The International Photography Festivals Association (IPFA) has opened submissions for the 2026 IPFA Award, inviting photographers and visual artists from around the world to showcase their work on an international platform.
The award is designed to promote creative photography projects while connecting artists with leading photography festivals and global industry professionals.
Focus
The IPFA Award welcomes photography projects of all styles and approaches. Eligible works may be contemporary, documentary, urban, analogue, experimental, nature or wildlife-based.
The award aims to spotlight creativity, personal vision, and artistic commitment, with particular emphasis on projects that demonstrate strong narratives and the potential to resonate across diverse cultural contexts.
Benefits
Selected artists will have the opportunity to present their work to photography festival directors and curators from across the globe.
They will also receive access-related benefits connected to the 2nd International Meeting of Photography Festivals, scheduled to take place in Barcelona in July 2026, fostering networking, collaboration and professional exchange.
Who can apply
The call for entries is open to photographers and artists worldwide, regardless of background or career stage.
Eligible applicants include:
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Professional photographers
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Emerging and early-career artists
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Amateur photographers with strong creative projects
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Artists of any nationality, origin or place of residence
During the selection process, the jury will consider diversity of origin, gender balance and thematic variety.
Selection process
Fifty finalists will be selected, with their works exhibited in Barcelona from 19 March 2026. Following its opening, the exhibition will tour participating photography festivals worldwide.
In addition, the 20 selected artists and all 50 finalists will be featured in the IPFA Photographers Repository, a platform that promotes their work to curators and photography festival organisers internationally.
Deadline
Applications close on December 23, 2025. Interested applicants can visit the IPFA website to apply. Discover more photography awards on our Opportunities page.
Summary not available at this time.
