Evangelia Pappa and Yiannis Koutrodimos from Greece appear among the photographers who stood out.
The iPhone Photography Awards 2026 have announced this year’s winners, with the grand prize going to an impressive image of a volcanic eruption.
Robyn Jensen from the Cayman Islands won the Grand Prize Photographer of the Year at the IPPAWARDS 2026, with a photograph taken in Yepocapa, Chimaltenango, Guatemala, using an iPhone 15 Pro.
This year’s competition is particularly interesting, as it once again confirms that strong photography does not depend exclusively on equipment, but on vision, timing, composition, and the photographer’s ability to make the most of the tool in their hands.
The grand prize
Robyn Jensen’s winning image captures a nighttime volcanic eruption, with lava and smoke standing out beneath a star-filled sky.
The photograph was taken with an iPhone 15 Pro and shows how far smartphone photography has come, especially in difficult low-light conditions.
The top awards
Among the main awards of the year, the Gold Award went to Gellert Gombai from Hungary, who photographed with an iPhone X.
The Silver Award was won by Arnold Plotnick from the United States, with an image taken with an iPhone 16 Pro, while the Bronze Award went to Catherine Wang, also from the United States, with a shot taken on an iPhone 16 Pro Max.
The presence of older models, such as the iPhone X and iPhone 8 Plus, among awarded entries is one of the most interesting details of this year’s competition.
The competition categories
The IPPAWARDS 2026 announced winners in categories such as Abstract, Animals, Architecture, Children, Citylife/Cityscape, Landscape, Lifestyle, Nature, Other, People, Portrait, and Series.
Among the category winners, notable names include Barry Mayes from the United Kingdom in the Abstract category, Peter Crome, also from the United Kingdom, in the Animals category, Ziwen Chen from China in the Architecture category, and Anthony Ginns from Australia in the Landscape category.
Barry Mayes
Peter Crome
Ziwen Chen
Krystal Rountree
Adrian Beasley
Anthony Ginns
Bertram Greenhough
Tianjiao Zhang
Deniss Aksjonovs
Jenny Dang
Brice Picard
Lasda Takbanuaz
The Greeks who stood out
There is also Greek interest in this year’s list of distinctions, as three names from Greece appear among the photographers who stood out: Evangelia Pappa, Yiannis Koutrodimos and Lina Kalantaridou.
Evangelia Pappa is listed with a photograph shot on an iPhone 16 Pro, Yiannis Koutrodimos with an image captured on an iPhone XR, while Lina Kalantaridou received an Honorable Mention in the Other category with a photograph shot on an iPhone 11.
The presence of three Greek photographers at the IPPAWARDS 2026 shows that the Greek photographic eye remains active in an international competition with entries from many countries.
Shot on iPhone 11, 4mm (26mm equivalent), f/1.8, 1/420s, ISO 32
Shot on iPhone 16 Pro, 6.765mm (24mm equivalent), f/1.8, 1/1600s, ISO 80
Shot on iPhone XR, 4mm (39mm equivalent), f/1.8, 1/120s, ISO 32
Why the IPPAWARDS matter
The iPhone Photography Awards are considered one of the best-known and longest-running institutions dedicated to iPhone photography, with a history that began in 2007.
This year’s competition shows that mobile photography is no longer a side category of photography, but a mature creative field where technique, observation, and storytelling remain more important than the device model.
See all the photographs that stood out here.
What we think
The IPPAWARDS 2026 remind us that good photography starts with the creator’s eye, not with the price or age of the equipment. The fact that images taken with both newer and older iPhone models are being recognized is a very meaningful message for every photographer.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the grand prize at the IPPAWARDS 2026?
The Grand Prize Photographer of the Year went to Robyn Jensen from the Cayman Islands.
Which iPhone was the winning photograph taken with?
The winning photograph was taken with an iPhone 15 Pro.
Were there Greek distinctions?
Yes, three Greek photographers appear in the list of distinctions: Evangelia Pappa, Yiannis Koutrodimos and Lina Kalantaridou.
What does this year’s competition show?
It shows that creativity, composition, and the right moment remain more important than whether someone is using the latest iPhone model.
