A Guide To October 2026 Photo Awards & Open Calls

PhMuseum Women Photographers Grant, KG+ Select Open Call, W. Eugene Smith Grant, Raccont’Arti: Contemporary Photography Award, and Hasselblad Foundation Fotosalongen are among the opportunities we selected this month.

PhMuseum 2026 Women Photographers Grant

Deadline 15 October / Entry fee €30

Now in its 10th 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. Additionally, MPB, Europe’s top camera reseller and partner of this edition, in collaboration with PhMuseum, will further select two projects for their Special Mention, granting a €2,500 voucher each to spend on used photo and video gear on mpb.com. Prizes also include a solo show at PhMuseum Lab in Bologna, Italy, in 2027, with travel, accommodation, and production costs included.

As a result of a recent collaboration, Ysaora Thibus, Olympic Medalist and Founder of Nineteen Hundred Magazine, will select one project connected to women’s sport for a printed feature in the magazine’s upcoming third issue, scheduled for release in March 2027. PhMuseum will handpick two or more projects for an extensive 8–12-page feature in the PhMuseum Annual third issue, launching in autumn 2027. Furthermore, the Vogue Italia photography department, led by Alessia Glaviano, will further select a work among all of the submissions for an online featured interview. Plus, PhMuseum's team will also select 9 photographers from all the applicants, who will be granted a 30-minute online portfolio review with a mentor of their choice from the PhMuseum Education program.

An independent jury composed of Elisa Medde (Editor, Curator and Writer), Mariela Sancari (Photographer), Yagazie Emezi (Artist & Photojournalist), and Myriam Boulos (Photographer) will also assign honorable mentions to highlight projects they took into consideration.

You can submit your project until 15 October. Learn more on PhMuseum's website.

KG+ Select 2027 Open Call

Deadline 10 October / Entry fee €55

KG＋SELECT is inviting artists, duos, and collectives of all backgrounds to submit exhibition proposals incorporating photography, moving images, or installation. Around ten finalists will showcase their work in a group exhibition at KYOTOGRAPHIE / KG＋ 2027 in Kyoto, Japan, each receiving a JPY 200,000 (€1,130) grant and a 20 m² venue.

During the festival, one grand prize recipient will be awarded the KG＋SELECT Award, earning a solo exhibition at KYOTOGRAPHIE 2028 along with a JPY 500,000 (€2,825) grant, production support, and official promotion.

Find out more on their website.

W. Eugene Smith Grant 2026

Deadline 13 October / Entry fee €44

The W. Eugene Smith Grant supports documentary photographers and photojournalists creating humanistic stories on social, political, and environmental issues. Designed for long-form visual storytelling, the 2026 program awards a $30,000 top grant alongside two $10,000 finalist grants to help photographers develop or complete their projects.

The proposal must outline how the funds will be used, and selected grantees are expected to focus on humanistic themes driving social change. Through different partnerships, the Smith Fund will be making a select number of application fee waivers available.

W. Eugene Smith Student Grant 2026

Deadline 13 October / Entry fee €9

The W. Eugene Smith Student Grant supports current photography students creating long-form documentary projects focused on humanistic themes, social change, and urgent environmental or political issues. Designed to uphold W. Eugene Smith's legacy of compassionate visual storytelling, the program will award two cash prizes of $5,000 to help students complete their photographic essays.

The grant is open to enrolled students. Multimedia approaches are accepted, but AI-generated imagery is strictly prohibited, and fee waivers are available through partner organizations for those needing financial support.

Applications are open until 13 October. More information on their website.

Raccont’Arti: Contemporary Photography Award 2026

Deadline 15 October / No entry fee

Raccont’arti invites photographers and visual artists to respond to the theme Beyond The Visible: The Image Of Absence, exploring concepts of memory, traces, and unseen relationships. Divided into Open and Student categories, the call provides a platform for both emerging and established creators. The Open category awards a €3,000 cash prize with the potential for artwork acquisition by Ente Cambiano and Banca Cambiano 1884, while the Student category – open to current students and recent graduates – awards €500. Additionally, the prize recipient and four finalists from each category will be featured in a group exhibition at the CAMBIO Cultural Centre in Castelfiorentino, Italy.

The jury is composed of Vittore Buzzi, Michele Palazzi, Chiara Ruberti, Tommaso Parrillo, Franco Spina, and Francesca Catastini.

You can submit your project with no entry fee. Learn more on their website.

VI Barcelona Human Rights International Photo Festival Open Call

Deadline 9 October / Entry fee €5

Organised by Más Retina, the 6th Barcelona International Human Rights and Global Justice Photography Award invites professional and amateur photographers worldwide to submit projects addressing human rights, global justice, and gender equality. Ten projects will be selected to be featured in large-format outdoor exhibitions across Barcelona’s ten districts during the BCN-DH International Photo Festival, in Spain, taking place from December 2026 to January 2027.

Applicants may submit multiple projects across four categories: Social Justice, Climate Justice, Gender Justice, and Economic Justice. All ten finalists will have their work exhibited and published in the festival catalogue, with the overall prize recipient receiving €3,000 and the three category prize recipients each receiving €400.

Present your work before 9 October. Read more on their website.

Hasselblad Foundation Fotosalongen 2027

Deadline 18 October / No entry fee

Fotosalongen invites photographers of all genres and experience levels to participate in Sweden’s largest photo salon at the Hasselblad Center. Curated without a specific theme, the open call aims to capture a comprehensive, diverse snapshot of contemporary photography – spanning documentary, street, nature, art, and science – by hanging the work of established visual artists alongside emerging and unrepresented talents. Selected artists will receive SEK 3,200 (€285) and have their work exhibited at the Hasselblad Center in Gothenburg, Sweden, in summer 2027, with select pieces also being acquired for the Hasselblad Foundation’s permanent collection.

The selection process will be conducted by a jury comprising Alexandra Ellis (Curator at the Sune Jonsson Center for Documentary Photography, Västerbottens museum), Tarik Saleh (Film Director), Elisabeth Toll (Photographer), and Dragana Vujanovic Östlind (Jury Chair and Chief Curator at the Hasselblad Foundation).

Find out more on the Hasselblad Foundation's website.

Mesnographies 2027 Open Call

Deadline 15 October / No entry fee

Les Mesnographies invites photographers to present projects responding to the theme The Pursuit Of Happiness. The festival encourages participants to explore how happiness is sought, experienced, and understood – whether through personal moments, community bonds, or broader societal reflections – examining what wellbeing and human connection mean in today's world.

Selected works will be exhibited in a public outdoor park in Les Mesnuls, France.