Special Award Partner: Cambridge University Botanic Garden

IGPOTY is delighted to partner again with Cambridge University Botanic Garden (CUBG), to run a Special Award competition for the 5th consecutive year.

Cambridge University Botanic Garden is home to an incredible diversity of plants from across the globe, with over 8,000 plant species. From towering redwoods of North America to delicate alpine flowers of the Himalayas, the Garden showcases the beauty and variety of plant life from different climates and regions.

This theme invites photographers to capture the essence of global biodiversity within the Garden and the ways the Garden reflects the world’s landscapes, from tropical glasshouses to the Mediterranean Beds to the Terrace Garden highlighting flora of New Zealand.

A selection of higher-placed awarded images from ‘Around the World at Cambridge University Botanic Garden’ will be on display in the Garden in 2026 as part of the main IGPOTY exhibition (dates TBC).

All of the awarded entries are estimated to be announced in February 2026 (TBC).

Prizes

1st Place Adult Prize:

• IGPOTY award certificate

• Image exhibited at CUBG

• Special prizes supplied by CUBG; 1x one-year joint membership to CUBG plus a private tour of the Garden and afternoon tea in the Garden Café for up to 4 people and a signed ‘Director’s Choice’ guidebook.

2nd Place Adult Prize:

• IGPOTY award certificate

• Image exhibited at CUBG

• Special prizes supplied by CUBG; a complimentary visit to CUBG and afternoon tea in the Garden Café (for 2 people) plus a signed ‘Director’s Choice’ guidebook.

3rd Place Adult Prize:

• IGPOTY award certificate

• Image exhibited at CUBG

• Special prizes supplied by CUBG; a complimentary visit to CUBG (for 2 people) plus a signed ‘Director’s Choice’ guidebook.

General rules:

• You may not submit watermarked images with your name or website visible on the photo. Please do not frame your images with borders.
• Entrants may submit a maximum of 4 images per single entry token and a maximum of 6 images per portfolio entry token.
• For free-to-enter competitions you should enter 1 image per token given, up to a maximum of 8 images (8 tokens).
• Entrants' images must be .jpg or .jpeg format and of high enough quality.
• We recommend all images are output to 1920px on their longest side at 72 ppi (ideally with an sRGB colour profile). Any larger than this and you are supplying images bigger than they will be seen or used by IGPOTY judges; your files will take longer to upload and/or download to judges and viewers’ screens.
• The absolute maximum for each image must not be more than 7MB in file size and no more than 3000px on their longest side.
• All entrants must be able to supply a high-res image (300 ppi) suitable for printing/exhibiting should the image be shortlisted. You may be asked for this when the time comes.

N.B.

• High-res source file/s need to be at least 3780 pixels (longest side) @ 300 ppi, ideally larger (and ideally with an Adobe RGB (1998) colour profile).

Full competition rules:

Please see the IGPOTY competition rules, which always prevail:
https://igpoty.com/igpoty-rules/

Category rules:

Special Award competition rules:

Only images captured at Cambridge University Botanic Garden (CUBG) are valid. Entries cannot win the overall IGPOTY prize, nor any other IGPOTY competition prize/s.

Images captured during any year at CUBG are valid for entry, however the minimum IGPOTY entry/size requirements above must still be adhered to.

The competition is free-to-enter. Adults only (aged 18 years and older) may enter. Online entries only via this website. CUBG employees are excluded from entry; volunteers are permitted to enter. Each entrant may upload a maximum of 8 images. For any prizes awarded by CUBG, the winner/s must be available to attend CUBG premises and will be asked to opt-in to be contacted by CUBG in order to facilitate this (and any launch events run by CUBG). No alternative prizes will be given. Standard IGPOTY rules apply. Closing time for entries on the deadline date is midday (noon) GMT.

Entry fees/terms/booking terms apply and any current COVID-19 rules may apply to gain admittance to CUBG.

Online submissions, please use the large, red-outlined 'ENTER NOW' button on this page.

For help please visit our Frequently-Asked-Questions page.