A salute turning into a toast, a face almost dissolving into paint, an untold story, and a rain-soaked street. The winners of the Pure Street Photography Awards 2026 show just how much can happen in a fleeting moment.
The Pure Street Photography Awards 2026 received 1,582 entries from photographers in fifty countries. Eight photographers ultimately emerged as winners across the Open Category and the Black & White Category. Another 158 finalists were selected.
That final category in particular offers a compelling survey of what black-and-white street photography can be: not one style or one type of street scene, but four very different ways of seeing.
Cesare Simioni Wins with Soul Beneath the Paint
Brazilian photographer Cesare Simioni was named Grand Winner of the Black & White Category for Soul Beneath the Paint. The title alone suggests that this is more than a chance street scene. Simioni plays with faces, paint, form, and identity, turning an everyday moment into something almost surreal.
First prize went to British photographer Chris Mozyro for From Salute to Cheers. Jonathan Varjabedian of the United States finished second with Untold Story, while French photographer Sven Delaye placed third with The Rain.
These four photographs could hardly be more different, but they share one quality: each required the photographer not only to look, but also to react at exactly the right moment.
Rui Palha on the Jury
The Black & White Category was judged by Portuguese street photographer Rui Palha. It was a fitting choice, as everyday human life on the street has been central to his own photography for many years. Rather than spectacle, his work often begins with small gestures, encounters, light, and chance.
The organizers also opted for completely anonymous judging. While evaluating the photographs, jury members were shown no name, nationality, gender, biography, or other information about the photographer. Only the image counted.
In the Open Category, judged by Fiona Shields, Head of Photography at The Guardian, Daniel Kashi of France was named Grand Winner for Chantilly June 2025. The other prizes went to Leone Von Dizic of Italy for Threshold, Taichi Naitou of Japan for Guuin, and Marco Cajazzo of Italy for The Last Light.
Exhibition
All eight winning photographs and the 158 finalists will be on view from November 20–22, 2026, at Jawahar Kala Kendra in Jaipur, India. With 166 photographs in total, the organizers say it will be India's largest exhibition devoted entirely to contemporary street photography.
The competition thus takes on a tangible new form. A street photograph, usually made in a fraction of a second and now often viewed on a screen within seconds, is suddenly given space on a museum wall.
The first Pure Street Photography Awards exhibition was held in early 2026 at the Jehangir Art Gallery in Mumbai. It featured 147 photographs and, according to the organizers, attracted more than 25,000 visitors in six days.
Seeing What Others Walk Past
Pure Street Photography was founded in 2020 by photographers and curators Dimpy Bhalotia and Kamal Kumaar Rao. The organization says it has since built an international audience of more than 300,000 photographers and photography enthusiasts.
Bhalotia describes the essence of street photography beautifully: “Street photography begins with honesty. It doesn’t wait for perfection or performance. It asks us to notice what everyone else walked past. Every photograph in this exhibition is a reminder that life doesn’t become meaningful just because it is extraordinary. It becomes meaningful because someone truly saw it.”
The 2026 winners demonstrate exactly that. There are no grand sets or carefully staged scenes, but moments that probably disappeared as quickly as they appeared. The photographer was there—and was paying attention.
Without color, even greater emphasis falls on light, form, contrast, and the decisive moment. Our tips for better black-and-white photographs explain how you can use these elements in your own photography.
See more photos on the PurePhotography website.
