vivo has announced the fourth edition of the vivo Imagine Smartphone Photography Awards, conducted in partnership with National Geographic Creative Works. The competition invites mobile photography and videography enthusiasts across India to submit visual stories centered around the theme “How Far Your Curiosity Can Take You?”
Submissions officially open on September 23, 2026, and will conclude on November 1, 2026.
Competition Categories and Format
The fourth edition features six total competition categories. Five are dedicated to still photography:
- Portrait
- Nature & Landscape
- Night & Light
- Motion
- Street & Culture
A sixth category, Short Film, has been introduced this season under the theme “My City.” This new addition expands the platform into smartphone videography, focusing on short-form visual storytelling.
Jury and Prizes
All submissions will go through an initial audit before undergoing formal review by a panel of recognized photographers, including Auditya Venkatesh, Vineet Vohra, Rakesh Pulapa, and Aamir Wani.
The competition offers cash rewards and hardware:
- The Grand Winner will receive a cash prize of INR 5 lakh.
- Category Winners, alongside the Grand Winner, will each receive a vivo X300 Ultra smartphone.
Winners will be announced and recognized at an event concluding Season 4 in November 2026.
Community Initiatives and Precedent
Alongside the competition, vivo plans to organize community engagement initiatives across India. These include masterclasses, photo walks, and technical tutorials led by professional photographers to offer practical guidance in smartphone imaging.
The initiative follows the competition’s third edition, which drew over 63,000 entries nationwide and concluded with Soumayan Biswas securing the Grand Winner title and the INR 5 lakh prize.
Participation Details
- Eligibility: Submissions must be captured on vivo smartphones.
- Submission Window: September 23, 2026 – November 1, 2026.
- Portal: Entries, eligibility requirements, and official rules are accessible at vivoimagine.com.
- Results: Category winners and the Grand Winner will be revealed in November 2026.
Regarding this, Geetaj Channana, Chief Corporate Communications Officer, vivo India, said:
Over the years, vivo Imagine has grown into a platform that celebrates not just smartphone photography, but the individual perspectives and stories behind every frame. With Season 4, our association with National Geographic Creative Works brings a new dimension to this journey, while the introduction of the Video category expands the platform to recognise the growing community of creators who use moving images to tell stories. Together, we want to encourage photography enthusiasts across India to remain curious, explore the world around them and discover how far their perspective can take them. At vivo India, we continue to advance smartphone imaging with the belief that technology should empower people to capture, create and tell stories in their own distinctive way.