August's Photography Grants and Awards

In our curated awards guide this month, we feature the Carmignac Photojournalism Award, Leica Women Foto Project Award, ICP / GOST First Photo Book Award, and many other great opportunities. Learn how they can help in the development and promotion of your visual stories.

In our curated awards guide this month, we feature the Carmignac Photojournalism Award, Leica Women Foto Project Award, ICP / GOST First Photo Book Award, and many other great opportunities. Learn how they can help in the development and promotion of your visual stories.

Carmignac Photojournalism Award / Deadline: 16 October / No entry fee

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Founded back in 2009, the Carmignac Photojournalism Award looks to support the work of photographers working in the field, providing funding every year for the production of an investigative photo reportage that shines a spotlight on human rights violations or geostrategic issues in the world. This year's edition is dedicated to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with one laureate to be endowed with a €50,000 grant to produce a six-month project that documents both the complex realities facing the country today and the grounds of hope for the 90 million inhabitants, 60% of which are younger than 20 years old. Some of the suggested areas of focus include education and public health programs; conservation initiatives for wildlife; and the fight against trafficking, corruption, and the control of a few individuals and multinationals over mining exploitation. The report will be turned into a travelling exhibition and a mongraph published by Fondation Carmignac.

The selection of the winner will happen in two stages. First, a pre-jury comprised of Magalenda Herrera (Director of Photography, GEO France), Nicolas Jimenez (Director of Photography, Le Monde), and Nick Kirkpatrick (Photo Editor, The Washington Post) will pre-select between 12 and 15 proposals. The overall winner will be chosen from this pool of finalists in a second phase of judging by a panel featuring the likes of Simon Baker (Director, Maison Européenne de la Photographie), Maryline Baumard (Editor-in-Chief, Le Monde Afrique), Comfort Ero (Director, Crisis Group Africa), Meaghan Looram (Director of Photography, The New York Times), and Fiona Shields (Director of Photography, The Guardian). At the end of the selection process, the jury will meet the winning photographer in order to talk to them and, if necessary, to provide the support they will need throughout the duration of their project – from the preparation of the reportage to its final exhibition. The deadline is 16 October and there is no entry fee. To learn more about the process and the submission requirements, visit fondationcarmignac.com.

Leica Women Foto Project Award / Deadline: 29 August / No entry fee

As part of the Leica Women Foto Project, Leica Camera USA is looking to bestow three women photographers in the United States with a US$10,000 award and a one-year loan of a Leica Q2 camera to help support a personal project that is relevant to today's social and political climate. The mission of the Leica Women Foto Project is to educate, encourage, and empower photographers to demonstrate the importance and impact of a woman's perspective. This award serves as a catalyst to reframe how we see, how we think, and how we express our visual narrative.

All applications will be reviewed by an international jury that includes Karin Kaufmann (Art Director, Leica Galleries International), Maggie Steber (VII Agency photographer and Guggenheim fellow), Elizabeth Avedon (Independent curator, photo book and exhibition designer), Laura Roumanos (Executive producer and co-founder, United Photo Industries), and Deborah Willis (University professor, Tisch School of the Arts at New York University). Together they will be judging the entries on the basis of quality of photography, dedication to the medium, and the sophistication of the project, as expressed through the female gaze with narratives that broaden ideas and conversations on modern society. Applicants are required to submit a series of 10 images from a personal project, made on any digital or film camera of any model or brand, and at least four images must have been taken between 2018 and 2019. The deadline is 29 August and there is no entry fee. Further information can be found at us.leica-camera.com.

ICP / GOST First Photo Book Award / Deadline: 2 September / Entry fee: US$35

The International Center for Photography has partnered with GOST Books to organise a new contest that aims to develop and support the work of previously unpublished photographers and artists through the production of a first photobook. One winner will have the opportunity to have their work turned into a monograph that will be designed, edited, printed, published, and distributed by the ICP / GOST imprint. Upon publication, the work will also go on display at the new International Center of Photography space in New York City.

The judging panel for this first edition is comprised of a host of industry leaders, including Mark Lubell (Executive Director, International Center of Photography), Stuart Smith (Director, GOST Books), Genevieve Fussell (Senior Photo Editor, The New Yorker), Lucy Helton (Independent photographer), Jamel Shabazz (Independent photographer), and Peter van Agtmael (Magnum photographer and Founder and Partner, Red Hook Editions). The award is open to visual artists of any age working in the medium of photography whose work has yet to be published in book form by a mainstream publisher. The call for entries is open through 2 September and there is an entry fee of US$35. To find out more and apply, go to gostbooks.com/bookaward.

Bird in Flight Prize / Deadline: 12 August / Entry fee: €15

The goal of the Bird in Flight Prize is to support photographers who think beyond traditional artistic standards. The contest is not about projects that cater to the existing general demand, but rather it’s about discovering new ways to tell a story using the means and tools of photography. The organisers encourage artistic freedom and diversity and they do not limit photographers in their choices of subjects and creativity methods.

All entries this year will be pre-judged by Olga Osipova (Photo Editor, Bird in Flight), Alina Sanduliak (Photo School Curator, Bird in Flight), Mariia Vtorushina (Curator, Set Art Space), Mariia Lanko (Curator and Co-founder, The Naked Room Gallery), and Kateryna Radchenko (Festival Director, Odesa Photo Days). From their selection, a secondary judging panel will choose 10 shortlisted projects to feature in an exhibition at the Set Art Space in Kiev and one overall winner who will receive a €2000 cash prize. Antoine d’Agata (artist and photographer), Salvatore Vitale (artist and Editor-in-Chief, Yet Magazine), Ola Lanko (artist and photographer), Dmitry Kostyukov (photographer), Vlad Sokhin (photographer), and Emilia van Lynden (member of the Unseen Advisory Committee) are the jury members. To apply, photographers must submit a photo series comprised of five to 12 images. The deadline is 12 August and there is a €15 entry fee. For more detailed information about the jurors and the prizes on offer, visit prize.birdinflight.com.

Landskrona Foto Residency / Deadline: 19 August / No entry fee

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In recent years, Landskrona Foto has become established as one of the Nordic regions’ eminent photography platforms through the organisation of a string of cultural initiatives and the renowned Landskrona Foto Festival. This six-week residency program, now in its sixth year, offers an opportunity for a visual artist working with photography and/or lens-based media to enjoy time and space away from their usual environment and obligations.

The selected photographer will receive a grant of 15,000 SEK (approximately €1,500), travel expenses to and from their home country, accommodation in Landskrona, and a dedicated working space. As part of the program, Landskrona Foto will also look to connect the photographer with regional-based photographers and other art professionals through a series of meetings, mentoring sessions, exhibition openings, and other networking events. The jury members this year are Anastasia Mityukova (visual artist, independent curator), Anna Nordquist Andersson (artist and photographer), Jenny Lindhe (Head of Photographs Collection, Landskrona Foto), and Raffaele Piano (Landskrona Foto). To be considered, photographers should submit one or two projects each containing between five and 10 images, a biography of no more than 1,500 characters, and a detailed residency project proposal. The deadline for entries is 19 August and there is no application fee. Learn more at landskronafoto.org.

Aesthetica Art Prize / Deadline: 31 August / Entry fee: £24

Celebrating its 13th edition this year, the Aesthetica Art Prize is designed to support innovative practices across all artistic mediums including photographic and digital art, video, and mixed media. It offers both young and established artists the opportunity to showcase their work to a wider audience, and further their engagement with the international art world.

The award is divided into two categories, namely the Main Art Prize – which is open to everyone – and the Emerging Art Prize that is aimed at students and rising artists who have graduated within the last two years. The prizes include monetary awards totaling £6,000, space in a group exhibition, editorial coverage in Aesthetica Magazine, art supplies vouchers courtesy of Cass Art, and artist books from Prestel Publishing. All entries will be reviewed by a panel that comprises influential art figures, including the likes of Andreas Gegner (Co-Director, Sprueth Magers Gallery), Dr. Beatrice Bertram (Senior Curator, York Art Gallery), Cherie Federico (Co-founder & Managing Director, Aesthetica), Claire Catterall (Senior Curator, Somerset House), Diane Smyth (Writer, Editor and Curator), Eliza Williams (Editor, Creative Review), and Sarah Allen (Assistant Curator, Tate Modern).

Applicants may enter up to two works per every £24 entry fee, except for artists’ films, in which case only one will be accepted. The deadline is 31 August. To find out further information about the prizes, judges, and entry requirements, go to aestheticamagazine.com/artprize.

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OTHER DEADLINES:

Tokyo International Foto Awards / Deadline: 31 August / Entry fee: US$15 - US$50

The Tokyo International Foto Awards are designed to connect talented photographers from around the world to new audiences and new eyes in the creative circles of Japan. The competition is divided into two Professional and Non-professional contests, which are further split into 10 sub-categories, namely Advertising, Architecture, Book, Editorial, Events, Fine Art, Nature, People, Portfolio, and Science. First Place winners in each category in both contests will enjoy extensive publicity throughout the coming year in addition to having their work exhibited in Tokyo and at other venues around the world. There are also two independent awards, the TIFA Photographer of the Year and New Talent of the Year, which come with US$3,000 and US$2,000 cash prizes respectively.

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International PhotogrVphy Grant / Deadline: 31 August / No entry fee

Celebrating its fifth edition this year, the annual PhotogrVphy Grant seeks to support the work of emerging visual storytellers through cash prizes and exposure to industry professionals. Photographers can submit a project sharing a common theme (of up to 10 images) in one of the five categories, namely Daily Life, Body, Climate, Experimental, and Urban, with one grand prize winner to receive US$1,000. Alison Zavos, Daria Bonera, Niccolò Fano, Gianpaolo Arena, and Robyn Lange are among the jury members.

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Paris Photo - Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards / Deadline: 13 September / Entry fee: US$30 - US$60

The Paris Photo-Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards have developed into one of the most famed contests in the industry, celebrating the photobook’s contribution to the evolving narrative of photography. Visual storytellers, artists, photographers, publishers, galleries, and institutions around the world are invited to submit their photobooks into three different categories, namely the First PhotoBook Prize, the PhotoBook of the Year Prize, and the Photography Catalogue of the Year Prize.. All shortlisted books will go on display at Paris Photo and feature in the fall 2019 issue of The PhotoBook Review, published by Aperture Foundation.

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Liquida Studio Residency / Deadline: 16 September / Entry fee: €10

Set to take place between October and December later this year, the Liquida Studio Residency program in Palermo, Sicily is open to all visual artists who are strongly interested in developing a project pertinent to the photographic medium. The work needs to be coherent with the geographical area of the residency, yet the selected artist will not have any specific limitation in terms of theme, visual approach, and dissemination. The winner will receive a €500 endowment to reimburse the costs of travelling, accommodation, and research, while a final showcase exhibition will be printed and produced by the two co-founders, BACO and Minimum.

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Gomma Photography Grant / Early Bird Deadline: 31 August; Final Deadline: 4 November / Entry fee: €10 - €25

The Gomma Photography Grant is an all-inclusive award that aims to promote and expose photographers - both emerging and established - working across all genres of visual storytelling. Since it was established in 2004, Gomma has gained a reputation for bringing recognition to undetected artists with the jury applying a strict meritocratic approach to judging. Winners of the First, Second, and Third Prize will receive €1,000, €300, and €200 respectively, while a number of smaller recognitions will be granted to the Best Colour Documentary work, Best Black and White Documentary work, Best Colour Picture, Best Black and White Picture, Best Daily Life Story, and Best Rising Talent.

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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.

August's Photography Grants and Awards
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© Kadir van Lohuizen, from the series Arctic: New Frontier. Winner of the 9th edition of the Carmignac Photojournalism Award. Co-produced with Yuri Kozyrev

© Maggie Steber. Leica Women Foto Project Award juror.
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© Maggie Steber. Leica Women Foto Project Award juror.

© ICP / GOST Books.
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© ICP / GOST Books.

© Anastasia Rudenko. 2019 Bird in Flight Prize finalist.
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© Anastasia Rudenko. 2019 Bird in Flight Prize finalist.

© Karolina Gembara, from the series Seven Sisters. 2017 Landskrona Foto Residency participant
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© Karolina Gembara, from the series Seven Sisters. 2017 Landskrona Foto Residency participant

© May Parlar, from the series Nomadic Realities. 2019 Aesthetica Art Prize shortlistee
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© May Parlar, from the series Nomadic Realities. 2019 Aesthetica Art Prize shortlistee

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