Katie Brockman is the 2026 International Dog Photographer of the Year, winning overall with Loved and Hated—an image that also took first place in Studio. The official gallery presents winners across six categories, from outdoor portraits and action to documentary scenes and constructed studio work. See the 2026 Dog Photography Awards winners gallery.
Who won the 2026 Dog Photography Awards?
Katie Brockman won the overall title, International Dog Photographer of the Year, with Loved and Hated. The image also placed first in the Studio category. The organizer’s gallery names winners in six categories: Portrait Outdoor, Action, Studio, Dogs & People, Documentary, and Open. PetaPixel reports that the 2026 competition drew 1,900 entries from 50 countries; those figures are PetaPixel’s reporting, rather than statistics confirmed in the organizer’s gallery.
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The organizer says its mission is “to honor top dog photographers, discover emerging talent, and showcase dogs’ extraordinary diversity.” The range of winning images reflects that breadth: some center on a dog’s expression, others on movement or relationships, and several use deliberate settings or documentary moments to tell a larger story.
Overall winner: Katie Brockman’s “Loved and Hated”
Brockman’s winning portrait uses newspaper clippings to create a crown and collar for Caldwell, the dog she adopted from a rescue center after three years, according to Digital Camera World. The headlines praise and demonize pitbulls, making the image’s constructed details part of its message rather than mere decoration.
#1 Best Overall
Brockman told the organizers: “For this image, I wanted to convey society’s complicated relationship with pitbulls and bully breeds.” She added: “The collar and chain represent breed bans, restrictions and other ways pitbulls are punished.” Those are the photographer’s stated intentions for this image, not a claim about any individual dog’s behavior. Digital Camera World’s report on Brockman and the image includes her explanation.
Category winners
The official gallery lists first-, second-, and third-place photographs in each category. Titles and photographer spellings below follow the organizer’s entries.
Rank #2
Portrait Outdoor
- First: Elena Marchi, “Beyond the Track”
- Second: Susan Lang, “The hunter becomes the hunted”
- Third: Kairi Laiapea, “It’s Her World”
Action
- First: Nika Kuplenk Golobič, “Winter Launch”
- Second: Gavriella Leon, “Mission Balance”
- Third: Linda Glomb, “Weightless”
Studio
- First: Katie Brockman, “Loved and Hated”
- Second: Jill Garrett, “Head in the Clouds”
- Third: Belinda Richards, “This Is Growing Up”
Dogs & People
- First: Sarah Ebner, “Close”
- Second: Eco Lorka, “Nika & Sherry”
- Third: Santos Román, “The Weight of Connection”
Documentary
- First: Tianhang Zhang, “Waiting”
- Second: Katie Gyltnes, “On top of the world”
- Third: Katie Gyltnes, “Alone together”
Open
- First: Elena Marchi, “Run.”
- Second: Callie Soden, “Loosing Control”
- Third: Tianhang Zhang, “Swimming”
View the photographs and their captions in the official 2026 winners gallery. The organizer calls the portrait category “Portrait Outdoor”; PetaPixel shortens it to “Portrait.”
What distinguishes the winning images?
The category list offers a quick way into the gallery. Portrait Outdoor foregrounds the dog as a subject in an outdoor setting; Action is built around motion; Dogs & People puts the relationship between species at the center; and Documentary records dogs in particular situations. Studio makes room for controlled, constructed imagery, while Open allows a broader range of approaches. These are useful ways to browse the winning work, not a published judging rubric: no judging criteria or jury statement is provided in the cited results material.
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Selected captions also show that the photographers used varied equipment, without implying that a particular setup is necessary for dog photography. For example, the official gallery lists a Nikon Z8 with a Nikkor F 300mm 2.8 for Michelle Dawkins’s selected Action images, and a Nikon Z9 with a Sigma 135mm for Paula Grekelä’s “Forest creatures” and “Intensity.” These are examples from gallery captions, not the equipment of the category winners listed above.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Prizes and the 2026 winners book
Digital Camera World reports that Brockman received €700 (approximately $800 / £600), an engraved trophy, and a spotlight placement in the annual book and winners’ gallery. PetaPixel separately reports a €2,500 total cash prize pool for the competition; that is a different figure from the overall winner’s reported prize. The organizer’s homepage announces a 2026 annual book, but its current retail listing, price, and availability are not established here. Visit the Dog Photography Awards site for its book announcement.
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