TECNO has announced the winners of its 2026 Shot On CAMON Global Photography Contest, celebrating creativity and storytelling through smartphone photography. Co-hosted with Lonely Planet, the third edition attracted more than 13,000 entries from over 40 countries. A total of 16 photographers were recognised for their work, sharing a combined prize pool of $38,000.

The winners were announced on November 2, 2026, under the theme “Seeing is Believing.” The contest brought together photographs capturing everyday life, cultural traditions, emotional portraits, nighttime scenes and creative AI photography.

Nigerian Photographer Wins the Grand Prize

The biggest award of the competition, the TECNO Photography Master title, went to Nigerian photographer @dominic_films for the photograph Weightless Voyager.

Captured in Lagos using the TECNO CAMON 50 Pro, the photograph shows a carefully timed moment against the warm light of sunset. The image represents freedom, movement and the feeling of leaving behind fears and expectations.

The photograph earned the photographer the grand prize of $8,000, making it the top-winning entry of this year’s competition.

Winners Across Five Photography Categories

The competition featured five categories, each recognising Gold, Silver and Bronze winners.

In the Faces · Unfiltered category, Unvarnished, a portrait taken at home in Nigeria, won Gold for its creative exploration of identity. The Silver award went to A Glimpse of Joy, capturing a child’s happiness after rainfall in the Philippines, while The Horse Guard, featuring an elderly woman taking part in an Indonesian cultural ceremony, received Bronze.

The Culture · Unscripted category celebrated traditions and communities. A Dance of Faith, photographed during a festival in Cebu, Philippines, won Gold. India’s Harvesting the Lilies, showing a worker collecting water lilies in West Bengal, secured Silver. Threads of a Master, documenting a traditional Ilocano weaver working on a 120-year-old loom, received Bronze.

In Night · Unveiled, Painting Night took Gold for its creative use of long-exposure photography. Light Beyond Darkness, captured in Bangladesh, won Silver, while Malaysia’s traditional shadow puppetry photograph, Theater of Shadows, earned Bronze.

The Snapshot · Unspotted category focused on unexpected moments. The Courage to Let Go, featuring a skateboarder mid-jump in Jakarta, won Gold. A Playful Moment, showing a boy and a goose on a seesaw, received Silver, while Childhoods, capturing children playing with motorcycle tires, won Bronze.

Meanwhile, AI · Unimagined recognised creative photography and AI-assisted artwork. Where Hope Still Perches won Gold, followed by The Spiral Within with Silver and Onward, created using TECNO’s AI Art Gallery, with Bronze.

Cash Prizes and Special Rewards

Along with the $8,000 grand prize, Gold winners received $3,000 each, Silver winners earned $2,000 and Bronze winners took home $1,000.

TECNO also rewarded ten participants with CAMON 50 Series smartphones through its TECNO Friend Award. Selected winners received a bespoke travel experience from Lonely Planet.

TECNO Highlights Creativity Through Mobile Photography

Representatives from Lonely Planet praised the quality and creativity of the submissions, particularly how photographers captured the emotions and atmosphere of different places.

TECNO imaging expert Zhang Liankai also highlighted the company’s focus on developing camera technology that helps users express their creativity and capture meaningful moments.

With more than 13,000 entries from around the world, the 2026 Shot On CAMON contest showcased how smartphones can be used for much more than everyday pictures. From cultural celebrations to artistic AI creations, the winning photographs demonstrated how creativity, timing and technology can come together to tell powerful stories.

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