A Guide to October 2025 Photo Awards & Open Calls

Fotofestiwal Open Call, Earth Partner Prize, W. Eugene Smith Grant, Hangar Art Open Call, Luis Valtueña International Humanitarian Photography Award, and Sonntag Grant For Photography are among the opportunities we selected this month.

PhMuseum 2025 Women Photographers Grant

Deadline 2 October / Entry fee €30

Now in its 9th edition, the Grant aims to empower the work and careers of female and non-binary professionals of all ages and from all countries working in diverse areas of photography. The main recipients will share a total of €10,000 in cash. Among the prizes is a solo exhibition at PhMuseum Lab in Bologna, Italy, in 2026, with travel, accommodation, and production costs included. Plus, up to 40 shortlisted works will be screened at PhotoVogue Festival 2026, in Milan, Italy, while the Vogue Italia photography department, led by Alessia Glaviano, will further select a work among all of the submissions for an online featured interview. PhMuseum's team will also select 6 photographers from all the applicants, who will be granted a 60-minute online portfolio review with a mentor of their choice from the PhMuseum Education program.

An independent jury composed of Amak Mahmoodian (Artist and Educator), Katy Hundertmark (Curator and Managing Editor of FOAM Magazine), Mónica de Miranda (Visual Artist and Researcher), and Diana Markosian (Photographer) will also assign honorable mentions to highlight projects they highly took into consideration.

You can submit your work until Thursday 2 October. Learn more on PhMuseum's website.

Fotofestiwal Open Call 2026

Deadline 15 October / Entry fee €15

Fotofestiwal invites artists to present their works to the audience of the International Festival of Photography held in June 2026 in Łódź, Poland. Six selected authors will receive an exhibition during the festival in Łódź, a €1,000 artistic fee, accommodation for the main opening weekend of the festival, reimbursement of travel costs up to €300, and a €500 exhibition production budget. Additionally, from the submitted projects, Fotofestiwal nominates at least one artist each year for the FUTURES program and selects one for a publication in Pismo's magazine, an independent media project run by the Pismo Foundation.

Jury is composed of Viktoria Bavykina (Curator and sociologist of culture), Monica Allende (Curator, creative director), Franek Ammer (Curator of Fotofestiwal in Lodz), Mohamed Somji (Director of Gulf Photo Plus), and Justyna Kociszewska (Co-director of Institute of Photography Fort).

Earth Partner Prize 2025

Deadline 10 October / No entry fee

The 7th Annual Earth Partner Prize invites artists worldwide, aged 14 to 30, to submit work that responds to the ecological crisis. All media are welcome, including but not limited to photography, documentary and experimental film, performance art, spoken word, musical composition, dance, fashion design, new media, app development, and social media projects. Submissions might explore themes such as climate justice, corporate greenwashing, Indigenous rights, material innovation, wildlife and ecosystem conservation, grassroots activism, intersectional environmentalism, regeneration, the physical and mental impacts of the climate crisis, and nature-based wisdom. Eight finalists will be awarded cash prizes of $10,000, $5,000, and $2,000. An additional 20 creatives will be recognized with an honourable mention.

Discover more on their website.

W. Eugene Smith Grant 2025

Deadline 6 October / Entry fee €43

The W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund offers a $30,000 grant and two $10,000 finalist grants to visual storytellers who continue the tradition of compassionate photojournalism to promote social change. The judges are looking for projects delving into the heart of the human condition, from social change and humanitarian crises to cultural, political, or environmental subjects. Special consideration will be given to work that embraces new technologies and image distribution, and that seeks to integrate the tradition of photography and social change with contemporary practice.

Learn more on their website.

W. Eugene Smith Student Grant 2025

Deadline 6 October / Entry fee €10

The W. Eugene Smith Grant for Student Photographers is designed to encourage and support students whose photographic work renews the tradition of W. Eugene Smith’s dedicated compassion as evidenced during his 45-year career as a photographic essayist. Two student photographers will be selected to receive a $5,000 grant each to complete a photographic essay. The jury will be looking for a photographer and project that seem most likely to use photojournalism and documentary photography (possibly supplemented by or incorporating multimedia) to address an issue of import and impact related to the human condition.

Submissions are open until 6 October with a €10 entry fee. Find out more on their website.

Hangar Art Open Call 2025

Deadline 3 October / No entry fee

As part of the bicentenary celebration (September 2026 to September 2027) of Le Point De Vue Du Gras, Hangar welcomes Belgian or Belgium-based photographers to delve into the theme Reinventing Photography. Artists are encouraged to reflect on how photography can be reinvented 200 years on, whether the medium reinvents itself, and how contemporary artists keep the practice alive. Inspired by a major photographic commission from the French CNAP (National Centre for Visual Arts), Hangar's initiative will select an additional five photographers to complement the 15 already chosen.

Five selected laureates will receive a €4,000 cash prize, which includes a €1,000 contribution from the French Embassy in Belgium. In addition, production support will be provided for the creation of the selected works, which will be featured in a collective exhibition at Hangar from 17 September to 20 December 2026.

Luis Valtueña International Humanitarian Photography Award 2025

Deadline 10 October / No entry fee

The award recognizes and promotes photography that documents social inequality, injustice, and human rights abuses, as well as the individuals and movements working to confront them. Submitted images must tell a story related to themes such as health, natural disasters, humanitarian action, international cooperation, social exclusion, human rights violations, armed conflict, or the challenges faced by vulnerable groups, refugees, and migrants.

One selected photographer will receive a €6,000 cash prize. Additionally, the work of the prize recipient and finalists will be featured in the exhibition catalog and included in a collective, touring exhibition produced by Médicos del Mundo Spain. The organization will cover travel and accommodation for two nights, allowing the selected artists to attend the award ceremony and exhibition opening.

Find out more on their website.

Sonntag Grant For Photography

Deadline 31 October / Entry fee €10

Launched in 2025, the Sonntag Grant for Photography aims at supporting FLINTA artists (female, lesbian, inter, non-binary, trans, agender) with a €3,000 grant to develop a project. The focus is on giving time, support, and space to pursue new or ongoing work. The theme is open, and applications are welcome from photographers worldwide. Projects may be documentary, staged, experimental, or anywhere in between, with a special interest in works that explore how the world is shaped, whether through the lens of politics, sociology, anthropology, or the built environment. The first €2,000 will be awarded upfront, the remaining €1,000 once all deliverables are submitted.

Learn more on their website.

Rotterdam Photo 2026 x Amarte: Dutch Talent Project Grants

Deadline 15 October / No entry fee

Rotterdam Photo and Amarte Fonds invite photographers based in or connected to the Netherlands to explore the theme Echoes Of Silence – War In The Artist's Soul. Instead of documenting conflict directly, the theme calls for an introspective look at the emotional and psychological aftermath of war, collective trauma, and displacement. Five selected artists will be awarded a €3,000 stipend to produce a new body of work that will culminate in a "work in progress" exhibition during the Rotterdam Photo festival in March 2026. Throughout their journey, artists will receive dedicated curatorial guidance, work closely with a guest curator, and benefit from professional feedback. Additionally, they will also have the chance to participate in the festival talks and networking events, as well as media exposure through Rotterdam Snapshots, a video series that will document and share their creative process online.

You can submit your work until 15 October with no entry fee. Read more on their website.

Raccont’arti - Castelfiorentino Prize For The Arts 2025

Deadline 27 October / No entry fee

Exploring the theme The Illusion Of Knowledge: The Photographic Image Between Freedom And Control, Castelfiorentino invites artists to reflect on the power of the photographic image today. The call encourages a deep exploration of the relationship between photography and control, as well as its role in both building and disrupting consensus. The competition is open to two categories: an Open category for all artists, and a Student category for those currently enrolled in art school or who have graduated within the past year. The prize recipient of the Open category will receive a €3,000 cash prize, while the artist selected for the Student category will be awarded €500. A group exhibition in Castelfiorentino, Italy, will feature the work of both prize recipients and eight finalists (four from each category). Additionally, the winning work from the Open category is eligible for acquisition by Ente Cambiano and Banca Cambiano 1884.

Find out more on their website.

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Other Deadlines

Landskrona Foto Festival 2026 Open Call / Deadline 21 October / Entry fee €15

The Landskrona Foto Festival offers an exhibition opportunity for artists and photographers during its next edition to be held on 4-20 September 2026, in Landskrona, Sweden, and centered on the theme of Displacement. The festival welcomes a wide range of photographic styles—from documentary to experimental—to be featured in its outdoor exhibition program in various public spaces. Selected artists will receive a €900 artist fee, and the festival will fully cover all production costs for the outdoor installations.

2025 Alan Hagman Grant / Deadline 11 October / No entry fee

Supported by donations from the Hagman family and Alan’s friends and colleagues, the Alan Hagman Photojournalism Grant is an annual award that supports photojournalists undertaking projects with a creative approach to important stories, particularly those concerning human rights and environmental issues. One selected photographer will receive a $6,000 grant to complete a project.

Mesnographies 2026 Open Call / Deadline 15 October / No entry fee

The Mesnographies festival invites photographers to submit work for its upcoming exhibition, FOCUS #6, on the theme of Incest. Selected artists will be included in the official program for the festival's 6th edition. Benefits include a €300 artist fee and a six-week exhibition of their work in the Parc des Mesnuls, running from 6 June to 9 July 2026. The festival will cover all print production costs. Plus, for the opening weekend, artists will be provided with three days of accommodation hosted by a local resident.

KG＋SELECT 2026 Open Call / Deadline 31 October / Entry fee €57

KG+SELECT is open for artists and curators using photography. Ten selected participants will receive a ¥200,000 (€1,140) grant to exhibit their work. While artists are responsible for all exhibition-related costs and logistics, one grand prize recipient is chosen from the ten exhibitors to receive an additional ¥500,000 (€2,860) grant and a solo exhibition in the KYOTOGRAPHIE festival the following year.

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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.