About the Competition
The First Global Celebration of Retouching
- Retoucher of the Year is the world’s first international competition dedicated entirely to the art of retouching.
This is not a portfolio competition. Every participant in the same country and category works on the same official images and briefs — creating a level playing field where skills can be measured, compared, and truly understood.
- The competition is organised across four regional competitions — Europe, Americas, Africa & Middle East, and Asia-Pacific — each with its own jury, prizes, Regional Titles, and a Regional Top 50 recognising the strongest artists across all categories.
- The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in each category from every region advance to the Global Final, where they compete for the international titles of Beauty, Product, Fashion, Composite Retoucher of the Year, Colour Grader of the Year, Rising Star of the Year – Beauty, and Rising Star of the Year – Product.
- This is not only for professional retouchers. It’s for designers and also for photographers who shape their own images — from the first idea, to the shoot, to the final delivery.
- Retouching is not just a job title, it is responsibility for the final image.
- And this is where that responsibility is tested — and recognised.
The Mission
Retouching has always been invisible work.
We’re here to change that.
Our mission is to:
- Make retouching visible, respected, and recognised as a professional craft.
- Create a global standard of excellence rooted in authenticity and ethics.
- Build a bridge between photographers, retouchers, and designers — showing how collaboration creates true visual artistry.
This isn’t just a competition.
It’s a movement redefining how the creative industry values the unseen hands behind every image.
REGIONAL COMPETITIONS
Retoucher of the Year is organised across four regional competitions, bringing together artists from similar creative markets before they advance to the Global Final.
EUROPE
Western & Northern Europe, Central & Eastern Europe, and Russia.
AMERICAS
North America, Central America & Caribbean, and South America.
AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST
Africa, the Middle East, and the Caucasus.
ASIA–PACIFIC
South Asia, East Asia, Oceania, and surrounding Pacific nations.
Every regional competition follows the same judging standards, categories, and evaluation process, while recognising the strongest artists within each region before advancing to the Global Final.
How It Works
Choose your category — Rising Star, Supernova, Luminist, Halo, or Alchemist.
Registration is now open for all phases, but each phase closes at a different time. Don’t leave it for later and risk missing your spot.
After registration closes for each phase, participants receive the official brief and the image files for their selected category.
You may enter more than one category if you feel ambitious or want to expand your portfolio.
Follow the brief carefully. Name your files correctly.
Keep your layers organised and your retouching clean.
Upload your JPGs before the submission deadline.
(In each category, a selected group of participants will be asked to submit their layered PSD files for further technical assessment.)
Each entry is evaluated for adherence to the brief, visual quality, and technical precision. Judging is anonymous and conducted in three rounds by regional juries of senior retouchers and designers. In the first stage, selected participants in each category will be asked to submit their layered PSD files for technical evaluation. Please keep your files organised, with clear layer structure and naming — as they may be required for review.
Every participant receives scores and jury feedback for each submitted image through their personal dashboard.
Following the regional judging process, each of the four regions publishes an official Top 50 Artists Ranking, recognising the highest-scoring artists across all competition categories.
Regional titles, awards, and cash prizes are presented in every category:
- Beauty Retoucher of the Year
- Product Retoucher of the Year
- Fashion Retoucher of the Year
- Composite Retoucher of the Year
- Colour Grader of the Year
- Rising Star of the Year – Beauty
- Rising Star of the Year – Product
In each category, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place are awarded.
The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners from each regional competition are then invited to represent their region in the Global Final, where they compete for the international titles.
Regional winners and Global Title Holders are featured across the Retoucher of the Year platform, interviews, press releases, social media, and partner channels—bringing their work to an international audience.
While regional competitions include cash prizes, the greatest reward is lasting recognition from the people who understand the craft best: photographers, creative directors, studios, agencies, and fellow retouchers.
in this competition,
what you win, lasts longer than money — it’s
reputation, exposure, and belonging to a movement raising the bar for everyone.
The Categories
Each category celebrates a distinct role in shaping the final image:
- Rising Star — For emerging talents in Beauty and Product, competing for Rising Star of the Year.
- Supernova — For experienced professionals competing for Beauty Retoucher of the Year and Product Retoucher of the Year.
- Luminist — For Lightroom, Capture One, and Camera Raw artists, competing for Colour Grader of the Year.
- Alchemist — For Photoshop artists competing for Composite Retoucher of the Year.
- Halo — For fashion photographers and retouchers, competing for Fashion Retoucher of the Year.
Some categories test pure technique.
Some measure taste and restraint.
Some challenge imagination. Together, they reflect the full spectrum of image-making — where responsibility is shared across photographers, retouchers, and designers.
This year’s challenge focuses on Beauty and Product and Fashion.
Next year, the competition expands to include Jewellery, Automotive and Key Art.
The Jury
Each national round is judged by a panel of experts — senior retouchers, photographers, creative directors, cinematographers, and quality controllers from top studios.
They represent the highest level of technical and artistic understanding in the field.
Judging is anonymous, structured, and multi-step, balancing execution, adherence to brief, and creative impact.
Every jury ensures that skill, not popularity, defines excellence.
Why Participate
Because this is your moment to be seen — in your country, and across the global creative stage.
An opportunity to expand your portfolio with outstanding images from great photographers,
while working within a professional environment that reflects real industry standards.
REGIONAL Top 50
It’s not just a list — it’s a mark of mastery.
It reflects technical excellence, consistency, and creative vision — the standard of a region’s craft.
To make it here means your work stood out not only for what it looked like — but how it was made.
Organised By
Retouch League™ - United Kingdom
Founded by Tímea Buknicz, a Hungarian creative with over 20 years of experience in photography and visual arts.
Beginning her career as an artworker and award-winning photographer, she later moved to England, transitioning into high-end retouching and e-commerce production.
She has worked with London-based studios including Blend Studios, The Vow Studio, MADE.com and Ted Baker and has retouched beauty campaigns for brands such as Creed Fragrance and Miller Harris.
Her journey inspired the creation of Retouch League™ — a global platform giving visibility and respect to the invisible craft behind every great image.
The Vision
Retoucher of the Year is only the beginning.
The broader mission of Retouch League is to build the world’s first professional ecosystem for post-production:
- A global retoucher database for verified talent.
- A standardised skill-testing system for professional credibility.
- An educational platform dedicated to e-commerce retouching.
Because retouching deserves its own stage, recognition, and legacy.
