Organizer Information
Huawei is a Chinese multinational technology company headquartered in Shenzhen, founded in 1987 by Ren Zhengfei, and it has grown into one of the world's leading manufacturers of telecommunications equipment and consumer electronics, including smartphones, tablets, wearables, and cloud services. XMAGE is Huawei's dedicated mobile photography brand, built around the imaging systems and software of its Huawei-branded smartphones. Beyond the annual XMAGE Awards contest, Huawei runs the brand through recurring exhibitions, the XMAGE Atelier programme, and the XMAGE Young Photographers Program, aimed at building a global community of mobile photographers. The 2026 edition of the Awards follows a 2025 cycle that culminated in a Paris exhibition and ceremony.
Title & Description
HUAWEI XMAGE Awards 2026
The XMAGE Awards are Huawei's annual global photography and video contest for mobile imagery captured on Huawei smartphones. It invites Huawei phone users worldwide to submit still photographs and short videos across nine themed categories, with entries reviewed by an international jury and a shortlist ("XMAGE 100") and three Grand Prize Winners selected from the pool of approved submissions.
Categories
- Photography
- Video/Film
- Digital
- Technology
- AI
- Media Arts
- Motion
Eligibility
- Open to any Huawei phone user from around the world
- Participants must be 18 years of age or older, or have reached the age of majority in their legal jurisdiction of residence
- Submissions that have already won an award in any other contest, or have been published in a public periodical, will not be accepted
- All submissions must be created with a Huawei phone; there are no restrictions on which Huawei phone model is used, though third-party software may be used for processing
- Videos may be processed on a computer or phone but must be filmed on a Huawei phone
Program Benefits & Awards
- Grand Prize Winner (3 places): XMAGE creation fund of USD 10,000 (pre-tax) plus an electronic certificate
- XMAGE 100 (97 places): XMAGE creation fund of USD 1,500 (pre-tax) plus an electronic certificate
- The organizer reserves the right to modify the number of winners
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 16 August 2026
- Announcement of Winners: November 2026
Location
China
Additional Details
- Selection process: approved submissions are screened by the organizing committee, then a panel of judges selects the "XMAGE 100," from which three Grand Prize Winners are chosen based on the judges' evaluations and the creative intent of the works
- Copyright: entrants retain copyright but irrevocably grant Huawei and its associated companies free, worldwide use of submitted work for two years (ten years for shortlisted entries) from the contest's official start date, covering media, advertising, product marketing, and related uses; Huawei may sublicense these rights to third parties without further consent and is not required to notify entrants of such use
- Entrants must comply with the laws of the People's Republic of China and their own country of residence; disqualifying content includes seditious, pornographic, violent, or terrorist material
- Winners are notified by phone or email, and the winners list is published on the official website
- The jury panel includes Pulitzer Prize–winning photojournalist Liu Heung Shing, Paris Photo director Florence Bourgeois, Fisheye editor-in-chief Fabrice Laroche, and other photography and imaging professionals.