RETOUCHER OF THE YEAR －GLOBAL PHASE STRUCTURE
The Retoucher of the Year competition is built around regional competitions, bringing together retouchers within shared creative landscapes. We group countries into regions such as Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa. We recognise that the number of professional retouchers varies from country to country. Some markets are more established, while others are still growing. To create a clear and balanced structure, participants compete within regions based on their country of residence
Regional structure & global Rankings
Participants enter within the region they belong to, based on the country where they permanently reside.
We currently work with the following regions:
Western & Northern Europe | Central & Eastern Europe | North America | Central America & Caribbean South America | North Africa | South Africa | Middle East | Caucasus | East Asia | South Asia | Oceania
- If a country within a regional competition receives over 500 entries, it will evolve into its own independent national competition-awarding Top 3 artists per category.
- Within each region, we recognise the Top 50 artists per category, forming the official regional ranking, and celebrate the Top 3 artists per category.
This structure creates a clear path from regional recognition to the global stage.
GLOBAL REGISTRATION NOW OPEN
REGISTER NOW AND RECEIVE
Follow Retoucher of the Year on Instagram and visit our jury members’ and affiliate partners’ profiles to find a 10% discount code for your registration.
Access to the private Ordo Lucis group —
a creative inner circle where you’ll find:
- Portfolio feedback
- Guidance on professional layer structure and file organisation
- Behind-the-scenes insights from industry experts
- Connect with retouchers and photographers from around the world
Registration is now open for everyone,
but each phase closes on its own deadline.
Don’t be the one to wait until the last moment - and risk missing your chance! Secure your place now.
PHASE I －
THE EXPANSION
western & Northern europe
includes UK, Ireland, France, Germany, benelux switzerland, austria, italy, spain, portugal, malta and the nordic countries
Registration Opens
2026
February
01
Registration Closes
2026
June
30
(24:00 UTC)
Submission Period
2026
July
01
26
(24:00 UTC)
Jury Period
2026
From July
27
(6–8 weeks)
PHASE II －
THE CONTINENTAL RISE
central & eastern europe
- includes
- Hungary
- poland
- czechia
- slovakia
- romania
- bulgaria
- slovenia
- croatia
- serbia
- albania
- montenegro
- kosovo
- macedonia
- greece
- cyprus
- baltic states
- moldova
- belarus
- ukrain
Registration Opens
2026
February
01
Registration Closes
2026
June
30
(24:00 UTC)
Submission Period
2026
July
01
26
(24:00 UTC)
Jury Period
2026
From July
27
(6–8 weeks)
PHASE III －
THE WESTERN CURRENT
North america
central america & Caribbean
south america
Registration Opens
2026
February
01
Registration Closes
2026
July
31
(24:00 UTC)
Submission Period
2026
Aug
01
31
(24:00 UTC)
Jury Period
2026
From Sept
01
(6–8 weeks)
PHASE IV
Middle east & Caucasus
- includes
- Russia
- turkey
- georgia
- armenia
- azerbaijan
- iran
- afghanistan
- pakistan
- kazahstan and surrounding countries
africa
Registration Opens
2026
February
01
Registration Closes
2026
Aug
30
(24:00 UTC)
Submission Period
2026
Sept
01
27
(24:00 UTC)
Jury Period
2026
From Sept
28
(6–8 weeks)
PHASE V －
THE EASTERN VISION
east asia & Oceania
- hong kong
- south korea
- japan
- taiwan
- singapore
- australia
- new zealand
- surrounding pacific nations
central Asia
- china
- thailand
- laos
- malaysia
south asia
- india
- nepal
- bhutan
- bangladesh
- sri lanka
- maldives
- myanmar
- vietnam
- cambodia
- indonesia
- philippines
- papua new guinea
Registration Opens
2026
February
01
Registration Closes
2026
Aug
30
(24:00 UTC)
Submission Period
2026
Sept
01
30
(24:00 UTC)
Jury Period
2026
From October
01
(6–8 weeks)
GLOBAL
SHOWCASE & CHALLENGE
After all six phases are complete, the journey reaches its highest stage — the Global Showcase & Challenge, where the world’s finest retouchers stand side by side.
From each region — or from an individual country where participation exceeds 500 entries — the Top 3 artists per category are invited to represent their region on the global stage.
These finalists enter the Global Showcase, an international challenge celebrating the craft, creativity, and technical mastery that define the new era of retouching.
Each finalist receives a new, unreleased set of images, along with one unified creative brief, designed to test both artistic vision and technical precision.
This marks the beginning of the Global Challenge — a final round where every artist competes on equal ground: same images, same conditions, one shared opportunity to demonstrate excellence.
Participation in this round is complimentary for all finalists.
An international jury of renowned retouchers will evaluate the final works anonymously — seeking the artist whose mastery, subtlety, and vision redefine what excellence looks like in modern retouching.
From this final evaluation, one title will emerge:
RETOUCHER OF THE YEAR － GLOBAL WINNER
Submission Period
2026
Nov
01
21
(24:00 UTC)
Jury Period
2026
From Nov
22
(2 weeks)
Our approach to regions in conflict:
We welcome individuals, not politics.
Participation focuses solely on artistry and mutual respect, because creativity must remain a safe space for expression.