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Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards 2026 returns with three routes into one of photography’s most visible annual celebrations of book publishing. Established in 2012, the awards recognize a debut photobook, an outstanding photobook of the year and a photography exhibition catalog or museum publication. Thirty-five titles will make the 2026 shortlist, with all of them exhibited at Paris Photo before the selected books continue through an international exhibition program. Physical entries must reach Aperture in New York by 5 p.m. EDT on September 4, 2026.
The First PhotoBook winner receives $10,000, while PhotoBook of the Year and Photography Catalog of the Year focus on recognition and exhibition. Current fees begin at $30 for First PhotoBook, while the other two categories cost $60 for a publisher’s first entry and $30 for subsequent entries from the same publisher. Submission starts online through Picter, but this is not a digital-only competition: entrants must also send a physical copy of each book. For photographers and publishers reviewing current photo contests, the awards stand apart by judging photography as a complete published object, including sequencing, editing, design and the book’s physical form.
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Prizes
The awards combine one cash prize with international exhibition and recognition for all shortlisted titles.
- First PhotoBook Prize: The winning photographer or artist receives $10,000. Twenty books are shortlisted in this category.
- PhotoBook of the Year Prize: Awarded jointly to the photographer or artist and the publisher of the selected book. Ten titles are shortlisted.
- Photography Catalog of the Year Prize: Recognizes the publication, publisher and/or institution responsible for the selected exhibition catalog or museum publication. Five titles are shortlisted.
- Thirty-five shortlisted books: All are exhibited at Paris Photo with jury statements. The shortlist and winning books also form part of an international exhibition program after Paris.
For photographers whose work has taken book form, the combination of Paris Photo presentation and subsequent touring exhibitions makes the shortlist itself a substantial exhibition opportunity.
Related Photo Contests
Categories or Themes
The awards have three publishing categories:
- First PhotoBook: For a photographer or artist’s first qualifying physical photobook. Self-published, limited-edition, gallery-published and print-on-demand books can qualify if they meet the published criteria.
- PhotoBook of the Year: For a photography-led book published in an edition of at least 100 copies.
- Photography Catalog of the Year: For an exhibition catalog or museum publication whose main content is photography. Research and extensive writing may be included, but text-only publications are not eligible.
Books must have been produced and published within the eligibility period specified for the 2026 awards. Digital-only or electronic books cannot be entered.
Dates and Entry Fees
| Call opens | June 10, 2026 |
| Early-bird period ends | July 10, 2026 |
| Submission and physical delivery deadline | September 4, 2026 at 5 p.m. EDT |
| Shortlist announced | October 2026 |
| Winners announced | November 13, 2026 |
The current entry fees depend on the category and, for publisher-led submissions, on how many projects the same publisher enters:
- First PhotoBook: $30 per book.
- PhotoBook of the Year: $60 for the first project entered by a publisher, then $30 for each additional project from that same publisher.
- Photography Catalog of the Year: $60 for the first project entered by a publisher, then $30 for each additional project from that same publisher.
An early-bird period ran from June 10 to July 10, with reduced rates of $15 for First PhotoBook and $40 for the first publisher entry in PhotoBook of the Year or Photography Catalog of the Year.
How to Enter
The application begins on Picter. Entrants provide the book title, publication year and publisher information; a short description; photographer or artist, designer and editor names; dimensions, page count and print run; information on where the book can be obtained; and a JPG image of the cover.
After completing payment, the submission form must be printed and mailed with one physical copy of the book to Aperture, PhotoBook Awards, 380 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10024. The book must physically arrive by the deadline: a September 4 postmark is not sufficient. Shortlisted entrants are later asked to provide additional copies for exhibition.
About the Jury
The Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards 2026 shortlist jury consists of artist Alejandro Cartagena; Alexandra Cunningham Cameron, director of design at the Judd Foundation; Michael Famighetti, editor in chief of Aperture; Anna Planas, artistic director of Paris Photo; and Anshika Varma, curator and founder of Offset Projects.
This jury meets in New York for three days of review and deliberation to select the thirty-five shortlisted books. A separate five-member final jury will meet at the Grand Palais in Paris in November to choose the three category winners. Its members had not yet been announced when this entry was reviewed.
Why Enter Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards?
The Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards 2026 is less about selecting a single successful photograph than assessing how photography works through the structure of a book. That makes it especially relevant to photographers who have moved beyond a portfolio or series and developed sequencing, editing, typography, publishing and physical production as part of the photographic work itself.
The thirty-five-book shortlist is also unusually central to the award. Every shortlisted title is shown at Paris Photo and can continue through the international exhibition program, so recognition is not confined to the three eventual winners. For photographers researching the best photography competitions to enter, this is therefore most relevant to those with a finished, publicly available photobook rather than an unpublished project or conventional image submission.
Rules and Copyright
We reviewed the official rules of the Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards to summarize the key participation requirements, copyright terms and image usage conditions. Before entering, we recommend checking the complete rules published by the organizer.
Rules
Entries may be made by the photographer or artist responsible for the book, its publisher, or a third party acting with the photographer or artist’s consent. Books published or co-published by Aperture or Paris Photo are not eligible.
A qualifying physical book must be submitted for each category entered. The same title may enter more than one category if it meets the relevant criteria, but a separate fee, submission form and physical copy are required for each entry. Submitted books are not returned and become part of the Aperture library.
Copyright and Image Usage
Copyright remains with the respective entrants. By entering, however, the entrant grants Paris Photo and Aperture a worldwide, irrevocable and perpetual license to reproduce representative examples of the submission in publications, websites and promotional materials strictly connected with the awards, with relevant photographer, artist and publisher credit.
The organizers may also exhibit entered books anywhere in the world for public display and may release details of submissions to the press for award marketing, including before the winners are announced. Entrants must have the authority to submit the work and grant the required rights.
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For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.
