August Awards Guide

The Paris Photo-Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards, Burn Magazine Emerging Photographer Fund, and PhotogrVphy Grant are among the most interesting awards and opportunities currently open for entry. Read our monthly awards guide to learn about their prizes and deadlines.

The Paris Photo-Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards, Burn Magazine Emerging Photographer Fund, and PhotogrVphy Grant are among the most interesting awards and opportunities currently open for entry. Read our monthly awards guide to learn about their prizes and deadlines.

Paris Photo-Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards

The annual Paris Photo - Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards celebrate the photobook’s contribution to the evolving narrative of the photography medium. Photographers, publishers, galleries, and institutions are invited to submit their photobooks into three different categories: The First PhotoBook Prize (for a first self-published book / first limited-edition book); The PhotoBook of the Year Prize (to be granted to a book in which the dominant content is photography, whether authored by more than one photographer/artist); and The Photography Catalogue of the Year Prize (awarding the best exhibition catalogue or museum publication of the year).

The judging will take place in two stages. An initial jury will meet in New York to select the shortlisted entries in each of the categories, after which a separate panel will convene in Paris before Paris Photo to decide the final winners. Following their display during Paris Photo, an exhibition of the thirty shortlisted books will travel to Aperture Gallery in New York.

Entry fees: First PhotoBook, $30 per book; PhotoBook of the Year, $60; Photography Catalogue of the Year, $60. Deadline: 15 September. Find out more by visiting aperture.picter.com.

Burn Magazine Emerging Photographer Fund

The Burn Magazine Emerging Photographer Fund was created to provide recognition to the finest emerging authors and grant funding to selected photographers to help with the continuation of a personal project.

An international jury featuring Alessia Glaviano (Senior photo editor, Vogue Italia), Wayne Lawrence (Photographer), Newsha Tavakolian (Photographer, Magnum), Teun van der Heijden (Photobook designer, Heijdens Karwij), and Jamie Wellford (Senior photo editor, National Geographic) will select the winner of both the Main EPF (US$10,000) and the FujiFilm/Young Talent Award (US$5,000). The latter is only open to those photographers 25 years of age or younger. Submitted bodies of work may be of either journalistic mission or purely personal artistic imperatives.

The entry fee is US$25 and the deadline for applications is 15 September. Visit burnmagazine.org for more information.

PhotogrVphy Grant

The annual PhotogrVphy Grant is a platform that aims to support the development of emerging photographers. “Our idea is to evoke artistic activities” say the organisers. “We strive to inspire participants to improve their photographic skills and develop their vision. We believe that each participant has potential and talent waiting to be discovered.”

Submissions must share a common theme and be constructed as a consistent series within the categories of Architecture, Conceptual, Nature, Photojournalism and Culture. The winner of the Grand Prize ($1000) will be selected by a judging panel including Alison Zavos (Founder, Feature Shoot), Gianpaolo Arena (Editor, Landscape Stories Magazine), Robyn Lange (Curator, Shutterstock), Emanuele Cucuzza (Editor in Chief, Image in Progress Magazine), Dr Michael Pritchard FRPS (Director General, The Royal Photographic Society), and Hugh Merrell (Founder, Merrell Publishers Limited). The competition is free to enter and the final deadline is 31 August. For further information, visit grant.photogrvphy.com.

Gomma Grant

The Gomma Grant is an international competition that aims to sustain the practice of photographers by funding their shooting, and working expenses, through cash endowments and other supportive initiatives. Since its foundation in 2004, Gomma has gained a reputation for promoting emerging photographers, oftentimes completely unknown within the industry, applying a strict meritocratic approach to judging. “Gomma's editorial staff enjoys entering into uncharted territory to spot fresh, new talent and to support them so that they can receive appropriate recognition” say the Grant organisers.

This year, a jury comprised of Caroline Hunter (Picture Editor, The Guardian), Diane Smyth (Executive Editor, The British Journal of Photography), Enrico Stefanelli (Founder, PhotoLux Festival), Joao Linneu (Founder and curator, VOID), Luca Desienna (Mentor, Gomma), Peggy Sue Amison (Artistic Director, East Wing), and Stephane Charpenter (Curator, TempsZero) will award a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize, worth €1000, €500, and €100 respectively. An Honorable Mention and six other prizes, namely Best Colour Documentary, Best Black and White Documentary, Best Colour Picture, Best Black and White Picture, Best Daily Life Story and Best Rising Talent will also be granted, each coming with a €100 cash award.

Early Bird Deadline: 31 August (Entry fee: €10). Final Deadline: 31 October (€25). Learn more at gommagrant.com.

Arnold Newman Prize for New Directions in Photographic Portraiture

Established by the Arnold and Augusta Newman Foundation in 2009, The Arnold Newman Prize is awarded annually to a photographer demonstrating “a compelling new vision in the genre of portraiture.” The award is designed to assist the winner in the continuing pursuit of stories, and serve as a platform from which they can launch the next phase of their career.

All jurying will be done anonymously, with submissions to be judged on originality, overall impact, artistic merit, technical excellence, and uniqueness of vision. The winner will receive $20,000 and an exhibition in New York City. Applications should be comprised of a cohesive group of 12 images that are all a part of a single project, portfolio, or series focused on photographic portraiture, and an artist statement no longer than 500 words. The call for entries will close on 15 September. There is a $55 entry fee per submission. Go to mainemedia.edu/newman to find out more.

Tokyo International Photography Festival 2017 Competition

The Tokyo International Photography Competition aims to discover new photographic talent from around the world and offer an opportunity to both Japanese photographers trying to enter international markets, and those wanting to present and exhibit their work in Japan. The theme of the competition this year is borders. “To put it simply, borders primarily enforce boundaries, minimising - if not eliminating - grey areas” say TIPC. “They can indicate physical lines separating political and/or geographic regions. We encourage you to consider the concept of borders as both physical barriers and intangible perimeters” they add.

A panel of 9 jurors will review all applications and select eight photographers whose work will be exhibited as part of a travelling exhibition that will appear in Tokyo, New York, and a number of other host cities set to be announced. Submission Deadline: 2 October. Entry Fee: US$40 per series of up to 5 images. For more information, go to tokyophotocompetition.com.

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Every month we curate a list of what is coming up in the world of photography awards. Aimed at early, mid-career, and professional photographers, this list offers details of the most exciting opportunities. To stay up to date, subscribe to our newsletter by registering your email address in the space at the bottom of this page.

© Gregory Halpern, from the book ZZYZX (Winner of the 2016 PhotoBook of the Year Prize)
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© Gregory Halpern, from the book ZZYZX (Winner of the 2016 PhotoBook of the Year Prize)

© Annie Flanagan, from the series, Deafening Sound (2016 EPF Grant winner)
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© Annie Flanagan, from the series, Deafening Sound (2016 EPF Grant winner)

© Matt Hamon, from the series, The Gleaners
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© Matt Hamon, from the series, The Gleaners

© Arko Datto, from the series, Will my mannequin be home when I return (2016, 3rd place winner)
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© Arko Datto, from the series, Will my mannequin be home when I return (2016, 3rd place winner)

© Sian Davey, from the series, Looking for Alice (2016 winner)
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© Sian Davey, from the series, Looking for Alice (2016 winner)

© Magdalena Sole, from the series, The Delta (2016 featured photographer)
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© Magdalena Sole, from the series, The Delta (2016 featured photographer)

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