A Guide To November 2026 Photo Awards & Open Calls

Getxophoto Open Call, Fotofestiwal Open Call, Rencontres d'Arles Curatorial Research Fellowship, Ronan Guillou Grant, The Joana Biarnés Scholarship, Un/Fund Publishing Open Call, FOTODOKS Open Call, are among the opportunities we selected this month.

Browse this curated selection from our editorial team. You can also download our awards app to get deadline reminders, or visit our awards page to get a complete view of the best photography opportunities currently open for entry.

Getxophoto 2027 Open Call

Deadline 3 November / Entry fee €22

Getxophoto invites visual artists and photographers worldwide to participate in its 21st edition, held from 27 May to 20 June 2027 in Getxo, Basque Country, Spain. Centered on the theme Tide, the festival explores images as dynamic, shifting forces capable of shaping collective memory, challenging boundaries, and driving social change. Three selected artists will benefit from an exhibition or installation during the festival – with production costs covered by the organisation, a fee of €500 for their participation in the festival, accommodation for two nights during the Opening Week plus travel support (up to €150), and media coverage.

The jury is composed of Monica Allende (Independent Curator, Creative Director and Educator), Victoria Ismach (Curatorial Coordinator at the Montevideo Centre for Photography), John Fleetwood (Educator, Curator and Director of Photo Johannesburg), and Cale Garrido (Curator of Getxophoto).

Find out more on Getxophoto's website.

Fotofestiwal Open Call 2027

Deadline 30 November / Entry fee €15

The Fotofestiwal Open Program invites artists and collectives to submit their work for the June 2027 International Festival of Photography in Łódź, Poland. Six selected projects will be exhibited, with each recipient receiving a €1,000 artist fee, up to €600 for exhibition production, festival accommodation, and up to €300 in travel reimbursement. Additionally, participating artists gain international exposure, with at least one entrant nominated to join the Europe-based FUTURES photography platform.

The jury comprises Jana Johanna Haeckel (Artistic Director of the 4th photo + Photography Biennial in Düsseldorf), Marta Szymańska (Photography Curator and Co-creator of Fotofestiwal in Łódź), Francesco Rombaldi (Curator, Editor and Founder of Yogurt and Yogurt Editions), Roï Saade (Artist, Designer, Curator and Founder of Huwawa Publishing), and Krzysztof Candrowicz (Curator, Sociologist and Co-founder of Fotofestiwal in Lodz). Results will be announced 25 January 2027.

You can present your work until 30 November. Read more on their website.

Rencontres d'Arles 2027 Curatorial Research Fellowship

Deadline 30 November / No entry fee

Supported by Jean-François Dubos, the Rencontres d'Arles Curatorial Research Fellowship awards up to €20,000 to curators developing an original exhibition project centered on photography and image-making. The grant is distributed in two distinct phases: an initial €5,000 stipend covering living expenses and royalties for a six-month research period, followed by a €15,000 production budget managed directly by the festival if the project proposal is approved by the artistic direction. The festival also independently covers core operational costs, including exhibition design, installation, security, and communications.

The recipient – announced in late February 2027 – conducts research through summer 2027 and presents their findings to the jury between September and mid-October. If validated, the project advances to full production for inclusion in a future festival edition; if not approved, the curator retains the right to realize the exhibition with third-party venues under a credit acknowledging Arles' grant support.

More details on the festival's website.

Ronan Guillou Grant 2026

Deadline 15 November / No entry fee

The fourth edition of the Ronan Guillou Grant, organized by the non-profit Eyes Wide Open, awards €4,000 (€3,000 in artistic fees and €1,000 per diem) to support photographic projects examining the relationship between humans and the sea. Open to professional photographers from Europe and the southern shores of the Mediterranean, the initiative seeks engaged, activist, or progressive perspectives addressing urgent ecological, economic, cultural, and geopolitical issues affecting oceans, with a particular interest in connections to the Occitanie region.

The selected laureate will have five months to develop their project, including up to a two-month residency in Sète between February and June 2027. Following jury deliberations in late November 2026 and an announcement in December 2026, the finalized body of work will be exhibited from 18 September to 31 October 2027 at the Musée de l'Étang de Thau in Bouzigues, presented as part of the second edition of the FLOW Biennial.

Submit your work for free before 15 November. Learn more on their website.

The Joana Biarnés Scholarship 2026

Deadline 15 November / No entry fee

The Joana Biarnés Scholarship supports early-career visual storytellers in documenting critical, underreported issues across Spain. Designed to bring overlooked national narratives into focus, the initiative awards a selected photojournalist an €8,000 production grant alongside professional mentorship from an experienced tutor, temporary photography equipment loans, and wide platform exposure through dedicated exhibitions and publications.

Open to photojournalists aged 18 to 35 with a demonstrated commitment to impactful visual reporting, the program also extends professional development beyond the prize recipient. Shortlisted finalists gain access to a tailored narrative journalism workshop and a subscription to an independent visual journalism magazine to support their ongoing journalistic practice.

Find out more on their website.

Un/Fund 05 Publishing Open Call

Deadline 18 November / Entry fee €10

Fully funded by un/produced in collaboration with independent publisher Witty Books, the call offers an early-career photographer complete financial and creative support to publish their debut photobook. The initiative provides hands-on guidance throughout the entire process – from image editing and sequencing to book design and distribution. Both completed and ongoing projects are welcome, with an emphasis on experimental narratives and no prior book dummy required.

The call is open internationally to unrepresented photographers and duos with up to seven years of professional experience who have not yet published a book. The shortlist will be announced in early December 2026, followed by the final recipient in mid-December 2026.

More details on the Un/Fund's website.

FOTODOKS Open Call 2027

Deadline 20 November / No entry fee

The Munich-based festival for contemporary documentary photography has launched an open call for its 13th edition taking place in October 2027. Centered on the multifaceted theme of care, the festival invites lens-based documentary projects that explore how care intersects with politics, emotion, ecology, and human relationships.

Selected artists will present their work in the festival's central group exhibition, accompanied by full production support, and featured in the official catalog. Participants will receive tiered artist fees – €500 for solo artists, €800 for duos, and up to €1,200 for collectives – alongside four nights of festival accommodation and travel stipends ranging from €150 to €500 depending on location.

Learn more on the festival's website.

Nikon Fotobus Grant 2026

Deadline 1 November / No entry fee

The Nikon Fotobus Grant offers funding to continue ongoing photographic projects across any genre, awarding three grants of €5,000, €3,000, and €2,000 alongside a Nikon camera for each recipient. Open to individual photographers or collectives who are either full-time university students or aged 30 and under residing in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland, the grant imposes no restrictions on how the funds are spent, though laureates must provide a final usage report after their one-year funding term.

Applicants must adhere to the World Press Photo Code of Ethics – with AI-generated visuals strictly barred and any staging or digital manipulation disclosed. Following a 20-project shortlist reveal on 1 December 2026, the three selected recipients will be announced on 15 December 2026, marking the start of a grant cycle running through December 2027.

Present your work with no entry fee. Read more on their website.

Tiga Mata – Kota Sepi Kota Sunyi Open Call

Deadline 8 November / Entry fee €7

Organized by Tiga Mata and curated by Zontiga, the call invites Southeast Asian photographers to examine themes of urban quietness, solitude, and silence. Held in dialogue with Malaysian artist Ahmad Zakii Anwar's Sementara exhibition at GDP Campus, the project draws on the nuanced Malay concepts of sepi (desertion, loneliness) and sunyi (stillness, acoustic absence). Organizers encourage broad interpretations of urban isolation, noting that solitude can thrive among crowds and silence can resonate without empty spaces.

Selected artists will have their work printed, produced, and featured in a physical exhibition running from 19 December 2026 to 1 February 2027 at Testing Ground, GDP Campus in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. The final selection will be announced on 19 November 2026.

Find out more on Tiga Mata's website.

PhotoIreland FUTURES Talents 2027

Deadline 27 November / No entry fee

PhotoIreland has launched the 10th FUTURES Talent Call for lens-based and expanded-practice photographers based in Ireland and the UK, as well as Irish and UK artists working abroad. Open to practitioners at any career stage with demonstrated dedication, selected artists will receive a €500 participation fee, features across FUTURES digital channels and the 10th-anniversary annual publication, and fully funded travel, accommodation, and per diem to attend the Annual Event in Wien, Austria, in October 2027.

Laureates also gain exclusive access to professional development opportunities, including mentorship sessions, Magnum workshops, and eligibility for a major travelling exhibition co-curated by Foto Arsenal Wien, Fotofestiwal Łódź, and The Finnish Museum of Photography.

2027 Vital Impacts Fellowships and Mentorships

Deadline 30 November / Entry fee €23

The Vital Impacts Environmental Photography Grant offers one $20,000 (€17,950) fellowship and six $5,000 (€4,485) fellowships to support visual storytellers documenting solutions-focused conservation narratives over a 12-month period. In addition to funding, recipients receive assistance to publish and showcase their work, while ten emerging photographers are selected for an intensive mentorship program. All applicants gain access to an exclusive online speaker series, further fostering skills in visual environmental journalism.

To strengthen local reporting, applicants must reside within the community they intend to document. Grant and mentorship recipients will be announced in January 2027. The jury is composed of Kathy Moran, Gail Fletcher, Laura Covelli, Alessia Glaviano, and Britta Jaschinski.

Submit your project before 30 November. More details on their website.

Future Of Archives Open Call

Deadline 1 November / No entry fee

Organized by The Photographers’ Gallery in London, Whose Archive is it Anyway? marks the first installment of a three-part series exploring the evolution and politics of archiving. The one-day event interrogates who defines, controls, and accesses archives today, inviting proposals grounded in lived experience rather than academic theory. Submissions may address wide-ranging themes, including family and institutional collections, forgotten histories, counter-archives, digital preservation, and alternative practices for safeguarding collective memory.

The opportunity is open to anyone with practical experience engaging with archives and their narratives. Selected contributors must be available to speak in person at The Photographers’ Gallery on 16 April 2027 and will receive a £200 (€240) participation fee.

You can apply until 1 November. Read more on their website.

Fotografia Calabria Festival Award 2026

Deadline 15 November / Entry fee €35

Fotografia Calabria Festival Award invites photographers worldwide to submit work driven by individual vision, conceptual coherence, and compelling narrative approaches. The prize recipient will receive a €2,000 cash grant, a paid feature worth €1,000 in Internazionale magazine – these two prizes can be combined or remain separate –, and an exhibition or screening at an upcoming festival edition or associated event, alongside a year of ongoing promotional visibility. Shortlisted entries will also be permanently highlighted on the festival’s official online gallery and digital channels.

The jury comprises Rosy Santella (Photo editor of Internazionale), Laura Tota (Independent Curator and Artistic Director of Liquida Photofestival), Laura Davì (Independent Photo Editor and Journalist), Jean-Marie Donat (Editor and Curator), Denis Curti (Artistic Director of Deloitte Photo Grant), and Anna Catalano (Artistic Director of Fotografia Calabria Festival).

Learn more on Fotografia Calabria's website.

KLPA Autoportrait 2026 Open Call

Deadline 25 November / Entry fee €12

The Kuala Lumpur International Photoawards (KLPA), in collaboration with the FORMAT International Photography Festival, has launched the third interim edition of its Autoportrait Open Call centered on the theme PLAY. Inviting photographers to approach self-portraiture through experimentation, subversion, and curiosity, the call encourages works that explore play in all forms – from camera manipulation and technological inquiry to games, political dynamics, and conceptual interrogations of truth.

Cash prizes of €1,000, €500, and €300 will be awarded to the top three prize recipients, and the 35 finalists will have their work projected both at FORMAT27 in Derby, UK (March–April 2027) and in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The jury will review submissions in early December 2026, followed by the shortlist reveal in mid-January 2027 and the final prize recipient announcements in February 2027.

Boutographies Open Call 2027

Deadline 22 November / Entry fee €35

Founded in Montpellier, France, Boutographies has launched an unthemed open call dedicated to showcasing contemporary European photography. Open to European and Europe-based photographers, the festival selects artists for either physical gallery exhibitions or large-scale screenings.

Selected exhibitors receive festival accommodation, transport of their works, priority portfolio reviews, and €100 in royalties, alongside eligibility for major accolades – including an acquisition award of up to €5,500, production grants, paid editorial publications, a screening spot during the Rencontres d'Arles, and favorable revenue shares on print and book sales.

Submissions are open until 22 November. More details on their website.

Rotterdam Photo 2027 Open Call

Deadline 4 November / Entry fee €19

Rotterdam Photo has launched an open call for its upcoming edition during Rotterdam Art Week (17–21 March 2027), centered on the theme Vibrance – The Pulse Of A Living World. The festival invites photographers and visual artists to freely interpret energy, rhythm, and social vitality across three tracks: Single Image, Projects, and Dutch Talent Project Grants. Selected single images are enlarged into 2.5 × 2.5-meter exterior container installations fully funded by the festival, while chosen project artists receive dedicated container spaces with zero commission taken on print sales. In addition, five Dutch-based talents will each receive a €3,000 production grant and curatorial guidance.

The Single Image and Projects categories are open globally to amateur and professional lens-based creators, carrying tiered submission fees. The Dutch Talent category is free to enter and specifically targets current art academy students, recent graduates (since 2022), or emerging practitioners based or educated in the Netherlands with under five years of experience.

Learn more on their website.

Barcelona Experimental Photo Festival 2027 Open Call

Deadline 7 November / Entry fee €20

The Experimental Photo Festival has launched an international open call for its 8th edition, taking place in Barcelona, Spain, in July 2027. Dedicated to analogue, digital, alternative, and hybrid photographic practices, the festival will select 12 artists or collectives for solo exhibitions across local cultural venues, with select shows opening ahead of the IPFA Meeting in late June.

Each chosen exhibitor will receive a €150 artist fee, up to €200 in managed production support, and access to the 12-month Ágora Diploma in Experimental Photography (valued at €999), alongside festival access, promotional exposure, and meal perks. A small additional group may be chosen for a collective exhibition with comparable benefits, while 20 further artists will be spotlighted in Analog Forever Magazine.

Get more details on their website.

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Visit our awards page to get a complete view of the best photography opportunities currently open for entry. Download our awards app to get deadline reminders.