The PhMuseum 2026 Photography Grant Is Now Open For Submissions

Present your work for €10,000 in cash prizes, solo exhibitions and screenings at international festivals, portfolio reviews, and features online and in the PhMuseum Annual printed magazine.

The 14th edition of the PhMuseum Photography Grant is now welcoming submissions. From today, you can present your projects to the open call that offers €10,000 in cash prizes to support photographers and recognise the importance of visual storytelling. Beyond the monetary prizes, your work will be considered for several opportunities to exhibit, get feedback, and exposure online and in print.

Three applicants will be granted solo shows thanks to our collaboration with leading photography institutions. For the eighth consecutive year, the team of PhEST (Monopoli, Italy) will select a project to be exhibited during the 11th edition of the festival in Summer 2026. For the seventh time in a row, another work will be exhibited at Getxophoto (Getxo, Spain), selected by head curator Maria Ptqk for the main programme of the 20th edition of the Basque festival. In addition to the show production, the selected artist will receive a €400 fee and accommodation for 2 nights during the Opening Week. Moreover, a third artist will exhibit at PhMuseum Lab (Bologna, Italy) in February 2027 during ArteFiera, the oldest art fair in Italy, whose program also includes more than 80 exhibitions across town. The prize includes production costs plus travel and stay.

Plus, Krzysztof Candrowicz and Mafalda Ruao will invite an artist to join Photo-Match at Lodz Fotofestiwal 2026. The organization will cover travel and accommodation to allow the prize recipient to attend the innovative presentation and portfolio review in Lodz, Poland, in June 2026.

Additionally, nine applicants will receive a free 30-minute online portfolio review with a mentor of their choice from PhMuseum Education individual program. Shortlisted projects (up to 40) will be screened at Lodz Fotofestiwal (Lodz, Poland), Kranj Foto Fest (Kranj, Slovenia), and PhMuseum Days (Bologna, Italy). All submissions will be eligible for publication in the second edition of PhMuseum's printed Annual Magazine, which will be launched at the next edition of PhMuseum Days in October 2026.

To enter, you are invited to present one or more projects featuring between 5 and 20 images. The theme is open, and any photographic approach is welcome. All entries will be reviewed by an independent jury comprised of Rafał Milach (Visual artist, Photographer, Artivist, and Educator), Charlotte Cotton (Curator, Writer, and Creative Consultant), Carmen Winant (Artist and the Roy Lichtenstein Endowed Chair of Studio Art at the Ohio State University), and Sergio Valenzuela-Escobedo (Artist and Researcher). The review will happen in March, with the shortlist being announced in April.

Over the years, the PhMuseum Photography Grant has grown into a leading photography prize, awarding photographers like Max Pinckers, Poulomi Basu, Jacob Aue Sobol, Diana Markosian, Alejandro Cartagena, Bieke Depoorter, Camille Lévêque, Tomas van Houtryve, Tara L. C. Sood, Jaclyn Wright, and Hashem Shakeri, among many others. We look forward to continuing this tradition and discovering new voices.

The deadline is set for 19 February, while there is a reduced entry fee option until 29 January. Learn more and apply at phmuseum.com/g26