2026 Aperture Portfolio Prize
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Opens5 Nov 2025
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Deadline10 Jan 2026
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Link
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Entry fee€71
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Author
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The 2026 Aperture Portfolio Prize is an annual international competition highlighting emerging photographers.
Overview
The annual international competition that aims to spotlight emerging talent in contemporary photography and is open exclusively to print subscribers of Aperture magazine. The prize seeks coherent, innovative bodies of work created within the past five years, with each image strong enough to stand on its own while contributing to the overall narrative of the series. Technical execution and presentation are considered alongside originality and the uniqueness of the approach.
Practical Info
The sole entry requirement for entering the Portfolio Prize is to be an Aperture magazine print subscriber. Subscriptions must be current through Spring 2026, issue 262. To subscribe, please visit aperture.org/magprize.
When examining entries, judges will consider the following criteria: Was the work created in the past five years? Is a theme or topic carried throughout the portfolio in a fully resolved, consistent manner? Are all the images individually strong? What technical and presentation choices has the photographer made? Are they appropriate for the work? For example, is there a clear reason for the work being in black and white - versus a digitally enhanced palette? Does the body of work take an innovative or unique approach to the subject matter?
Selected artists receive a combination of cash prizes, gear vouchers, and exposure opportunities. The first prize includes $5,000 in cash along with a $1,000 gear gift card. Four shortlisted artists each receive $1,000 in cash and an editorial feature. All finalists participate in a group exhibition at the AIPAD Photography Show in New York in April 2026 and gain visibility through Aperture’s channels across Aperture's email and social channels, which reach a global audience of prominent curators, critics, artists, and members of the photography community. The winner and shortlist may also have the opportunity to participate in the Aperture limited-edition print program.
The jury is composed of Taous Dahmani (Curator, The Photographers’ Gallery), Jessica Dimson (Director of Photography, The New York Times Magazine), Jane’a Johnson (Editor, Aperture), and Avion Pearce (Artist and 2024 Aperture Portfolio Prize Winner).
About Aperture
Aperture is a nonprofit publisher that leads conversations around photography worldwide. From our base in New York, Aperture connects global audiences and supports artists through our acclaimed quarterly magazine, books, exhibitions, digital platforms, public programs, limited-edition prints, and awards. Established in 1952 to advance "creative thinking, significantly expressed in words and photographs," Aperture champions photography's vital role in nurturing curiosity and encouraging a more just, tolerant society.
