A Guide To March 2026 Photo Awards & Open Calls

Musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac Photography Award, Realisation Grants, LOBA Women Grant, Premio Mila, Belfast Photo Festival Open Call, KLPA Portrait Prize, and Athens Photo Festival Open Call are among the opportunities we selected this month.

Musée du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac Photography Award 2026

Deadline 15 March / No entry fee

The Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac Photography Award is an annual grant supporting non-European artists to create original photographic works for the museum’s permanent collection. Since 2008, the program has funded 49 laureates emphasizing diverse, contemporary practices that move beyond traditional documentary or reportage styles. Each of the three selected artists receives €30,000 to cover project-related expenses and the transfer of rights. Additionally, the museum provides separate funding for the artists to travel to Paris for the printing process and covers the physical production costs of the final artwork.

For more insights, go to the museum's website.

Realisation Grants 2026

Deadline 1 March / No entry fee

The Centre for British Photography Realisation Grant provides funding between £2,000 and £4,000 to help Britain-based artists of all ages and academic backgrounds complete ongoing lens-based projects within a one-year timeframe. While applicants must be residents of Britain, the subject matter is not geographically restricted, and the program encourages interdisciplinary approaches that blend photography with other media like sculpture or performance. Selected artists receive their funding in two stages, with a deadline of May 1, 2027, to finalize their work.

Further information is available on the Centre for British Photography’s website.

LOBA Women Grant 2026

Deadline 15 March / No entry fee

Launching in 2026 as part of the 100 Years of Leica anniversary, the LOBA Women Grant is a new initiative designed to address gender imbalance in photography by funding original projects from female professionals aged 21 and older. Unlike the traditional Leica Oskar Barnack Award categories, this grant focuses on the realization of a new project idea that explores the relationship between humans and the environment. Applicants are encouraged to submit series that tackle societal or ecological challenges, with a particular interest in "hopeful perspectives" and solutions-oriented visual storytelling. The selected recipient will receive a €10,000 grant, a Leica Q camera (valued at approximately €6,000), and professional mentoring to bring their vision to life.

World Report Award 2026

Deadline 3 March / Entry fee €30

The Festival of Ethical Photography is an international open call for social documentary narratives that highlight human rights, social injustice, and environmental conservation. With €19,000 in total cash prizes, the competition features five distinct categories: the Master Award (€8,000), Spotlight Award (€4,000) for emerging talent, Short Story (€3,000), Student (€2,000), and a Single Shot (€2,000) category. Beyond the monetary rewards, prize recipients receive extensive professional exposure, including travel and accommodation to attend the festival in Lodi, Italy, where their work is printed and exhibited. In addition to the main festival in October, selected projects are featured in a four-year traveling exhibition program and the annual festival catalogue.

Full details are available here.

10×10 Research Grants: Cycle 5 (2026-2027)

Deadline 23 March / No Entry Fee

For the 2026–2027 cycle, 10×10 Photobooks is offering three $2,500 grants to support new research on photobooks from Africa and its diaspora. Open to all nationalities and disciplines, the program seeks original scholarship on Black identity expressed through diverse formats—from classic bound books to digital media and zines. Selected grantees will receive financial support and mentorship to produce a 1,500-word essay and a short presentation for a forthcoming publication.

Learn more on 10×10 Photobooks' website.

Premio Mila 2026

Deadline 22 March / No entry fee

Established in 2014, the Premio Mila per la Fotografia Contemporanea is an acquisition prize supporting Italian or Italy-based artists under 40. Organized by the Malerba Fund, the fourth edition of the award invites photographers to submit a portfolio and a project created within the last two years for evaluation by a jury of prominent contemporary art figures. Five shortlisted finalists will feature in a group exhibition in Milan, where one overall recipient will receive a €3,000 acquisition prize, with their work entering the fund's permanent collection.

You have time until 22 March 2026. More information is available on their website.

Belfast Photo Festival 2026 Open Call

Deadline 3 March / Entry fee €25

The Belfast Photo Festival invites photographers, curators, and collectives to submit lens-based work for exhibition during the June 2026 festival in Northern Ireland. With an entirely open theme, the event encourages diverse approaches, including interdisciplinary projects that incorporate sculpture, performance, or text. Top honors include the £2,000 Spotlight Award, alongside high-value professional opportunities such as mentorships, Instagram residencies, and interviews with major global art institutions.

The jury is composed of Roxana Marcoci (Acting Chief Curator, MoMA), Florian Ebner (Head of Photography, Centre Pompidou), Kim Bubello (Deputy Director of Photography, TIME), Lisa Sutcliffe (Curator, The Metropolitan Museum of Art), Alessia Glaviano (Head of Global PhotoVogue, Vogue), and Michael Weir (Director of Belfast Photo Festival).

Check out their website for more information.

KLPA 2026 Portrait Prize

Deadline 31 March / Entry fee €15-65

The 18th edition of the Kuala Lumpur International Photoawards (KLPA) is centered on the theme A Stranger's Face - Travel Portraits. Established in 2009, the award seeks evocative, non-superficial portraits of people encountered during journeys that demonstrate strong storytelling and a deep connection between subject and viewer. The prize pool features a €2,000 first prize, €1,000 for second place, and €500 for third place, with additional equipment and book vouchers sponsored by Zontiga specifically for Malaysian photographers. 40 shortlisted photographers will be featured in a public exhibition in Malaysia in September 2026 and showcased through international partner festivals.

Learn more on their website.

Athens Photo Festival 2026 Open Call

Deadline 9 March / Entry fee €25

The Greek festival invites submissions for its 2026 exhibition program at the Benaki Museum, embracing a wide spectrum of lens-based media from conceptual fine art to documentary and installation. Over 80 artists will be selected for the main program, with the festival covering production costs and providing a two-night stay in Athens for participants. Beyond the physical exhibition, the call offers professional development opportunities, including 15 spots for international portfolio reviews, five positions in the Talent Lab, and one artist residency featuring a three-week stay and a €600 honorarium. Plus, selected projects will be featured in the official festival catalogue. Additional perks include access to APhF Connect, a digital platform that introduces shortlisted photographers to over 100 international industry leaders, further bridging the gap between emerging artists and the global photographic market.

Submissions are open until 9 March with a €25 entry fee. Read more on the festival's website.

Tall Poppy Press Open Call 2026

Deadline 1 March / Entry fee €25

Led by founders Matt Dunne and Morganna Magee, Tall Poppy Press is looking for artists and photographers living in or connected to Australia, offering two of them the opportunity to have their work produced as photobooks in 2027 or 2028. The selected projects will receive production budgets of $10,000 and $5,000 respectively, along with comprehensive support in design, printing, and global distribution. Submissions are open to all visual art mediums, including archival and curatorial projects, provided the artist can articulate a clear vision for why their work belongs in a book format, specifically with Tall Poppy Press.

Learn more on their website.

ORGAN VIDA 14 Open Call

Deadline 18 March / Entry fee €35

Organ Vida 14 Open Call invites photographers and visual artists working with image-based practices (including photography, video, and hybrid media) to submit projects responding to the theme Happy Spiraling. Prize-recipients will receive a €300 artist fee, access to educational activities, opportunities for mentorship and exhibitions, and the chance to show work at the main curated exhibition during the 14th edition of the festival at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb, Croatia, in June 2026, with travel, accommodation, and daily allowances covered.

Get more details here.

FOTO Bali Festival 2026 Open Call

Deadline 13 March / No entry fee

The FOTO Bali Festival welcomes photographers to display their work for its 2026 edition, themed Afterimage, which explores the aftermath and endurance of events rather than the immediacy of the "decisive moment." The festival seeks lens-based, multimedia, or installation works that reflect on lingering histories, altered landscapes, and the preservation of memory through places and objects. Selected artists will have their work exhibited at Nuanu Creative City in Indonesia, with production and installation costs covered.

Find out more on FOTO Bali Festival's website.

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Other Deadlines

10. Merck-Preis der Darmstädter Tage der Fotografie / Deadline 15 March / Entry fee €25

The Darmstadt Days of Photography invites artists to submit works for its 2026 exhibition, Present Tense, focusing on photography as an active, relational tool rather than a speculative or generative medium. The festival seeks projects that explore the "unstable presence" of our current era through direct contact with reality, social responsibility, and the nuances of human encounter. Selected finalists will have their work showcased at the Museum Künstlerkolonie – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – from 20 April to 2 May 2026, receiving a €500 production budget, up to €200 in travel reimbursement, and provided hotel accommodation for the festival weekend.

Ephemere Photobook Grant 2026 / Deadline 31 March / No entry fee

The Ephemere Photobook Grant is a Tokyo-based initiative dedicated to transforming a single artist's vision into a fully produced debut or sophomore monograph. Open to photographers of all nationalities and genres, the grant prioritizes visceral, tactile narratives over technical perfection and requires the submission of a physical book dummy. One selected artist will receive 100% production coverage for an eco-conscious publication in Japan, global distribution, and round-trip airfare to Tokyo for the official launch at the Ephemere Photo Fest in October 2026. Additionally, selected runners-up will have their dummies showcased in a special festival installation, highlighting the strength of their sequencing and physical form.

Embryo Platform Neonate 2026 Open Call / Deadline 8 March / Entry fee €15

Open to both amateurs and professionals regardless of age or nationality, the project welcomes a diverse range of practices, including digital, analog, and experimental photography. Selected artists will have their series featured in a curated collective photobook published and receive dedicated spotlights across Embryo’s social media and related exhibitions.

Centrale Festival Open Call 2026 / Deadline 29 March / No entry fee

Fano Centrale Festival is looking for sixteen artists under 30 specializing in photography and video art to exhibit their work in Fano, Italy, from 12 to 27 June 2026. The festival seeks original contributions to contemporary research, with a specific interest in non-traditional display solutions that interact creatively with the exhibition space. While the festival manages the curation, technical organization, and setup, artists are responsible for their own production and shipping costs. Selected participants will work closely with a professional curatorial team to realize their installations, making it a significant opportunity for emerging creators to gain international exposure in the Marche region.

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