Hasselblad has removed a finalist from its Hasselblad Masters 2026 photography competition after confirming the entry broke the contest's ban on generative AI. The company told PetaPixel the photographer is out and another has taken the vacant place, though it has not put out a formal statement on the decision and says it remains committed to authentic photography.
The picture, in the Street category, drew suspicion as soon as the 70 finalists, ten in each of seven categories, were published, with commenters pointing to the usual marks of image generation. Hasselblad said then that it would verify the entry and revoke its place if a breach was confirmed. The finalists were chosen by an internal vote at Hasselblad, not by the grand jury, so the replacement is simply the next-ranked entry from that vote and starts level with the other nine, since the jury has not yet assessed any of the work.
Finalists stay anonymous at this stage. Each category winner receives 5,000 euros, a Hasselblad kit worth more than $10,000 and the title of Hasselblad Master; anyone with a free Hasselblad account can vote until June 1, and winners are due on June 30.
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