June's Photography Grants and Awards

It's a great time of year if you’re looking to get support for the production and promotion of your work with so many great awards currently open for entry. In our curated guide this month, we feature the Paris Photo-Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards, the Photo Vogue Festival Open Call, and our own Mobile Photography Prize.

It's a great time of year if you’re looking to get support for the production and promotion of your work with so many great awards currently open for entry. In our curated guide this month, we feature the Paris Photo-Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards, the Photo Vogue Festival Open Call, and our own Mobile Photography Prize.

PHmuseum 2019 Mobile Photography Prize / Deadline: 13 June / Entry fee: £5 - £30

All entries in this first edition will be reviewed by an international judging panel comprised of Caroline Hunter (Picture Editor, The Guardian Weekend Magazine), Marcelo Brodsky (Visual Artist), Chiara Bardelli Nonino (Photo Editor, Vogue Italia and L'Uomo Vogue), and Erik Kessels (Artist and Curator). Applicants are invited to submit images into five categories, namely (Self) Portrait, #Love, Wanderlust, Fashion, and Documentary, with a First Prize of £1,000, a Second Prize of £250, and a Third Prize of £150 to be awarded in each. A £1,000 Mobile Photo of the Year Prize will further be granted to one image that in the eyes of the jury summarises the issues and trends of the past year.

In addition to these monetary awards, the PHmuseum curatorial team will also select around 200 images that will be published in a limited-edition photobook to be distributed across book stores, museums, and art fairs around the world. The publication will be the first volume in a series that will be released on a yearly basis, with aim of immortalising on paper the ephemeral images that serve as a metaphor for the phenomenon of mobile photography. Among the other prizes on offer, Rosa Roth (Founder and Editor of The Smart View) will select five images from any category to be published in the fourth edition of the printed photo zine TSV_ZINE, the GUP Magazine editorial team will choose three photographers to be awarded an online portfolio feature plus a yearly subscription to their printed magazine, and - in a newly announced collaboration - Spazio Labo’ Gallery in Bologna, Italy will co-curate an exhibition of images handpicked from the submissions to be inaugurated in January 2020 during ArteFiera, one of the most important art fairs in Europe.

Applicants can submit between one and 20 single images and they must have been taken from a mobile device. Entries are £5 for one image, £15 for between two and five images, £20 for between six and 10 images, and £30 for between 11 and 20 images. The deadline is set for 13 June. To learn more and apply, visit phmuseum.com/grant.

Paris Photo - Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards / Early Bird Deadline: 30 June; Final Deadline: 13 September / Entry fee: US$20 - US$60

Initiated back in 2012, the Paris Photo-Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards have developed into one of the most famed contests in the industry, dedicated solely to the celebration of 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: the First PhotoBook Prize (for a first self-published / limited-edition book); the PhotoBook of the Year Prize (for 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 (for the best exhibition catalogue or museum publication of the year).

The awards will be judged in two stages. An initial jury comprised of representatives from both Paris Photo and Aperture Foundation will convene in New York to select a shortlist in each category. A second, separate jury will then meet in Paris immediately before the inauguration of Paris Photo (7 – 10 November) to select the three category winners. 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. Following their display during Paris Photo, an exhibition of the thirty shortlisted books will travel to Aperture Gallery in New York and may be exhibited at other venues worldwide.

This year, applicants can take advantage of an Early Bird deadline fee, available until 30 June. Entry fees until this time are: First PhotoBook, US$20 per project; PhotoBook of the Year, US$50 for first project from a given publisher, US$20 for each subsequent project from the same publisher; and Photography Catalogue of the Year, US$50 for first project from a given publisher, US$20 for each subsequent project from the same publisher. Prices increase by US$10 in each category thereafter. The final deadline is 13 September. For further information, go to contests.picter.com/photobook-awards-2019.

Photo Vogue Festival Open Call / Deadline: end of July / No entry fee

Since its inception, Photo Vogue Festival has always sought to raise questions about the most pressing issues of our times through photography, based on the assumption that any image, regardless of its nature, is about an ethical matter and a political necessity. For the fourth edition of the festival, which will take place in Milan from 14 through 17 November, the curators have decided to explore the topic A Glitch in the System, Deconstructing Stereotypes. “Continuing from last year’s theme, Embracing Diversity, we wish to pursue the investigation into and promotion of diversity in all its forms by taking a step further” they say. The festival this year, then, will be shining a spotlight on work that doesn’t just focus on what is not perceived as familiar in today’s world – the glitch – but rather reflects upon the way such irregularities within the system are represented. It is the curators’ hope that by showcasing images that attempt to deconstruct widely held stereotypes, Photo Vogue Festival can contribute to the enrichment of contemporary visual vocabulary.

To be in with a chance of exhibiting, photographers must sign up to Photo Vogue for free and upload images to their online community that relate to the core theme. All works will be reviewed and shortlisted by an international jury whose names will soon be revealed. Special attention will be paid to the broadening of diversity in terms of the photographers chosen, meaning that, in this edition, diversity shall apply to the photographic subjects as well as to the artists behind the camera. Photographers have from now until the end of July to apply. Learn more at vogue.it.

Gomma Photography Grant / First Deadline: 14 June; Second Deadline: 31 August; Final Deadline: 4 November / Entry fee: €10 - €25

Now in its sixth year, 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. “Gomma has always had an out-of-the-box approach and has acquired an autonomous position in the contemporary photography industry” write the editorial team. “One of the main goals and achievements of Gomma is that of hunting unknown photographers, sometimes completely unrecognised by the photography world. Gomma's editorial staff enjoy entering into uncharted territory to spot fresh, new talent and to support them so that they can receive appropriate recognition” they add.

Submissions this year will be reviewed by a jury comprising Brigitte Schaller (Art Director, LFI Leica Fotografie International), JH Engstrom and Margot Wallard (Atelier Smedsby), Marigold Warner (British Journal of Photography), Sandrine Hermand-Grisel (Founder of all-about-photo.com), Joao Linneu (Founder and Curator of VOID), and Luca Desienna (Founder of Gomma). 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. To apply, photographers must submit between six and 50 images from either an ongoing or completed project, a short statement, and a short biography. The application fee until 14 June is €10 and will rise thereafter. Visit gommagrant.com to find out more.

EPSON International Pano Awards / Early Bird Deadline: 8 July / US$18 - US$22

Celebrating their tenth anniversary this year, the EPSON International Pano Awards look to promote and showcase the work of panoramic photographers worldwide. The prize pool this year is worth over US$50,000 and includes US$12,000 in cash.

In the Open competition, the winning prize package totals US$10,600 and is comprised of a US$3,500 cash award, Nodal Ninja vouchers, Triple Scoop Music vouchers, and the latest digital printing equipment. The winners of the two special awards – the EPSON Digital Art Prize and The Curator’s Award – will each be granted cash prizes of US$1,000, while a number of other smaller awards are also on offer, including Highest Scoring Gigapixel Image, Highest Scoring Aerial Image, Highest Scoring Film Capture, Highest Scoring Vertical Image, and Highest Scoring Smartphone Image. The submission fee is US$22 per image.

The Amateur competition – open to non-professional / amateur and student photographers only – comes with a winning prize bundle worth US$4,350 consisting of US$3,000 in cash, Nodal Ninja vouchers, Atkins Photo Lab vouchers, and Triple Scoop Music vouchers. The Amateur Special One of a Kind Photography Adventures Award offers one photographer the opportunity to join Timothy Poulton and Deven Gurung on their exclusive 2020 Himalayas Autumn Adventure tour. The submission fee is US$18 per image. Photographers can take advantage of an early bird discount (20% off) ending 8 July when entering five or more images in either of the Open or Amateur competitions. Find out more and apply at thepanoawards.com.

Tokyo International Foto Awards / Early Bird Deadline: 30 June; Final Deadline: 31 August / Entry fee: US$10 - US$50

The Tokyo International Foto Awards are designed to recognise, honour, and 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. The panel of industry professionals jurying the work is pooled from renowned photo editors, agency directors, gallery owners, and other influential luminaries, and includes the likes of Christophe Loviny (Yangon Photo Festival), Hossein Farmani (The Lucie Awards, IPA), Lucy Bell (Lucy Bell Fine Art Gallery), Koji Orimoto (Digital Camera Watch), Casey Kelbaugh (Slideluck), Alfie Goodrich (Japanorama), Goh Kim Hui (Photographic Society of Singapore), and Jesper Thomsen (Mews42 Gallery).

In the Professional contest, submission fees are US$20 per single image, and US$30 per series (two to eight images with the same theme), while the Non-professional contest comes with fees of US$15 per single image, and US$20 per series (two to eight images with the same theme). Applicants receive 30% off per additional category, if the same entry is submitted to multiple categories. There is a further 5% discount if applications are made before 30 June. The final deadline is 31 August. More information can be found by visiting tokyofotoawards.jp.

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OTHER DEADLINES:

Gibellina PhotoRoad Open Call / Deadline: 10 June / No entry fee

Gibellina PhotoRoad, a site-specific festival in Italy, is inviting all photographers to submit work to their open call responding to the theme Fiction. The prizes on offer include: an open-air installation/exhibition at the next edition of the festival later this year (comes with a production grant of €2,500); a residency in Gibellina; a place in the permanent collection at Fondazione Orestiadi; and a publication on YET magazine. The jury features Joan Fontcuberta, Stefano Stoll, Laura Serani, Lorenza Bravetta, Elena Vaninetti, and Arianna Catania.

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The Pierre & Alexandra Boulat Grant / Deadline: 10 June / No entry fee

Open to professional photographers of any age, sex, or nationality, the Pierre and Alexandra Boulat Grant is designed to promote the creation of an original documentary work covering a social, economic, political, or cultural issue in a journalistic manner. The €8,000 monetary award is granted in order to allow the winner to produce a visual story that has never been told in the mainstream media.

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Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize / Deadline: 11 June / No entry fee

Organised by The National Portrait Gallery in London, the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize is the leading international competition of its kind, celebrating and promoting the very best in contemporary portrait photography. Over the years since its inception in 1993, the award has established a reputation for creativity and excellence, attracting works submitted by a wide range of visual storytellers, from leading professionals to talented amateurs. Selected photographers will have their work showcased in a special group exhibition and one winner will be granted a monetary prize of £15,000.

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Joan Wakelin Bursary / Deadline: 1 July / No entry fee

Administered by The Royal Photographic Society in partnership with The Guardian, the Joan Wakelin Bursary offers £2,000 to one photographer to help with the production of a photographic essay on an international social documentary issue. The awardee will also be given the opportunity to have their portfolio printed by Metro Imaging in London. The Bursary is only looking to fund new stories and it does not support either ongoing works or projects that require travel to, or within, war zones.

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The Ian Parry Scholarship / Deadline: 5 July / No entry fee

Aimed solely at young photographers who are either attending a full-time photographic course or are under 24 years of age, this competition plays an important role in drawing attention to untold global issues. This year’s IPS is divided into two categories: The Sunday Times Award for Achievement and The Canon Award for Potential. Prizes across the two contests include cash grants, portfolio review days with industry experts in London, automatic nomination into World Press Photo's Joop Swart Masterclass, and a year-long mentorship program with Magnum photographer Jonas Bendiksen.

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Lucie Photobook Prize / Deadline: 26 July / Entry fee: US$35 - US$55

The Lucie Photo Book Prize, run by the Lucie Foundation, looks to support photographers in the production and promotion of their photobooks through monetary prizes and opportunities for exposure. The contest is divided into two separate awards - the US$3,000 Traditional Prize will be awarded to a photographer, editor, curator or publisher whose book is commercially produced and distributed, while the US$2,000 Independent Prize will be awarded to a photographer, editor, curator or publisher whose book is published and distributed independently.

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Unseen Dummy Award / Deadline: 1 August / Entry fee: €30

The Unseen Dummy Award is a creative collaboration between Unseen and publishing company Lecturis that looks to showcase the work of photographers and designers from around the world, providing them with an opportunity to publish their dummy photobooks. This year, prior to the launch of Unseen Amsterdam, a pre-selection of 40 dummies will be made and then exhibited during the three-day festival from 20 through 22 September. A jury composed of leading industry figures will convene on the opening day and select up to three runners-up and one winner who will have their book published next year.

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Budapest International Foto Awards / Deadline: 5 August / Entry fee: US$10 - US$50

Inaugurating this year, the Budapest International Foto Awards have set out a mission to promote the work of professional and emerging photographers to the fast-growing artistic community in the Hungarian capital, putting them in the spotlight and providing them with a great platform to showcase their work. The awards will seek to recognise the power and influence of photography in shaping how we see the world. Applicants will compete for various prizes including monetary awards and opportunities to exhibit their work in Budapest.

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

Moving into its fifth edition, 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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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.

© Alena Kakhanovich, from the series The Wall
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© Alena Kakhanovich, from the series The Wall

© Stanley Wolukau-Wanambwa, spread from the book One Wall a Web. 2018 First PhotoBook winner
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© Stanley Wolukau-Wanambwa, spread from the book One Wall a Web. 2018 First PhotoBook winner

© Shuwei Liu, from the series Friendship and the Pink Triangle. 2018 exhibitor
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© Shuwei Liu, from the series Friendship and the Pink Triangle. 2018 exhibitor

© Tabitha Barnard, from the series Cult of Womanhood. 2018 Gomma Grant winner
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© Tabitha Barnard, from the series Cult of Womanhood. 2018 Gomma Grant winner

© Anastasia Woolmington, Wedded Rocks, Japan. 2018 Carolyn Mitchum Award winner
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© Anastasia Woolmington, Wedded Rocks, Japan. 2018 Carolyn Mitchum Award winner

© Evelyn Bencicova, from the series Alice. 2018 TIFA New Talent of the Year
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© Evelyn Bencicova, from the series Alice. 2018 TIFA New Talent of the Year

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