A Guide To February 2026 Photo Awards & Open Calls

PhMuseum Photography Grant, CENTER Santa Fe Calls for Entry, Kranj Foto Fest Open Call For Exhibitions, Dummy Award, The Alexia Grants, Photobook Award, and Return2Ithaca Residency Program are among the opportunities we selected this month.

PhMuseum 2026 Photography Grant

Early Bird Deadline 29 January / €30
Regular Deadline 19 February / €35

The 14th edition of the PhMuseum Photography Grant is now welcoming submissions. All approaches are welcome, from classic to more experimental work. The main grant recipients will share a total of €10,000 in cash, split into a €5,000 First Prize, a €2,000 Second Prize, and a €1,000 Third Prize. Additionally, the New Generation Prize awardee will be granted €2,000.

Three applicants will be granted solo shows at PhEST (Monopoli, Italy), Getxophoto (Getxo, Basque Country, Spain), along with a €400 artist fee and accommodation for two nights during the opening week, and at PhMuseum Lab (Bologna, Italy), including production costs, travel and stay. Plus, one artist will be invited to join Photo-Match at Lodz Fotofestiwal (Lodz, Poland), with travel and accommodation covered. Additionally, nine applicants will receive a free 30-minute online portfolio review with a mentor of their choice from PhMuseum Education's individual program. Up to 40 shortlisted projects will be screened at Lodz Fotofestiwal (Lodz, Poland), Kranj Foto Fest (Kranj, Slovenia), and PhMuseum Days (Bologna, Italy). All submissions will be eligible for publication in the second edition of PhMuseum's printed Annual Magazine, which will be launched at the next edition of PhMuseum Days in October 2026.

The jury is composed of Rafał Milach (Visual artist, Photographer, Artivist, and Educator), Charlotte Cotton (Curator, Writer, and Creative Consultant), Carmen Winant (Artist and the Roy Lichtenstein Endowed Chair of Studio Art at the Ohio State University), and Sergio Valenzuela-Escobedo (Artist and Researcher).

See all the prizes and learn how to apply here.

CENTER Santa Fe Calls for Entry 2026

Deadline 28 February / Entry fee €30-40

The CENTER Santa Fe Calls for Entry invites photographers and lens-based artists worldwide to submit work in multiple categories. Entry fees range from €30–40, with the Early Discount deadline set for 30 January. The initiative offers $16,000 in funding, group exhibitions at CENTER’s gallery and education hub in Santa Fe, participation in Review Santa Fe portfolio reviews, featured publication in LENSCRATCH, access to professional seminars, and additional opportunities for exposure. Categories include the Project Launch Grant and Project Development Grant, each offering $5,000, the Me&Eve Award providing $1,000 to female or LGBTQIA+ photographers over 40, the CENTER Awards recognizing Personal, Social, and Environmental work, and several specialized awards like Excellence in Teaching, Multimedia Award Blue Earth Fiscal Sponsorship, and the Excellence in Works by Hand Award. Each award comes with exhibitions, public presentations, publications, and inclusion in the CENTER Winners Online Gallery and Archive. Applications can be submitted in any language, and multiple projects or categories are allowed, including works derived from all photographic processes, video, and photo-based mixed media.

Plus, applications are open for Review Santa Fe, this year celebrating its 25th anniversary. Held in historic downtown Santa Fe. The event connects international lens-based artists with industry professionals through intensive portfolio reviews and networking. Beyond the private reviews, the symposium fosters community through public programs, including a Portfolio Walk, book fair, and expert-led discussions focused on contemporary social and environmental issues.

The jury for the CENTER Santa Fe Calls for Entry 2026 includes expertsa such as Shana Lopes (SFMOMA), Diane Waggoner (National Gallery of Art), Barbara Tannenbaum (Cleveland Museum of Art), Marina Chao (Center for Photography at Woodstock), Jeffrey Henson Scales (The New York Times), Dominique Hildebrand (The Washington Post), and Eric T. Kunsman (RIT/NTID).

Further information is available on CENTRE Santa Fe’s website.

Kranj Foto Fest Open Call For Exhibitions 2026

Deadline 23 February / Entry fee €12

The award is open to all photographers, with no thematic, age, or regional restrictions. One selected photographer will receive a solo exhibition at Kranj Foto Fest in Slovenia, along with a €1,000 cash prize, travel expenses to Kranj (up to €400), and accommodation for three nights during the festival’s opening week, held on 27-30 August 2026. Additionally, up to 12 further projects will be chosen for group exhibitions, with production costs covered by the festival. The festival transforms the old town of Kranj into a hub of contemporary photography, bringing together emerging and established artists from around the world.

The jury includes Francesca Hummler (Community Manager and Program Curator at Der Greif), Jelena Janković (Programme Director of the Sarajevo Photography Festival), Emmanuelle Halkin (Independent Curator and Editor), Tereza Kozinc (Photographer and Co-curator at Kranj Foto Fest), and Fernanda Prado Verčič (Founding Director at Kranj Foto Fest).

Dummy Award 2026

Deadline 15 February / Entry fee €44

The Dummy Award is an international competition for the best unpublished photobook dummy of the year. It invites international artists, photographers, and graphic designers who use photography in their work to submit unpublished photobook projects, with no restrictions on themes. Books published digitally or via self-publishing in small print runs of up to 100 copies are also eligible. From all entries, around 50 books are shortlisted for exhibition at international photography events, and together with votes from the shortlist jury and exhibiting venues, five winning books are selected. The PBM/MAS Prize winner will have their book produced and published by MAS Matbaa in cooperation with the PhotoBookMuseum, with all costs covered. The other four selected books receive a production grant for printing at MAS Matbaa.

You have time until 15 February 2026. Read more and apply on their website.

The Alexia Grants 2026

Deadline 13 February / No entry fee for students. Entry fee $50 for professionals

The Alexia Grants are designed to support professional and student visual storytellers in producing projects that inspire change and foster understanding by addressing significant global issues. The recipient of the professional Vision grant will receive $20,000 and a Sony camera/lens to produce their proposed project. Additionally, the recipient of the student Vision grant will receive $2,000, a Sony camera/lens to advance their proposed project, an invitation to the Eddie Adams Workshop, and tuition-free courses at Syracuse University. Newly introduced Mentor Grants provide $1,000 in production funding and a year of guidance through four scheduled mentorship sessions with renowned industry experts. The Alexia Emerging Photographer Grant, sponsored by the VII Foundation in memory of Paul Lowe, offers a tuition scholarship for Level 3 of the Program for Narrative and Documentary Photography in Arles, France, including accommodation and a per diem. All selected images will be considered for inclusion in exhibits and publications curated throughout the year.

Learn more on their website.

Photobook Award 2025

Deadline 1 February / No entry fee

The Photobook Award 2025 is open to Finnish or Finland-based artists for their photographic book published in 2025. The prize recipient receives €2,000, while finalists are awarded €500 each. The award is co-organized by the Association of Photographic Artists and the Finnish Museum of Photography, celebrating excellence in Finnish photographic publishing. Submissions require two copies of the book, an ISBN, and at least 50 copies printed. Selected artists will be announced in March-April 2026.

Full details are available here.

Return2Ithaca 2026 Residency Program

Deadline 28 February / Entry fee €25

Return2Ithaca invites 8 international or Greek photographers to participate in their residency program from 27 August to 11 September 2026 in Ithaca, Greece. The residency offers a 15-day immersive experience exploring personal projects inspired by the Odyssey, with mentorship from curators, workshops, guided tours, and opportunities to present final works in exhibitions, projections, or print editions. Selected artists receive shared accommodation, breakfast, and full support for project development. The jury includes Arianna Rinaldo, Nina Kassianou, Angela Ferreira, and Hans-Joachim Gögl.

Further information is available on Return2Ithaca’s website.

Art Photo Bcn 2026 Portfolio Reviews

Deadline 27 February / Entry fee €47

The Art Photo Bcn Portfolio Reviews support photographers with developed or in-progress projects, helping them expand their networks and present their work. Selected artists receive a Viewing Room on the online platform, feedback from an expert jury, and opportunities for production, formation, and exhibitions. In particular, awards include a €2,000 fee and exhibition space at the fair, an IEFC and IDEP Scholarships, the Copias Wall Award (production and exhibition), and Premio Lumínic (production and exhibition). The selection committee includes Marta Gili, Gonzalo Golpe, Moritz Neumüller, Arianna Rinaldo, Jesús Micó, Gustavo Alemán, Simona Rota, and Isabel Lazaro.

You have time until 27 February 2026. More information is available on their website.

Backlight Photo Festival 2026 Open Call

Deadline 15 February / Entry fee €20

Selected artists will exhibit their work at the Backlight Photo Festival in Tampere, Finland, in September 2026, and will receive a €500 artist fee. The festival explores this year’s theme, The Art of Lying, highlighting socially and critically engaged lens-based projects. Submissions may be individual or collective, with 5–15 images, a project proposal, and a personal introduction. Works will be displayed indoors and outdoors across the city, with curatorial support and production within the festival budget. The jury is composed of Anna Ruth, Dana Benlakhdar, and Franek Ammer.

Check out their website for more information.

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Other Deadlines

2026 Australia-New Zealand Photobook Awards / Deadline 9 February / Entry fee €32

The awards honour printed photobooks, dummy books, and student projects. Selected by an independent jury, prize recipients and shortlisted works are exhibited at the MEL Photobook Fair, offering artists recognition within the photography community. The Australia & New Zealand Photobook Awards celebrate innovation, narrative coherence, and design excellence in photobooks, highlighting the medium as a vital form of storytelling. Prize-recipients and finalists gain public exposure, professional development opportunities, and the chance to connect with leading figures in photography and publishing.

Liquida Grant 2026 / Deadline 13 February / Entry fee €25-40

Ten individual photographs and one project will be selected for exhibition at the Liquida Photofestival in Turin, Italy. In addition to the physical showcase, selected photographers will receive online features and other exclusive opportunities. The competition accepts all photographic approaches, including reportage, street photography, still life, fashion, portraiture, nature, and conceptual work. Selected works will also gain opportunities for additional exhibitions, editorial features, and publication collaborations with international partners such as Discarded Magazine, Iconic Artist, and Artphilein.

Photometria Photobook Open Call 2026 / Deadline 20 February / Entry fee €20

Τhe open call for entries is addressed to artists and self-publishers from around the world, focusing on artist books, self-published photobooks, limited edition books, zines, and DIY publications related to photography. The selected books will be presented at the Photometria Photography Center during the 18th edition of the Photometria International Photography Festival from 26 September to 29 November 2026, and later at ZOETROPE Athens, with potential further exhibitions depending on interest from other regions. After the exhibitions, the chosen works will be added to the Photometria Photography Center’s public photographic library. The jury consists of Achilleas Tziakos, Yorgos Yatromanolakis, Tiago Casanova, and Francesca Todde.

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Visit our awards page or download our iOS awards app to get a complete view of the best photography opportunities that are currently open for entry.