The program's main goal is to encourage excellence, educate photographers and motivate them to be constantly committed to their craft by entering the competition and to be recognized by their peers for their achievements.

Awards are determined by the following scores:

An entrant's four top scoring entries from each yearly contest cycle will contribute to their Honors of Excellence designation. The 2021-2022 cycle includes WPPI The Annual: 16x20 Print, Album and Filmmaking Competition, with live judging at the 2022 WPPI show.

Entries from past competition cycles may not be re-entered.

Points will be awarded as follows:

A winner of a Grand Award achieved from The Annual: 16x20 Print, Album and Filmmaking Competition (past Premiere Grand Awards not eligible) receives 5 points towards their Honors of Excellence title.

The entry that wins the Grand Award will only receive 5 points. For example, if an entry received a silver distinction and then went on to win the Grand Award, then the print receives 5 points, not 6 points. In other words, the points for a particular entry do not accumulate if it also wins the Grand Award.

A entrant from the multiple person album category can allocate up to half their points awarded from their award entries to other contributor(s) in 1 or 1/2 point increments by notifying WPPI. Only the entrant or contributor selected by the entrant can be awarded the Grand Award and 5 points towards their Honors of Excellence designation.

A Grand Award received from the first and second half online competitions will not contribute towards the necessary Grand Award to achieve a Grand Master designation.

Grand Awards are only awarded to divisions that have more than one category or if WPPI determines it’s appropriate.

80+ points or

Win 5 Grand Awards achieved from The Annual: 16x20 Print, Album and Filmmaking Competition (past Premiere Grand Awards aren’t eligible)

The Grand Master of WPPI title holds a lot of prestige and honors years of dedication to the entrants craft and committed to growth. No one who earns this award will be unworthy of it—they will have earned it over a number of years and with consistently high scoring prints.

If a member wins 5 Grand Awards they are the master of the Grand Award, hence a Grand Master. This path towards Grand Master status holds as much prestige as achieving it by accumulating points.

(title including a trophy and a second Grand Master of WPPI token.)

(they receive a title and a trophy.)

Master: Red

Double Master of WPPI: Red

Triple Master of WPPI: Red

Grand Master: Black

Double Grand Master: Black

Triple Grand Master: Black