Adobe MAX 2026 Creativity Awards: here are the categories and how to submit

Submissions are now open for the third annual Adobe MAX Creativity Awards — Adobe’s annual celebration of the creative community, built to honor the world’s most innovative individuals and teams creating the most inspiring and impactful work created using Adobe tools.

Project submissions are reviewed by a panel of Adobe judges. Winners receive an all-expenses paid trip to MAX 2026 — covering a MAX pass, airfare and hotel accommodations. Winning submissions will be shared at MAX and across Adobe platforms.

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This year, awards will be given in the categories of Design, Image Making, Motion, Photography, and Video, with each category split between two award levels: a Creative Pro Projects Award for submissions by professional creators, including both client/commercial work and, and a Young Creator Projects Award for personal, self-initiated work — eligible on for those aged 18–22 at the time of the work.

Let’s take a closer look at the categories and what our judges want to see:

Design

Submit your most innovative branding, layout, and packaging design projects. We’re looking for bold, strategic design work that pushes creative boundaries while solving real-world challenges. Whether for print, digital, or beyond, we’re honoring design work that is both visually stunning and smartly executed.

Design submissions will be judged on creative concept and originality; visual impact and aesthetic execution; scalability and adaptability; brand storytelling and cohesion; and functionality and usability.

Here are some questions to consider when choosing design projects to submit:

• Does the design offer a fresh perspective, unique style, or conceptual depth?
• How well does the design engage through typography, color, hierarchy, and composition?
• How effectively does the design scale across different platforms and applications?
• How well does the design reinforce the identity and values of the brand or project?
• Does the design effectively communicate its intended message and serve its purpose?

Last year’s 2025 Design honorees included Maria Vioque Niguyen co-founder of HONDO, whose team reimagined the brand identity for legendary Italian furniture maker "Castil"; Moh Febri Adiawarja, founder of WOBL Creative who created the playful, bold "Forketto" pasta brand, and Estrella Gracia of Gusta whose "Cruda" editorial project lived up to its name by celebrating the rawness of images in an era of pixel-perfect retouching.

Image Making

Submit your best digital painting, illustration, 3D, mixed media, and composites. This category recognizes artists who push creative limits and express their vision through beautifully crafted, highly imaginative imagery. It’s where concept, technique and storytelling meet.

Adobe judges will be looking for creative concept and originality; technical execution and craftmanship; narrative and emotion; use of Adobe tools and techniques; and composition and visual impact.

Here are some questions to consider when choosing a project to submit:

• Does the image offer a fresh perspective, unique style, or conceptual depth?
• How well are digital painting, compositing, 3D modeling, or mixed media techniques applied?
• Does the image tell a compelling story or evoke a strong emotional response?
• How effectively are Adobe’s digital painting, compositing, 3D, or generative tools utilized?
• Does the image demonstrate strong composition, color use, and focal balance

Last year we honored image maker Hugo Cuellar for "The Lost Keepers of Flannan Isles", animation and packaging illustration for Fable Whisky, filmmaker and creative director Thomas Dubois for "Keshiki : Echoes of Colorado", and Young Creator Clément Berneron for "Melcos in Metropolis", an illustrated fresco that reimagines New York.

Motion

We’re looking for work that is bold, rhythmic, experimental, or narratively rich, created for any platform, format, or audience. This category spotlights the artists and animators who bring ideas to life through movement, expression, and dynamic storytelling.

Motion submissions will be judged on emotional impact and creative intent; technical execution and animation quality; use of motion design elements and principles; pacing, flow, and use of time; and use of Adobe tools and innovation.

Here are some questions to consider when choosing projects to submit:

• How effectively does the motion work evoke feeling, mood, or atmosphere?
• Are animation principles such as timing, weight, and movement applied effectively?
• How effectively are typography, shapes, graphics, character animation, and transitions used to enhance storytelling?
• Does the animation use time effectively to guide the viewer’s experience?
• How effectively are Adobe motion and animation tools leveraged to enhance the final product?

Last year, we honored New Zealand-based mixed-media director and designer Mardo El-Noor for McDonald's "Make It Click!" road-safety campaign; motion designer Abraham Egbobawaye for his series of animation experiments, "Noodlz"; and Young Creator Anastasia Rykova, a VisDev and 3D artist, for "The Tale of Two Cruel Rulers", a 3D animated short film.

Photography

Whether staged or spontaneous, bold or intimate, we’re looking for work that turns observation into unforgettable imagery. Photography submissions will be judged on composition and framing; lighting and exposure; authenticity and perspective; storytelling and emotional impact; and technical execution and post-processing.

Here are some questions to help you decide what project to submit:

• How thoughtfully are framing, perspective, and spatial relationships used to support the subject or message of the image?
• How effectively is natural or artificial light used to enhance mood and clarity?
• Does the image showcase a fresh, unique perspective or visual style?
• Does the image convey a message, evoke emotion or capture a unique moment?
• Are retouching, color grading and editing techniques used effectively?

Our 2025 Photography honorees included Berlin-based freelance photographer and art director Maria Louceiro for her series, "Music in Berlin"; Izaskun Valmaseda, self-taught visual artist, for her self-portrait, An Act of Becoming; and Young Creator Beatriz Simas, an artist and graduate art history student in Toronto, for "The First Supper 1995/ The First Supper 2024".

Video

Whether narrative, documentary, commercial, or experimental, we’re looking for work that combines thoughtful storytelling, compelling visuals, and intentional pacing to create an emotional or thought-provoking experience. This category is for filmmakers, directors, and creatives who bring compelling stories to life through the power of video.

Judges will look at narrative strength and emotional impact; cinematography and visual composition; editing and pacing; sound and music integration; art direction and design consistency; and video formats and platform adaptability:

Here are some things to consider as you choose projects to submit:

• Does the video tell a compelling and engaging story?
• How well are framing, lighting, and visual aesthetics used to enhance storytelling?
• Are the cuts, transitions, and rhythm effective in maintaining engagement and driving the story?
• How well does the sound design, voiceover, or music enhance the storytelling?
• Is the video’s overall aesthetic, color palette, set design, and styling cohesive and intentional?
• How well does the video translate across different platforms and aspect ratios?

Last year’s Video honorees included London-based cinematographer Saul Knight for "Field Trip"; Howard William Mitsakos, filmmaker and creative director for "Spin Cycle"; and Young Creator Unai Candela, a filmmaker, environmentalist, and anthropology student, for "Alone in Greenland".

Start your submission for MAX 2026.