Overall winner will receive a top prize of US$10 000, with other prizes of US$5000 and US$2500.
Concrete in Life 2026/27, a global photography competition for images highlighting the essential role of concrete in everyday life, has opened for entries. Now in its eighth year, the competition celebrates how concrete supports, connects, and enriches societies around the world. Previous winners have demonstrated the sustainability, versatility, beauty, and resilience of the world’s most used material after water.
Run by the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), the competition is open to everyone – professionals, amateurs, or anyone with a smart phone - and entry to the competition is free. Each year, tens of thousands of submissions are received from around the world showcasing the incredible variety of concrete’s uses and how it interacts with our daily lives.
Contestants have a chance to win a top prize of US$10 000 for Best Overall Concrete in Life photo, while each category winner will receive US$2500.
Thomas Guillot, GCCA Chief Executive and one of the competition judges, said:
“Concrete is the foundation of modern life, from the places we call home to our schools, hospitals and transport networks. It is durable, strong and resilient, but it is also more than that. Concrete can be beautiful and is part of some of the world’s most iconic architecture. Our Concrete in Life competition gives people globally a chance to show the essential role of concrete in our lives.”
Contestants are invited to submit their pictures for one of the following categories:
Urban and Infrastructure – infrastructure and buildings that enable our world, in our cities and rural areas, above and below ground.
Concrete in Daily Life – the human side of concrete and how it’s used and interacted with on a daily basis.
Concrete Beauty and Design – capturing the beauty of concrete, showing how it’s used in a particularly striking visual way, whether at a large or small scale.
The competition shortlist, which will be revealed in Q1 2027, will also be eligible for the People’s Vote prize of US$5000, when the public will vote on their favourite photo.
Chris George – Content Director, Digital Camera World and longstanding competition judge, said:
“Concrete is all around us and has a beauty that might not always be obvious to some people. The Concrete in Life global photography competition continues to prove it is possible to take stunning shots of architecture and the manmade environment that show off the beauty of this universal building material.”
The competition is open until 4 December 2026, with the winners announced in Spring 2027.
The image above was taken by 2025/26 overall winner, Celbert Palaganas, and can be found on the GCCA website.
Click here for free registration to World Cement
Check out the World Cement Podcast