Workshops, Grants, Contests, and Deadlines

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. 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.

Scholars may propose topics that relate to the visual arts, their history, practice, theory, or interpretation. Any proposal that contributes to understanding the nature of artistic activity and the intellectual, social, and cultural worlds with which it is connected is welcome. Attention will be given to proposals that promise to deepen, transform, or challenge those methods currently practiced within art history or that have the prospect of enhancing an understanding of the role of images in other disciplines in the humanities. All fellowships are intended to nurture a variety of disciplinary approaches and support new voices in art history.

Scholars from any discipline whose research engages the art, craft, and visual culture of the United States are encouraged to apply, as are those who foreground new perspectives, materials, and methodologies. Fellowships are residential and support full-time research in the Smithsonian collections. SAAM is devoted to advancing inclusive excellence in art history and encourages candidates who identify as members of historically underrepresented groups to apply. Applicants must identify a member of SAAM’s research staff to serve as primary fellowship advisor in order to hold a residency at this museum. They are encouraged to notify the potential advisor in advance of their application.

At a time when many parts of the MENA region are experiencing conflict, instability, and profound social transformation, it feels especially important to create space for artists. Not to simplify or overlook these realities, but to recognize that image-making and storytelling remain essential. They allow for nuance, for complexity, and for forms of connection that can bring people together across distance, difference, and difficulty. This open call invites photographers and video makers to submit work across all genres, including fashion, documentary, conceptual, and experimental practices. Rather than proposing a single narrative, it seeks to embrace the multiplicity of visual languages and lived experiences across the region.

The Meeting Place Portfolio Review provides photographic artists with a unique chance to showcase their work to leading arts professionals from around the world. The event truly is a "meeting place" where artists can connect with Reviewers—including curators, gallery owners, photo editors, book publishers, and collectors—to network, collaborate, exchange ideas, and build lasting relationships. In many cases, Reviewers can play a crucial role in advancing careers, offering opportunities such as exhibitions, acquisitions, gallery representations, or publications. 

This year, we’re looking for stories of hope and resilience across Wellcome’s core areas of focus, and the spaces where they intersect. The prize is open to photographers from all areas – both professional and amateur – and aims to highlight stories of health, medicine and science that align with Wellcome's research programmes. Each year, a commission is developed alongside the competition, featuring the work of one or more photographers and focusing on a specific theme. From a molecular process in a single cell to the impact of a disease across an entire community, we’d like to see imagery exploring health, medicine and science.

Each year, the Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar hosts an international photography competition that receives content from some of the world's top photojournalists.

The Trebek Initiative is a joint venture between the National Geographic Society and the Royal Canadian Geographical Society funding storytellers, educators, conservationists, innovators and researchers who are documenting Canadian and Indigenous land, wildlife, water, culture and history. The Trebek Initiative’s mandate is to “ignite a passion to preserve across Canada”. This is accomplished by widely sharing the stories and discoveries of Trebek Grantees. In addition to funding, Trebek Grantees also receive mentorship and networking opportunities, storytelling support and opportunities to present their work on stage or virtually. Select Trebek Grantees will also receive the title of National Geographic Explorer.

This is an open call for photography submissions for our 13th annual exhibition. This year, InFocus Photo Exhibit & Awards welcomes submissions from photographers around the globe for a special open-theme exhibit. Any subject matter. Any style. Any genre of photography. Literally, “Anything Goes” … well, almost anything! Send us your favorite and most creative photographs for the opportunity to be a part of this special annual exhibition.

Established in 1996 during the Web’s infancy, The Webbys is presented by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences (IADAS)—a 2000+ member judging body. The Academy is comprised of Executive Members—leading Internet experts, business figures, luminaries, visionaries and creative celebrities—and Associate Members who are former Webby Winners, Nominees and other Internet professionals.

Doc+ is an intensive six-week summer program for all undergraduate students (except graduating seniors) interested in the documentary arts.  Hosted by the Center for Documentary Studies at Duke University, the program offers students the opportunity to explore diverse mediums — such as photography, film, audio and oral history — while working in small teams under the mentorship of a creative project partner.

Pride Photo is a non-profit organization that hosts an annual international, and freely-accessible, photography contest resulting in a public exhibition which highlights diverse LGBTQIA+ stories, identities and visual languages from around the world.

Every year, Zeiss provides a wide selection of lenses for still and cinema cameras for students to “test-drive” while on campus. Students are invited to submit their work made with these lenses to the competition, in two categories: 1) Still Images (any genre, from fine art to documentary to commercial) or 2) Short Films (documentary and/or narrative).

Entrants must use a Canon product in creating their submission. Only one entry per person. The competition is open to all on-campus workshop students of Maine Media. Entrants under 18 years of age are required to obtain permission from a parent or guardian to participate. The winner will be notified via email sent to their registered email address. All decisions are final.

Rooted in the heart of the mountain west, the Big Sky Film Institute nurtures and elevates non-fiction films that have the power to transform our world, our culture, our youth and ourselves. A non-profit artist development institute, BSFI is the home of the Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Missoula, Montana. Our goal is to bring stories from around the world to our beautiful mountain town, support the people who create documentary film, create vibrant events that gather our engaged community, and expand knowledge and conversation around issues that matter.

Each year, an open-call application is made available in each of the seven active partner cities. Supporting artists equitably is a critical part of the Artadia Award process: the organization considers the unique populations of each community and are proud to reflect the country’s diversity with an Awardee pool that is over 50 percent female and over 40 percent persons of color. In addition to financial support, Awardees can participate in the Artadia Network to receive structured opportunities for valuable new connections and resource sharing as well as receive a dedicated webpage on Artadia’s online Artist Registry. Connections fostered by Artadia have facilitated major steps in Awardees’ careers.

Over two days, 30 influential gallery owners, curators, and publishers from local and national photography communities will meet with 70 artists at The Slate Hotel March 12-13, 2027.

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowship Program is a vital source of funding for the visual arts and art history in Virginia. VMFA is committed to supporting professional artists as well as art and art history students who demonstrate exceptional creative ability in their chosen discipline and, as such, has awarded nearly $6 million in Fellowships to Virginians. The Fellowship Program was established in 1940 through a generous contribution made by the late John Lee Pratt of Fredericksburg. 2024 marks the 84th anniversary! Offered through VMFA Statewide, Fellowships are still largely funded through the Pratt endowment, supplemented by the J. Warwick McClintic Jr. Scholarship Fund.

ACC supports artists, scholars, arts professionals, and organizations through fellowships and grants that advance cultural exchange between the U.S. and Asia, and within Asia. Through these immersive experiences, participants step outside their daily life, engage deeply with new cultural contexts, expand their perspectives and creative practice, and develop relationships with peers across borders. After their fellowship or grant, participants join ACC’s global alumni network, continuing to build connections and contribute to cross-cultural understanding through their work.

The selected photographer will receive a €3,000 cash prize, production and setting up of the exhibition, and publication in the 2025 Fotografia Calabria Festival’s catalog. Contestants are invited to interpret the topic of the IV edition “Shared roots: places” by proposing photographic projects that reflect on one or more of the following aspects: • Everyday Places: Spaces that we live on a daily basis , which belong to our individual or collective history, that we want to document, celebrate, and crystallize, or that we have taken for granted, only to suddendly rediscover them. • Popular Places: Locations that embody images that everyone knows and are expected to be seen constantly the same (e.g., the gondola in Venice, the sunflower field in Tuscany, the snowy village at Christmas). How can we narrate them in a different way? • Imaginary Places: spaces that exist only in the imagination of those who create them but resonate ideas and widespread visions. The aim of this edition of the festival is to encourage participants to reflect on how “Shared roots: places” not only connect us to places, but also define the way we live them and how we narrate them. How do the invisible roots of a place that lay in the past, in our imagination and in our culture, influence our perception of it? How can we bring out these roots, making the invisible visible, and telling the stories of places in a new and authentic way?

In partnership with Stadt-Salzburg, this program is an opportunity in July 2026 for visual artists living within the State of Minnesota to participate in a 4-week individual artist residency at the Künstlerhaus in Salzburg, Austria. Thanks to support from the City of Salzburg, the selected visual artist receives a live-in studio for one month at the Künstlerhaus and a 600 Euro stipend for food. Travel expenses to Salzburg and back to Minnesota are not covered.

The Monochrome Awards is primarily aimed at people of whom photography is a passion and a way of life. It is a platform where professionals and amateurs can enter their shots amongst a sea of ambitious and creative community of photographers from around the world for a chance to win $3000 and an opportunity to show their work to an international audience.

The organization is looking for visual storytellers who can blend eye-catching imagery with an impactful emotional narrative, offering diverse perspectives and unique insights into the ocean and the lives that depend upon it. While this call focuses on the marine environment, it is not limited to underwater photography. Applicants should think broadly; subjects can range from wildlife and habitats to fisheries and coastal communities.

GLAAD, the world’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) media advocacy organization, announced today that the call for submissions for the _38th Annual GLAAD Media Awards _are now open.   Since its inception in 1990, the GLAAD Media Awards have grown to be the most visible annual LGBTQ awards show in the world, sending powerful messages of acceptance to audiences globally.

The Hopper Prize supports individual artists through two primary modes: unrestricted grant-making and an online digital archiving platform.

Graphis is committed to celebrating global visual communication excellence by championing the most influential work across Design, Advertising, Photography, and Illustration Art.

For the fifth year, NYFA has partnered with the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA) to administer the 2027 Queens Arts Fund. QAF offers project-based grants to Queens-based artists, artist collectives, and small non-profit organizations to support the local production of artwork and cultural programs that highlight, engage, and bolster the diverse communities of the Queens borough.

Each year, the City and Regional Magazine Association provides awards for excellence to qualified member organizations in designated categories. The awards are managed on CRMA’s behalf by the University of Missouri School of Journalism.

Organized by Charcoal Book Club, The Chico Review takes place over six nights (March 18-24th) at Chico Hot Springs Resort, near Livingston Montana. Sixty-four applicants will be selected by our jury and invited to spend the week with over twenty of the most influential and creative photographers, book makers, gallerists, museum curators, and photobook publishers in the industry. One full scholarship and five partial scholarships will be awarded. Student discounts and need-based scholarships will be available to those selected who qualify. Attending artists receive ten formal reviews by speakers and reviewers and take part in artist lectures, panel discussions, peer reviews, informal Q&A sessions, and additional evening programming over the seven day event. At the end of the event, one grand prize winner will be awarded the Charcoal Publishing Prize. The winning project will be published and distributed worldwide by Charcoal Book Club, the first book-of-the-month club dedicated exclusively to photobooks.

The purpose of our grants is to support and encourage visual storytellers to create a long-term documentary photography project with local communities who are working to protect the environment and wildlife. Vital Impacts will be awarding two $20,000(US) grants to support the development of a documentary project on the work of an environmental story over the course of twelve months. The grants are for two separate photographers working on two separate projects. The grants will fund visual stories that highlight solution based environmental initiatives. It is designed to give the recipients time, mentoring and intellectual freedom to produce a body of work over twelve months. The Vital Impacts team will provide mentorship and guidance to the recipients of the grant over the course of its implementation.

Created in 1993 to further FCA's mission to encourage, sponsor, and promote work of a contemporary, experimental nature, Emergency Grants provide urgent funding for visual and performing artists who: - Have sudden, unanticipated opportunities to present their work to the public when there is insufficient time to seek other sources of funding - Incur unexpected or unbudgeted expenses for projects close to completion with committed exhibition or performance dates

The "Memorial María Luisa International Mountain and Nature Photo Contest" is created as a means of remembering María Luisa Alvarez Alvarez, as a mountaineer who lived friendship intensely in the mountains and everywhere. Yet it is in the mountains where her joy, her songs and the nostalgia for the happy days that we lived with her will remain for ever. She died in a mountain accident on 18th November 1990. For this reason, the founders of this Memorial, named after her, decided that the mountains, nature and any thing related to them are the subject of the photos.

Whether you shoot in the wilderness or at the heart of an urban environment, Wildlife Photographer of the Year is open to everyone.

The Ellie Awards honor print and digital publications that consistently demonstrate superior execution of editorial objectives, innovative techniques, noteworthy enterprise and imaginative design.

To recognize, encourage, and stimulate outstanding reporting directly to the public which materially increases the public's knowledge and understanding of chemistry, chemical engineering, and related fields.

The Yunghi Grant gifts $15,000 USD in recognition of the values and principles all of us hold as essential to our creative and productive well being. This grant will select five photographers and each grantee will receive a $3,000 USD grant.

The Peabody Awards honor a diverse range of stories distributed via television/streaming media; radio and podcast; and the Internet.

The interactive and immersive cycle of the Peabody Awards honors stories in formats such as games, virtual reality, augmented reality, interactive journalism and documentary, co-creation, and social video, released for at-home engagement on consumer-level hardware. Interactive, immersive, and/or participatory experiences must be core to the project and essential to the storytelling

Hot Docs is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing and celebrating the art of documentary and creating production opportunities for documentary filmmakers. Hot Docs was founded in 1993 by the Documentary Organization of Canada (formerly the Canadian Independent Film Caucus), a national association of independent documentary filmmakers. In 1996, Hot Docs became a separately incorporated organization with a mandate to showcase and support the work of Canadian and international documentary filmmakers and to promote excellence in documentary production.

The Annual Photography Awards are dedicated to preserving the craft as a contemporary medium of fine art, and is motivated to helping artists rise in their careers.

The Anderson Center’s Winter Retreat program is a short-term residency during the organization’s off-season for artists and writers seeking concentrated creative time for reflection and the advancement of their personal artistic goals. A Winter Retreat at the Anderson Center is a fee-based opportunity for up to four artists at a time to live in community and fellowship while working on their own projects in the inspiring setting of the historic Tower View Estate.

The Joshua Tree Highlands Artist Residency (JTHAR) is an artist-centric nonprofit residency that awards an international community of artists the gifts of time and space amidst the extraordinary natural beauty of Joshua Tree National Park. Seven week residencies include scholarship funds, living accommodations, and studio space designed to accommodate a broad range of artistic activity and open studio events. JTHAR respects the critical role artists play in our society, and it aims to foster creativity, trust, courage, diversity and acceptance by facilitating opportunities for exploring, experimenting, quiet reflection, engagement and cross-cultural exchange with the vibrant local community. JTHAR establishes space for inspiration to happen, so artists can do the work of innovating, changing the cultural landscape and generating a fresh look at the way we connect to each other and to the world.

The "Luis Ferreira Alves International Photography Competition | A Contemporary Look at Architecture" is a biennial program. It aims to honor the person and the work of this outstanding photographer, who bridged the gap between analogue and digital photography and whose work is recognized both nationally and internationally.

Cultivate is pleased to announce La Baldi Residency for artists, writers, and researchers. The multi-disciplinary residency welcomes individuals and collaborative teams. Located in the historic village of Montegiovi, Italy, in southern Tuscany, the self-directed international residency is an opportunity to experiment, develop ideas and projects, dream, explore, rejuvenate, research, and investigate the land and culture of this special area.

LIAEP seeks applications from dedicated artists who create work of exceptional quality and whose work and career is at a level to benefit from international exchange with peers.

SIPA is one of the photo contests with the highest international participation ever. 2022 edition has received nearly 48.000 images from amateur and professional photographers from 156 countries worldwide.

The Anderson Center at Tower View's Artist Residency Program is an opportunity in June, July, August and October 2026 for early career, mid-career, and established artists working across all disciplines and based anywhere in the world. The program is interdisciplinary and the organization welcomes applications from a wide range of creative and intellectual genres, including those that don't fit neatly into one category. Selected artists receive live/work space, fellowship & exchange within a 5-artist cohort, chef-prepared meals, and more.

The Early Career Artist Residency Program is an opportunity for early-career artists living within the state of Minnesota or one of the five boroughs of New York City in need of focused time and dedicated space in an inspiring residency work environment that empowers them take risks, embrace challenges, and utilize unconventional approaches to problem-solving. Thanks to support from the Jerome Foundation, a month-long cohort of five artists will each receive a $625/week stipend, a travel honorarium, documentation support, and more.

The CatchLight Global Fellowship focuses on the power of visual storytelling to change the world. We support individuals looking to cultivate significant audience engagement with inventive methods of distribution that will increase the impact of their work.

The annual photo contest rewards photographers for the best single exposure pictures contributing to the past year of visual journalism.

Whether entered as singles or stories, these pictures are judged in terms of their accurate, fair, and visually compelling insights about our world.

The $20,000 Worth Bingham Prize honors investigative reporting of stories of national significance where the public interest is being ill-served.

The Sidney Hillman Foundation awards the Hillman Prizes for Journalism in the U.S and Canada, as well as the monthly Sidney Awards for investigative journalism in service of the common good.

The Livingston Awards for Young Journalists honor outstanding achievement by professionals under the age of 35 in local, national and international reporting.

Established creative and non-fiction writers, artists not requiring exceptional facilities, composers, filmmakers, and activists working for social justice are eligible applicants. Residents are chosen by an Admissions Committee of accomplished authors and artists. The committee is particularly interested in fine work which evinces social and ecological concern and is aimed at a general audience. International applicants are welcome.

Established in 2018, Earth Photo is a world-leading international programme dedicated to engaging with still and moving image makers. Working across multiple genres sharing the prescient issues affecting the climate and life on our planet. Our main objective is to reveal the narratives behind the pictures, informing, entertaining and engaging audiences while encouraging conversations about our world, its peoples, environments, and the changing climate. 

Open to professional and non-professional, old and young, the Awards celebrate the very best in food photography and film from around the world.

MacDowell provides time, space, and an inspiring residential environment to artists of exceptional talent. A MacDowell Fellowship, or residency, consists of exclusive use of a studio, accommodations, and three prepared meals a day for up to six weeks. There are no residency fees, and MacDowell offers financial assistance to cover the costs of traveling to and from the residency, as well as expenses that artists expect to incur while in residence, including rent, lost income, and childcare.

The Satellite Fund, administered by SPACES and supported by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, is an opportunity for Cuyahoga County artists, curators, and cultural producers to create a public visual art project in Cuyahoga County. This grant is not only for established visual artists in the community, but also for emerging artists, creative professionals, and any Cuyahoga County resident with a strong vision and demonstrated ability to complete the proposed project. The scope is purposefully broad; we want this opportunity to be as accessible and far-reaching as possible to ensure we represent Cuyahoga County to the fullest.

In addition to financial support, SPACES will provide access to our on-site artist workshops that is outfitted with tools and equipment to facilitate the production process. SPACES’ Artist Initiatives Coordinator will also assist grantees in securing a public display space (outside of SPACES) in Cuyahoga County. Additionally, awardees will receive a one-year SPACES Artist level Membership, which gives free access to networking and artist professional development opportunities throughout the year.

The competition is open to everyone, amateurs and professionals alike.

The Anderson Center’s Deaf Artists Residency (DAR) is an opportunity for 4 Deaf artists to come together in an ASL-centric environment to create, communicate and exchange ideas. The program was created in 2014 to enact the vision of a Deaf visual artist, Cynthia Weitzel, who designed the program. The panelists who select residents are all accomplished Deaf Artists, some of which are also past residents. This biennial program is returning in 2026.

First edition of an international documentary photography prize. €2,000 award to one laureate, no entry fee, no sponsors. Judged by an independent international jury. First-edition subtheme: "Espera" (Waiting). Submissions open 1 September 2026. Funded entirely by San Agustín, a specialty coffee roaster in León, Spain — privately funded patronage, open to all internationally.

Over 200 photographs from both well-known photographers and rising stars emerge from this prestigious Photography Competition. Categories include advertising, editorial, for sale, motion and unpublished.

The John B. Oakes Award for Distinguished Environmental Journalism, which carries a $5,000 prize, is given annually for news reporting that makes an exceptional contribution to the public’s understanding of environmental issues. The award was founded in 1993 by family, friends and colleagues of John B. Oakes (1913-2001), who was an environmental journalism pioneer, the founder of the modern op-ed page, and the editor of the editorial page for the New York Times from 1961 to 1976. It recognizes journalists whose work meets the highest standards of journalistic excellence.

The residency is available to emerging and practicing artists, book artists, letterpress printers, and photographers who combine word and image. The residency is designed to help the chosen artist(s) complete their proposed, editioned project by providing studio space, funding, housing if needed, and the support of a curious, interdisciplinary arts community. The Book Artist in Residence has 4-week, unlimited access to our dedicated Charles Altschul Book Arts Studio, which includes two Vandercook presses (a Universal I and a Universal III), a photopolymer platemaker, and bindery equipment. The studio is also adjacent to our alternative process photography lab, a center of activity for students working with a wide range of historic techniques. The selected artist(s) could be on campus at the shoulder seasons of our programming, where the low-residency MFA students come in November and May for critical review of work.

The Recology San Francisco Artist in Residence (AIR) Program is an art and education initiative that awards Bay Area artists access to discarded materials, an unrestricted stipend, and an individual studio space. These resources, along with comprehensive support, are provided to artists while they create a body of work and host studio visits during their four-month residency.