vivo, the smartphone brand, has announced the fourth edition of the vivo Imagine Smartphone Photography Awards, inviting photography and videography enthusiasts across India to showcase their creativity and visual storytelling through smartphone imaging under the theme “How Far Your Curiosity Can Take You?” The fourth edition is being conducted in association with National Geographic Creative Works. Entries open on September 23, 2026, and will remain open until November 1, 2026.

A new video category alongside five photography categories

The new edition invites photography and videography enthusiasts to follow their curiosity, look at the world from new perspectives and discover stories in both extraordinary and everyday. The awards span five static photography categories — Portrait, Nature & Landscape, Night & Light, Motion and Street & Culture. Short Film is the sixth category, with the theme ‘My City’, and has been introduced this season to expand vivo Imagine beyond still imagery and recognise smartphone-led storytelling through moving images in the form of short-form videos.

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.”

Prizes, jury and evaluation

Following the audit process, the entries will be evaluated by the jury to determine the category winners and the Grand Winner. The Grand Winner of vivo Imagine 2026 will receive INR 5 lakh, while winners across the six categories, including the Grand Winner, will receive a vivo X300 Ultra each. The winners and their work will be celebrated at the culmination of vivo Imagine Season 4 in November 2026.

Entries will be evaluated by a jury comprising acclaimed photographers Auditya Venkatesh, Vineet Vohra, Rakesh Pulapa and Aamir Wani.

Community engagement beyond the competition

Beyond the awards, vivo Imagine Season 4 will engage photography communities across India through photo-walks, masterclasses and learning experiences, led by vivo’s professional photographers. Complemented by how-to content, photography tips and social storytelling, these engagements will give enthusiasts opportunities to learn from experts, experiment with their craft and explore new ways of visual storytelling through smartphones.

How to participate

• Entries open on September 23, 2026
• Participants can submit their entries at vivoimagine.com
• Entries can be submitted across Portrait, Nature & Landscape, Night & Light, Motion, Street & Culture and Short Film
• Each participant can submit photos or short videos clicked on their vivo smartphone
• Entries close on November 1, 2026
• The final entries will be evaluated by the jury following the audit process
• Category winners and the Grand Winner will be announced in November 2026

For complete participation guidelines, eligibility criteria and terms and conditions, participants can visit vivoimagine.com.

Building on a growing track record

In its third edition, the Imagine Awards attracted over 63,000 entries from across India. Soumayan Biswas was named the Grand Winner and awarded INR 5 lakhs for his outstanding image — a benchmark this fourth, National Geographic-backed edition will look to build on as it opens up to short-form video for the first time.