Global Big Cats Photography Competition '26
IBCA Summit Special Edition3 Entries ₹1,500 ₹3,000 50% OFF
5 Entries ₹2,000 ₹4,000 50% OFF
7 Entries ₹2,500 ₹5,000 50% OFF
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© Ujjal Dutta
Competition Overview
The Prestigious Global Big Cats Photography Competition 2026 is hosted by the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) and focuses on the 7 Big Cats. Photographers aged 16 and older from around the world are eligible to participate.
The competition is part of the pre-summit events leading up to the IBCA Summit in June 2026 at New Delhi, India. Winners will be felicitated at a grand award ceremony held alongside the Summit.
₹8 Lakhs+ in Prizes
Winner Certificate from IBCA
Winners Exhibition at Summit Venue
All participants also receive
Personalised Certificates Global Photo Exhibition Personal Portfolio
About IBCA
IBCA is a multi-country coalition comprising 95 big cat range countries, along with non-range nations, conservation partners, scientific organizations, and corporate stakeholders committed to big cat conservation. It aims to foster collaboration, consolidate best practices, and create a shared knowledge platform to strengthen conservation efforts. Through coordinated action and financial support, IBCA seeks to halt the decline of big cat populations and promote global conservation initiatives.
The IBCA Summit
The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit serves as a global platform to advance big cat conservation while linking it with climate and biodiversity action. Highlighted at UNFCCC COP30, it emphasizes the role of Big Cats as key indicators of ecosystem health and nature-based climate solutions. With growing international participation and leadership from India, the summit promotes collaboration, knowledge sharing, and resource mobilization, with the upcoming IBCA Summit in New Delhi 2026 set to strengthen global conservation partnerships.
Inauguration by Hon. Prime MinisterThe IBCA Summit will be inaugurated by the Hon. Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi ji.
24+ Heads of State, 90+ Ambassadors Expected2,000+ delegates expected from across the globe — the world's largest big cat conservation gathering
Taj Palace, New DelhiAward ceremony will be held in Taj Palace, New Delhi on 2nd June 2026
Why Participate?
9 fantastic reasons to showcase your Big Cats photography skills
Fantastic Cash Prizes — Win Rs. 5 Lacs in Cash Prizes
Grand Awards Ceremony — to felicitate winners, as part of IBCA Summit, 2nd June '26, New Delhi, India
Exclusive Winners Photo Exhibition — at the Grand Awards Ceremony
Big Cats Magazine — Winners Photo Features
Gift Vouchers — For all participants
Global Photo Exhibition & Recognition — For all participants
IBCA Certificates — Winners, Finalists & Participation certificates for all
Personal Portfolio — A personal profile and shareable portfolio for all participants
Photography Expert Mentorship — Exclusive program for all finalists
The Jury Panel
The Big Cats Photography Competition 2026 will be judged by a distinguished panel of global experts, bringing together excellence in photography, conservation and public leadership.
Global Photography Experts
bring storytelling ability, skill, technique and originality.
Conservation Practitioners
bring frontline perspectives from big cat habitats.
Policy Makers & Public Leaders
bring a wider lens on impact, awareness and public discourse.
Themes - The Seven Big Cats
Celebrate the magnificence of the seven big cats while raising awareness about habitat loss, poaching and human-wildlife conflict
Participants are encouraged to submit photographs that showcase the following aspects
Species Diversity
Lions, tigers, leopards, cheetahs, pumas, jaguars and snow leopards in their natural habitats. Species diversity is mandatory for the Portfolio Award
Behaviour and Interactions
Hunting, playing, raising young, pride & family dynamics and relationships with other animals
Habitat and Environment
Big Cats across forests, grasslands, mountains, wetlands and savannas — highlighting the importance of habitat conservation
Portraits and Close-ups
that capture the power, expression and personality of Big Cats
Conservation Storytelling
that capture the power, expression and personality of Big Cats
Rules & Guidelines
Everything you need to know before submitting
- 1Individual Big Cats Category Awards: Individual pictures of Lion, Tiger, Leopard, Cheetah, Puma, Jaguar and Snow Leopards. Upload every picture under its respective category.
- 2Grand Prize — Big Cats Photographer of the Year: A minimum of 3 entries need to be submitted to qualify for the images to be juried under Grand Prize.
- 3Portfolio Awards: A minimum of 5 images, representing 5 individual diverse Big Cats ( no overlap) showcasing species diversity. Participants may submit up to 7 images.
- 4Conservation Award: Only relevant images need to be submitted; otherwise, they will be discarded at the pre-screening stage. Please upload images for category wisely.
- 1This is online photography competition. All entries to be submitted online, via the Aarts Maestro platform only and will need to adhere to the theme.
- 2The Photography Competition is open for global participation
- 3Professional and amateur photographers of any nationality, aged 16+ years, as of the registration day may participate.
- 4Registration Fee: Fee once paid will not be refunded
- 1Theme: Big Cats. Refer theme tab for more details
- 2No. of Entries: Each participant is required to submit 3 entries, 5 or 7 entries based on the option chosen by you.
- 3Mobile Photography: Is not allowed
- 4Original Self Clicked pictures: with full copyright ownership: All entries must be original pictures, clicked by the participant only. The participant should have copyright to the pictures.
- 5Plagiarism: Entries that are plagiarised, violate copyright, trademarks, intellectual property, or lifting pics off the internet and claiming as own will be instantly disqualified.
- 6Entry Vintage: Entries vintage has to be under 4 years. All pictures that have been clicked as of 2021 Jan or later qualify for the competition.
- 7Entries that have been a part of previous BIG CATS or other Wildlife Photography Competitions on Aarts Maestro are not allowed.
- 8Captions: Every entry should be captioned. Entries with captions like "Not Applicable", "Untitled", "Unknown" or similar vague headings will stand disqualified
- 9Content | Story: A compelling story always makes a great addition to every picture. Please do not skip this. Keep your story crisp and engaging.
- 10Location: You must mention the location in the respective field at the time of submission. Please provide detailed location information.
- 11File Format: JPEG / JPG ONLY. Only if required, JPEG File compression may be allowed, at highest quality setting
- 12Resolution: Minimum resolution: 2000px on the longest edge, no upper limit
- 13File size: 2MB – 5MB (300 DPI)
- 14Critical information: No watermarks, borders, logos, name of photographer or any form of text on the images: such images will be disqualified instantly in the pre-screening stage.
- 15No AI-generated images
- 16No photographs of animals in captivity — zoos, pets, etc.
- 17Prescreening: Every image undergoes pre-screening checks and images that violate guidelines are instantly disqualified without informing participants.
- 18Plagiarism and AI Generated images Checks: Aarts Maestro platform has powerful built-in tools to detect plagiarized and AI-generated images. Such images will be instantly disqualified and participants will be prevented from entering any future competitions.
- 19EXIF Files: Original EXIF Files will be required as proof and needs to be submitted when requested for
- 20Submission Deadlines: All entries will need to be submitted before the deadline lapses.
- 21Alert: As a matter of abundant caution, participants are advised not to wait till the last minute to submit entries. Once a participant submits their entries, no changes will be permitted.
- 22Shortlisted participants: will be required to provide the following RAW Files and EXIF Data for authentication.
- 23Decision of Jury: The decision of Jury and Judges is final and binding on all participants
- 1Editing: Basic Editing standards for enhancement, such as brightness, minor colour corrections, contrast, tone, brightness are acceptable.
- 2Cropping: The contents of a photograph should not be altered by adding, rearranging, reversing, distorting or removing living creatures and/or objects from within the frame.
- 3There are two exceptions: (i) Cropping that removes extraneous, peripheral details only is permitted. (ii) Removing sensor dust or scratches on scans of negatives is permitted.
- 4No Manipulations: The photos should not be manipulated to change Visual content of image. Manipulation of pictures and using editing software to place or remove additional elements in the picture will lead to disqualification.
- 5Logos: Please ensure the submitted photographs do not contain your name, signature, logo, border, company name or any watermarks. Such entries will be disqualified.
- 6Refrain from using the same text in captions or story to avoid disqualification. Content should be respectful of local traditions and practices and not violate the law of the respective countries
- 1Decision of Jury: The decision of Jury and Judges is final and binding on all participants
- 2Shortlisted participants: will be required to provide the following for authentication to move ahead in the competition
- 3RAW FILES in Specified file formats to further process the application.
- 4Unchanged EXIF Details
- 5Images where such details are not available will be discarded. We advise all participants to submit only those images which have RAW Files and EXIF Data
- 6Fraud Prevention: In order to rule out fraud, shortlisted & winning entries will be required to furnish government approved proof of identity, residence.
- 7Bank Account and Pan Card: Winning entries must provide bank account details and Pan Card (For Indian Nationals) and Passport (for foreign nationals) to receive prizes. Name must be identical on the competition, bank account and Pan Card. All cash prizes are subject to prevailing Indian Tax laws.
- 1A special award for the participant receiving the maximum public votes.
- 2Once published on the Aarts Maestro Showcase, participants are encouraged to share their entries across social media, personal and professional networks and communities.
- 3Participants can drive engagement and maximize votes by promoting their work actively.
- 4For a tamper-proof and legitimate process, voters must register on www.aartsmaestro.com and cast their votes. All votes must be cast only on the Aarts Maestro platform.
- 5Likes on social media or even on Aarts Maestro do not count — voting is by registration only.
- Story Telling
- Emotion & Impact
- Lighting
- Relevance to theme
- Technical Quality
- Conservation Focus
- Creativity & originality
- Composition
Timeline
5th May 2026
Registration Closes
Last day to register and pay
2
7th May 2026
Submission Closes
Final deadline for uploading entries
3
15th May 2026
Public Voting Closes
Public Voting Closes
4
2nd June 2026
Award Ceremony
Grand Award Ceremony at the IBCA Summit
Global Big Cats Photography Competition 2025
Award Winners
Hon. Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav and Dignitaries seated at the dais
Hon. Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav addressing the audience at the Winners Felicitation Ceremony
Dr. SP Yadav, DG, IBCA, welcoming dignitaries and outlining IBCA's vision for global big cat conservation through science, habitat protection, and collaboration
Dignitaries and officials seated at the dais during the ceremony proceedings
Shri Ramesh Kumar Pandey, ADG, MoEFCC, reading Hon'ble PM Shri Narendra Modi's message celebrating India's harmony with nature and tech-driven conservation efforts
Shri Tanmay Kumar, Secretary, MoEFCC, highlighting India's leadership in sustainability through IBCA, International Solar Alliance, Global Biofuel Alliance, and CDRI, reaffirming wildlife protection as key to intergenerational equity
Mr. Clement Benn, IGF, MoEFCC, proposing the Vote of Thanks, appreciating partners, embassies, and artists
Attendees, dignitaries and guests gathered at the ceremony venue
1st Prize Winner Rajarshi Banerji receiving cash prize cheque of One Lakh rupees and Winner Certificate from Hon. Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav and Dr. SP Yadav
3rd Prize Winner Narayan Malu receiving cash prize cheque of Fifty Thousand rupees and Winner Certificate from Hon. Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav and Dr. SP Yadav
4th Prize Winner Anosh Koppikar receiving cash prize cheque and Winner Certificate from Hon. Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav and Dr. SP Yadav
5th Prize Winner Prasad Hamine receiving cash prize cheque and Winner Certificate from Hon. Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav and Dr. SP Yadav
6th Prize Winner Jeetendra Chaware receiving cash prize cheque and Winner Certificate from Hon. Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav and Dr. SP Yadav
7th Prize Winner Capt. Vishwas Patwardhan receiving cash prize cheque and Winner Certificate from Hon. Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav and Dr. SP Yadav
8th Prize Winner Vinod Sharma receiving cash prize cheque and Winner Certificate from Hon. Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav and Dr. SP Yadav
Hon. Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav and dignitaries viewing the photography exhibition of award-winning big cat photographs
Hon. Minister Shri Bhupender Yadav viewing the photography exhibition
4th Prize Winner Anosh Koppikar with his family viewing his award-winning photographs at the exhibition
Award-winning big cat photographs displayed at the exhibition
Award-winning big cat photographs displayed at the exhibition
Complete display of award-winning big cat photographs at the exhibition
Top Prize Winners proudly displaying their cash prize cheques and Winner Certificate at the ceremony
Our Sponsors
Astral Foundation
Serving society—across diverse communities, local neighbourhoods, and the natural environment—is at the core of Astral Foundation’s vision. Established as an initiative of the Astral Group, a brand known for excellence in the piping, adhesives, water storage, and sanitaryware industry, the Foundation is committed to creating a meaningful and lasting impact. Astral Foundation works towards the well-being of humanity while promoting the conservation of wildlife and nature. Through its initiatives, it seeks to build opportunities that strengthen communities at the grassroots level, enabling inclusive growth and long-term empowerment.
Learn MoreOur Partners
Supported by leading global conservation bodies
Platform Terms & Conditions
Limited Grant of Rights: Aarts Maestro respects the creator's copyright to their work and the same shall remain vested with the creator of the image. By entering into the competition, you grant the platform Aarts Maestro, the organiser - IBCA & all existing and upcoming sponsors of the competition, their licensees and designees the worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-free right to use the entry in the platform / sponsor / organizers print, electronic and web communications, on digital assets, products, merchandise, and in ads promoting current or future competitions or activities related to BIG CATS, without further permission, compensation, or notification. You further agree that the said platform / organizer / sponsor shall have the right to use your name and / or photograph for the same purposes.
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