May's Photography Grants and Awards

In our curated awards guide this month, we feature the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize, the Ian Parry Scholarship, and the newest installment of our own award program, the PHmuseum 2019 Mobile Photography Prize. Learn how they can support the development of your work and career.

In our curated awards guide this month, we feature the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize, the Ian Parry Scholarship, and the newest installment of our own award program, the PHmuseum 2019 Mobile Photography Prize. Learn how they can support the development of your work and career.

PHmuseum 2019 Mobile Photography Prize / Opens: 7 May / Early Bird Deadline: 23 May / Entry fee: free - £15

Acknowledging the historical and cultural importance of the mobile phenomenon, we’re launching a prize dedicated exclusively to mobile photography in what is the newest instalment of our growing award program. This call is open to photographers of all levels and nationalities and represents the beginning of our latest research initiative that will continue on an annual basis through 2024.

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, trends, and energy 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 photo book 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, and the GUP Magazine editorial team will choose three photographers from all the submissions to be awarded an online portfolio feature plus a yearly subscription to their printed magazine.

Applicants can submit between one and 10 single images and they must have been taken from a mobile device. Up until the Early Bird deadline (23 May), entries are free for one image, £10 for between two and five images, and £15 for between six and 10 images. Fees will change once the Early Bird deadline has passed. The final deadline is set for 13 June. To learn more about the judges, categories, and the entry fees, visit phmuseum.com/grant.

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 back 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 and the most exciting emerging artists.

Entries this year will once again be judged anonymously by an independent jury and the applicants who are successful will be invited to deliver their work to a venue in London for the final round of in-person judging. Photographers are encouraged to interpret portraiture in the widest sense of photography concerned with people, with jurors looking for sophisticated works that tell a story about the individual identities of those portrayed. Selected photographers will have their work showcased in a special group exhibition and one winner will be granted a monetary prize of £15,000. Further cash prizes will be awarded to one or more shortlisted photographers at the jury’s discretion. The competition is open to all photographers, of any nationality, aged over 18. The deadline is 11 June. Visit npg.org.uk/photoprize to find out more.

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

Created to celebrate the life and work of Ian Parry, a photojournalist who died while on assignment in 1989, this annual international photography contest has helped launch the careers of many of the finest photographers working in the profession today. It is a prize aimed solely at young photographers who are either attending a full-time photographic course or are under 24 years of age, and it plays an important role in drawing attention to global issues that are often overlooked by mainstream media.

This year’s IPS is divided into two categories: The Sunday Times Award for Achievement and The Canon Award for Potential. The entry criteria for both is the same and the judging panel – which includes Sir Don McCullin and Rebecca McClelland – will be basing their decision on who they feel is striving to produce visual stories that are relevant and meaningful. Each winner will be granted US$3,500 and the opportunity to attend a portfolio review day with industry experts in London, while World Press Photo will automatically accept the winner of the Achievement Award into its final list of nominees for the Joop Swart Masterclass in Amsterdam. The Canon Award for Potential also comes with a year-long mentorship program with highly respected Magnum photographer Jonas Bendiksen, and the awardee will be invited to take part in the Transmissions Program at Visa Pour l’Image in Perpignan later this year. Entries must be received by 5 July. Submission is free. For more information, go to ianparry.org.

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

The Unseen Dummy Award is a creative collaboration between Unseen and publishing company Lecturis, which looks to showcase the work of photographers and designers from around the world and provide them with an opportunity to publish their dummy photo books. 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.

Submissions must be a physical photo book dummy and may not be (self-)published or offered for (pre)sale prior to the award. There is a limit of one book entry per candidate to be completed via the online application form. An administration fee of €30 is charged to cover operational costs. The deadline for entries is 1 August. Further information about how to apply can be found at unseenamsterdam.com.

Burn Magazine Emerging Photographer Fund / Deadline: 5 June / Entry fee: US$20

Burn Magazine’s Emerging Photographer Fund aims to recognise the finest emerging visual storytellers and provide funding to awarded photographers to help support the continuation of ongoing personal projects. An international jury comprised of prominent industry names will select the winners of the Main EPF and the FujiFilm/Young Talent Award, both of which come with monetary prizes of US$10,000. The latter is only open to photographers 25 years of age or younger. Submitted bodies of work may be of either journalistic mission or purely personal artistic imperatives.

As part of the application process, photographers must provide a project title, a short artist statement about the work, a portfolio of up to 25 images, and a short bio, in addition to a proposal detailing how the prize money would be used. The deadline for entry is 5 June and the submission fee is US$20. More information can be found at burnmagazine.org/epf.

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

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

The jury this year consists of many acclaimed industry professionals working in a wide range of fields, from curatorship to graphic design. Among the names are Joanna Milter (Director of Photography, The New Yorker), Julien Frydman (Director of Diversification, Groupe Le Monde), Hilary Greenbaum (Director of Graphic Design, Whitney Museum of American Art), Jessie Wender (Photo Editor, The New York Times), Daniel DeSure (Creative Director and Founder, Commonwealth Projects), Catherine Edelman (Founder, Catherine Edelman Gallery), Adriana Teresa Letorney (Founder and CEO, Visura.co), and Michael Foley (Founder, Foley Gallery). The top finalists will have their work displayed in New York City in October 2019 as part of the Lucie Foundation’s annual programming. Entry fees vary from US$35 to US$55 depending on the award. An application form and a PDF file of the book must be submitted by 26 July. Go to luciephotobookprize.org to find out more.

TheDocumentaryProjectFund / Deadline: 31 May / No entry fee

Founded in 2012, TheDocumentaryProjectFund was created to ensure that photographers who are committed to telling stories in their communities have the financial and editorial backing needed to do so. “Documentary photography demands a level of commitment that is very difficult for a photographer who wants to do the work, but still needs to make a living” declare the TheDPF. “Our project support will help ensure that important projects get completed. And then, we will help get that work out to as wide an audience as possible” they add.

In this round of Grants, TheDPF is offering a Project Support Grant worth US$5,000, open to photographers everywhere (some exceptions apply) in the planning stage of a project. Applicants must provide a project description that details a timeline for completion, intended outcomes, and ways the work could have relevance outside of the documented community. Selected artists will have one year to complete the project. The application deadline is 31 May. Visit thedocumentaryprojectfund.org to find out more.

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OTHER DEADLINES:

Canon Giovani Fotografi Award / Deadline: 10 May / No entry fee

Open solely to young Italian photographers between the ages of 18 and 35, the Canon Giovani Fotografi Award returns for its 14th edition with Tell Us a Story as the main theme. The winners of both the Photography Award and Multimedia Award will each receive tutorship sessions with industry leaders, Canon digital imaging equipment, and a place in the official exhibition program at the 2019 edition of Cortona On The Move, set to take place from 11 July to 29 September.

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Getty Images Reportage Grant / Deadline: 15 May / No entry fee

Getty Images’ dedication to excellence in photojournalism means that they know creating and managing in-depth photography assignments requires time, freedom, support, and considerable resources. This Reportage Grant continues the tradition of their Editorial Grant program, which aims solely to support independent photojournalists around the world by providing them with the creative freedom necessary to pursue work that is of personal importance. A jury of Anastasia Taylor-Lind, Fiona Shields, Andy Greenacre, Sunil Gupta, and Hilary Roberts will award three US$15,000 Grants.

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Women Photograph Grants / Deadline: 15 May / No entry fee

The Women Photograph Grants aim to elevate the exposure of female, female-identifying, and non-binary visual journalists. The first, presented in collaboration with Nikon, offers five US$5,000 endowments to support the production of photography projects – either new or in-progress – from visual journalists working in a documentary capacity. For the second, Women Photograph has partnered with Getty Images to award US$10,000 to support an ongoing documentary project from a professional photojournalist who has demonstrated a long-term commitment to their story.

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Yves Rocher Foundation Photography Award / Deadline: 26 May / No entry fee

Co-organised by the Yves Rocher Foundation and Visa Pour l’Image, the Yves Rocher Foundation Photography Award is granted to a professional photographer looking to conduct a report on issues in the area of the environment, the relationship between mankind and the earth, and the major challenges for sustainable development. The winner this year will be presented with the award and the prize money of €8,000 at the Visa Pour l’Image evening show in Perpignan on 7 September.

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Aaron Siskind Foundation Individual Photographer’s Fellowship / Deadline: 31 May / Entry fee: US$25

The Aaron Siskind Foundation is offering a limited number of Individual Photographer's Fellowship grants of up to US$15,000 each for artists working in photography and photo-based art. Recipients will be determined by a panel of guest judges on the basis of artistic excellence, accomplishment to date, and the promise of future achievement in the medium in its widest sense. The Foundation seeks to support visual storytellers who demonstrate a serious commitment to the field.

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The Alfred Fried Photography Award / Deadline: 2 June / No entry fee

The Alfred Fried Photography Award recognises and promotes photographers from all over the world whose pictures capture human efforts towards peace and the quest for beauty and goodness. The award goes to those photographs that best express the idea that our future lies in peaceful coexistence. The Peace Image of the Year will receive €10,000 and be displayed for one year at the Austrian Parliament. The top five listed photographers will be awarded the Alfred Fried Peace Medal.

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

Moving into its fifth edition, the annual PhotogrVphy Grant aims 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.

© Adriana Monsalve, from the series Femme Frontera
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© Adriana Monsalve, from the series Femme Frontera

© Alice Mann, from the series Drummies. 2018 Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize winner
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© Alice Mann, from the series Drummies. 2018 Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize winner

May's Photography Grants and Awards
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© Salahuddin Ahmed, from the series Rohingya Crisis: Through Despair there is Hope. 2018 Ian Parry Scholarship Award for Potential

© Rebecca Fertinel, from the book Ubuntu. 2018 Unseen Dummy Award winner
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© Rebecca Fertinel, from the book Ubuntu. 2018 Unseen Dummy Award winner

© Tabitha Barnard, from the series Cult of Womanhood. 2018 Fujifilm/Young Talent Award winner
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© Tabitha Barnard, from the series Cult of Womanhood. 2018 Fujifilm/Young Talent Award winner

© Paul D'Amato, from the book Here/Still/Now. 2018 Lucie Photobook Prize winner
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© Paul D'Amato, from the book Here/Still/Now. 2018 Lucie Photobook Prize winner

© Brendan Hoffman, from the series War in Ukraine. 2017 DocumentaryProjectFund winner
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© Brendan Hoffman, from the series War in Ukraine. 2017 DocumentaryProjectFund winner

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