October's Grants and Awards

While the PHmuseum 2018 Women Photographers Grant deadline is fast approaching, new opportunities open this month including the Wellcome Photography Prize 2019, Luis Valtueña International Humanitarian Photography Award, and Premio Voglino.

While the PHmuseum 2018 Women Photographers Grant deadline is fast approaching, new opportunities open this month including the Wellcome Photography Prize 2019, Luis Valtueña International Humanitarian Photography Award, and Premio Voglino.

PHmuseum 2018 Women Photographers Grant / Deadline: 17 October / Entry fee: £27

The PHmuseum Women Photographers 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. Now in its second edition, its mission is to support the growth of the new generations and promote stories narrated from a female perspective, while responding to the need to work for gender equality in the industry.

As we enter the last two weeks of the open call, new partners are jumping on board. Foto-Feminas, a community of Latin American Women Photographers, will support our initiative, while Firecracker will also offer a mentorship program to the New Generation Prize winner with its founder and Magnum Photos Global Business Development Director, Fiona Rogers. The prizes this year include £10,000 in cash, projections at the 2018 Photo Vogue Festival, and a nomination for World Press Photo’s Joop Swart Masterclass. Alfio Tommasini, the Artistic Director of Verzasca FOTO, will also grant one project a solo show to be exhibited at the festival in 2019, and Vogue Italia Photo Editors, Alessia Glaviano, Chiara Bardelli Nonino and Francesca Marani will each select one work to be published on Vogue Italia. All prize-winning projects and several Honorable Mentions will also be promoted on the PHmuseum channels throughout the year.

Applications will be reviewed by an independent jury featuring Pamela Chen (Creative Lead, Instagram), Aïda Muluneh (Photographer, Filmmaker and Curator), Alessandra Sanguinetti (Photographer, member of Magnum Photos) and Karen McQuaid (Senior Curator, The Photographers’ Gallery). Photographers can take advantage of a £18 early bird submission fee during the first two weeks of the application window, set to open on Wednesday, 12 September. The final deadline is 17 October. Learn more and apply at phmuseum.com/grant.

Wellcome Photography Prize 2019 / Deadline: 17 December / No entry fee

Formerly known as the Wellcome Image Awards, this newly relaunched competition looks to celebrate pictures that show the importance of health in society and the impact health issues have upon people and communities worldwide. Open to documentary and clinical photographers, research scientists, artists, and photojournalists, this award is designed to inspire people to think differently about health, medicine, and life, and ultimately open conversations about the pressing health challenges facing humanity today.

Applicants are invited to submit work into one of four categories, namely Social Perspectives (exploring how health and illness affect the way we live); Hidden Worlds (revealing details hidden to the naked eye); Medicine in Focus (showing health and healthcare up close and personal); and Outbreaks (capturing the impact of disease as it spreads). Recipients of the first prize in each category will be granted a monetary award of £1,250 and one overall winner will take home £15,000. The Medicine in Focus awardee will further be invited to produce the Julie Dorrington commission, a photo story exploring and documenting a patient’s journey with their condition.

A team at Wellcome will initially select a shortlist from which the winners will be chosen by a panel of judges that features Emma Bowkett (Director of Photography at FT Weekend Magazine), Joanne Liu (International President of Médecins Sans Frontières), Pete Muller (National Geographic Photographer and Fellow), and Azu Nwagbogu (Curator at Large for Photography at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa) Nigeria. The deadline for entries is 17 December. For further information, visit wellcome.ac.uk.

Luis Valtueña International Humanitarian Photography Award / Deadline: 9 November / No entry fee

International humanitarian organisation, Médicos del Mundo (Doctors of the World) has launched the 22nd edition of the Luis Valtueña International Humanitarian Photography Award, a prize that strives to denounce the reality of vulnerable communities suffering from human rights infringements in cities across the world. The award was created as a tribute to Luis Valtueña, Flors Sirera, Manuel Madrazo, and Mercedes Navarro, all of whom were Doctors of the World aid workers who died performing their duties. “Their memory serves to ensure that each year victims of injustice are brought to light. Give them a voice through your gaze” challenge the jurors.

Applicants are invited to submit a maximum of 10 photographs, which may or may not comprise an individual series, that must narrate or tell a story related to the topics of humanitarian action, international co-operation, social exclusion, human rights violations, armed conflicts, natural disasters, refugee and immigrant populations or socially excluded groups. Only images captured between 1 January, 2017 and 30 October, 2018, and which have not been previously awarded, will be accepted.

One winner will receive a project grant of €6,000 to develop a photographic essay of at least 50 images and a 30-minute video related to the work of MdM-Spain, whether in Spain or in other countries where the organisation is undertaking humanitarian action or international co-operation programs. Entries can be submitted until 12.00pm (GMT+2). Go to medicosdelmundo.es for more information.

Reuters Photojournalism Grants / Deadline: 15 November / No entry fee

Reuters, the world’s largest international multimedia news provider, has opened the second edition of its photojournalism grant program that looks to recruit and develop a diverse new generation of visual storytellers. Eight US$5,000 grants will be awarded to passionate photojournalists or students of photojournalism, the aim of which is to support assignments and projects that will advance the recipients’ experience, skills, and ability to tell compelling news stories. Each winner will also enjoy mentoring from Yannis Behrakis, the Reuters Senior Editor of Special Projects. Behrakis is widely recognised for his coverage of the European migrant crisis and was part of a team of Reuters Pictures photographers awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography for their work on the crisis in 2016.

“We had an incredible response to the inaugural program in 2017 and we’re delighted to be offering the grants again this year,” says Reuters Global Editor of Video and Pictures, John Pullman. “We want to attract talented young photojournalists from around the world who can tell original human stories from new perspectives” he adds. Applicants must submit a CV, a portfolio comprised of between 35 and 50 pictures, and a detailed cover letter explaining an idea that the grant would be used to actualise. A focused project covering a subject in a community or location close to you that you can reasonably complete in a few weeks or months is advisable. Submissions are open until 15 November. Visit thomsonreuters.com to learn more.

Premio Voglino / Deadline: 15 October / No entry fee

© Filippo Venturi, from the series Korean Dream (2017 winner)

Moving into its fourth edition, the Voglino Prize is open solely to artists and photographers from Italy, with a specific focus on emerging storytellers working in a documentary vein. The contest aims to improve the dissemination of Italian photographic culture by offering opportunities to gain wider visibility and exposure to many of the leading names in the industry through a series of portfolio reviews.

To apply to have work seen, photographers must submit a set of images centred around a particular theme, concept, or narrative. The sessions will take place in person at Festival della Fotografia Etica (Festival of Ethical Photography) in Lodi, Italy on 20 / 21 October, with the list of international experts in attendance featuring Cecilia Pratizzoli (Founder, Voglino Prize), Manila Camarini (Photo Editor, D La Repubblica), Sara Emma Cervo (Curator, Yourpictureditor), Teodora Malavenda (Photo Consultant and Curator, Punctum), Antonella Monzoni (Editor, Gente Di Fotografia), Renata Ferri (Photo Editor, Io Donna), Francesco Merlini (Photographer, Prospekt Photographers), and Eefje Ludwig (Education Manager, PHmuseum). At the conclusion of the two days, the reviewers will then convene and assign awards in four separate categories - Best Portfolio, Young Talent Award, Dummy Prize, and Ethical Photography Award – each coming with different prizes, which include cash endowments, online publications, the printing and promotion of a dummy photobook, and an exhibition at the next edition of the Festival della Fotografia Etica. The deadline for entries in 15 October. To submit your work, visit premiovoglino.com.

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DEADLINE APPROACHING:

The Carmignac Photojournalism Award / Deadline: 7 October / No entry fee

Founded in 2009, the Carmignac Photojournalism Award looks to fund the production of an investigative photo reportage focusing on human rights violations in the world. The laureate will receive an endowment of €50,000, enabling them to them to realise an in-depth project on the ground, with the logistical support of Fondation Carmignac, who will further organise a travelling exhibition and the publication of a monograph once the work has been completed.

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FotoEvidence Book Award with World Press Photo / Deadline: 15 October / Entry fee: US$50

Open to professionals, amateurs, and photographer’s collectives, the annual FotoEvidence Book Award with World Press Photo looks to recognise a documentary photographer whose work demonstrates courage and commitment in highlighting a violation of human rights, a significant social injustice, or an assault on human dignity. The winning project will be published as part of the FotoEvidence photobook series that is dedicated to showcasing the work of long-form storytelling in the humanistic tradition.

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PHOTO IS:RAEL Meitar Award / Deadline: 16 October / Entry fee: US$54

An initiative of PHOTO IS:RAEL, the Meitar Award is an international prize awarded for excellence in the field of photography. 20 shortlisted photographers will have their work exhibited as part of a group exhibition at the Israel Photography Festival in November 2018, and also at the Head On Photography Festival in Sydney, Australia, in May 2019. One overall winner will receive a grant of US$14,000 as well as a year-long collaboration with a professional curator.

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La Fabrica and Photo London Dummy Book Award / Deadline: 19 October / Entry fee: €25

Organised by Spanish publishing house, La Fábrica and international photography fair, Photo London, the Dummy Book Award’s mission is to select and print a major amateur photography project that stands for its quality, uniqueness, and international scope. The winning photobook will be published in a minimum edition of 1,000 copies, distributed worldwide via La Fábrica’s catalogue, and exhibited at leading festivals including PHotoEspaña.

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Rebecca Vassie Memorial Award / Deadline: 19 October / No entry fee

Established back in 2016 to support early-to-mid-career photographers in the UK, the Rebecca Vassie Memorial Award offers a bursary of £2,000 to help a professional photographer with the production and promotion of brand new work or projects in the early stages of development. The award seeks to fund storytelling that places an emphasis on people and communities; projects that expose stories that are often forgotten and bring to light the everyday.

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Gomma Grant / Deadline: 3 November / Entry fee: €25

The Gomma Grant is an all-inclusive award aiming to support the production of photographers’ work through cash endowments and other relevant initiatives. For the 2018 edition, Gomma Grant winners will share between them 50% of all revenue generated from the submissions. In addition to the first, second, and third prizes, the judges will also grant a number of smaller awards including Best Colour Documentary Work, Best Black and White Documentary Work, Best Colour Picture, Best Black and White Picture, Best Daily Life Story, Rising Talent, and a Gomma Prix Award.

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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.

© Miia Autio, from the series Variation of White (2017 Honorable Mention)
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© Miia Autio, from the series Variation of White (2017 Honorable Mention)

© Joshua McDonald (2017 winner)
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© Joshua McDonald (2017 winner)

© Karl Mancini, from the series Ni Una Menos (2017 finalist)
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© Karl Mancini, from the series Ni Una Menos (2017 finalist)

© Daro Sulakauri (2017 recipient)
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© Daro Sulakauri (2017 recipient)

© Filippo Venturi, from the series Korean Dream (2017 winner)
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© Filippo Venturi, from the series Korean Dream (2017 winner)

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