Retouching Academy Is Sponsoring 10 Beauty Entries at Retoucher of the Year 2026
10 Beauty retouchers from the RA community get a fully sponsored entry into Retoucher of the Year 2026.
by Timea Buknicz
September 22, 2026 | 5 min read
Retouching Academy will select 10 Beauty retouchers from its community and cover their ROTY 2026 entry.
If the entry fee has been holding you back, this is for you.
What does the Retouching Academy sponsorship cover?
Retouching Academy is sponsoring one Beauty entry for each of the 10 retouchers selected from its community.
Emerging retouchers compete in Rising Star Beauty.
Established professionals compete in Supernova Beauty.
There is no entry fee for the 10 selected retouchers.
The Beauty category will be added directly to your ROTY account, and you will receive the information you need for the competition.
Who can apply?
You do not need to be a full time professional retoucher.
You can apply if you are:
A Beauty retoucher
or
A photographer who retouches their own Beauty work
You will need an online portfolio so Retouching Academy can review your work.
Applications close Sunday, 27 September, midnight PDT.
BACK HOW TO QUALIFY
STEP 1 - Register for ROTY
Register your email address by Sunday (27th of September) at midnight PDT.
STEP 2 - Complete your profile dashboard
Make sure you include:
Your full name
Country of residence
Portfolio link
Instagram handle
Level of expertise
Your portfolio can be your own website, Behance or another online portfolio.
STEP 3 - Open the Expertise
Select
Retouching Academy
and set your level of expertise (Emerging / Established)
Enter the academy code: RA2026 / verify it and save it. You should receive a confirmation email once the process is complete.
If you have any issues, please email us on hello@retouchleague.com
See the image guide below:
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
Retouching Academy will review the portfolios and select 10 Beauty retouchers from the RA community to receive a sponsored ROTY entry.
Retouching Academy will announce the 10 selected retouchers by Wednesday, 30 September.
For the selected retouchers, the Beauty (For emerging talents Rising Star Beauty / For established professionals Supernova Beauty) category will be added to their ROTY account.
You’ll then receive all the information you need about the competition, including the next steps.
The official competition images and creative brief will be released on 1 October, and you’ll have 25 days to complete and submit your work.
WANT TO BE ONE OF THE 10?
Put your portfolio in front of Retouching Academy.
Applications close 27 September at midnight PDT.
Register for ROTY→ HERE
Want to know more about Retoucher of the Year?
sponsors & partners
Retoucher of the Year’s first edition brings together
Capture One,
Retouching Academy,
MINILAB,
Photoshop Virtual Summit and
Verybusy.io
Verified Retoucher Database
We are building a global, skill-verified retoucher database.
A platform where professional standards are documented, structured and transparent.
Skill-verified means professional standards are demonstrated, not claimed.Assessment is category-specific and based on structured test retouching.
Results are measured, scored and displayed transparently on each professional profile.
Secure early access and priority review ahead of public launch.
