The LensCulture Art Photography Awards 2026 return with a worldwide call for image makers who want to stretch the medium, whether through quiet conceptual thinking or loud visual experiments. From cameraless processes and darkroom play to digital projects that bend reality, the awards look for work that feels like an honest artistic statement.
Featured on Deartline among the contests photographers search when looking for a strong photography contest online, this edition offers both visibility and direct support. A total of $10,000 in grants is on the table, and selected work will be shown in New York in spring 2026 during The Photography Show. The submission deadline is December 17, 2025, and entries are open to photographers worldwide. One single image can be submitted free, with paid options for larger submissions.
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The LensCulture Art Photography Awards Prizes
The LensCulture Art Photography Awards combine cash prizes with a clear path to presentation and publication. Winners, finalists, and jurors’ picks are featured in LensCulture’s permanent online gallery, circulated to its global network, and included in a spring 2026 exhibition in New York during The Photography Show.
Series Prizes:
- 1st Place Series Winner: $3,500.
- 2nd Place Series Winner: $2,000.
- 3rd Place Series Winner: $1,000.
Single Image Prizes:
- 1st Place Single Image Winner: $2,000.
- 2nd Place Single Image Winner: $1,000.
- 3rd Place Single Image Winner: $500.
Beyond the grants, the jury of this photography awards selects Jurors’ Picks for special distinction, and 25 Finalists receive broad promotion. Strong entries are also considered for LensCulture Discoveries, a directory followed by curators and editors scouting new work.
Related Photo Contests
The Categories of the LensCulture Art Photography Awards
There are no fixed categories. The LensCulture Art Photography Awards operate as an open theme photo contest, which means the focus stays on artistic intent and execution. Photographers can enter either Single Images or Series, and the jury considers them with the same open lens.
LensCulture Art Photography Awards Dates and Entry Fees
The schedule is simple, with one deadline for all entries and results announced after judging.
| Call for Entries Opens | Open now |
| Submission Deadline | December 17, 2025 |
| Winners Exhibition | Spring 2026 in New York |
Entry Costs:
The first Single Image entry is free, which makes it a simple way to submit work without any commitment. Those who want to take part in other free photo competitions will recognize how rare this is in an event of this scale. After the initial free entry, photographers can expand their submission with additional images or a series.
- Additional Single Images: $10 per image.
- Five Single Images bundle: $35, judged individually.
- Series entry: $45 for one series of up to 10 images, judged as a body of work.
Students can receive a 30 percent discount on entry fees with valid verification. Anyone submitting a series or five or more single images can add a professional written review for $25.
How to Enter:
Entries are submitted through the LensCulture platform. After creating an account, photographers choose Single Image or Series, upload high-quality JPEG files between 1200 and 2000 pixels on the longest side, add titles and short descriptions, and complete checkout by card or PayPal when fees apply. Each series is submitted as its own entry.
About the Jury
The LensCulture Art Photography Awards 2026 jury brings together editors, curators, and institutional leaders from across the photography and contemporary art worlds. The panel includes Michael Famighetti of Aperture, Caroline Wall of Robert Mann Gallery, Mick Moore of British Journal of Photography, Jessica Jarl of Fotografiska, Jen Tse from Adobe’s Content Authenticity Initiative, Antonio Carloni of Gallerie d’Italia, Eugenia Macías Guzmán of Centro de la Imagen, and Jim Casper, LensCulture’s editor in chief. The process starts with a professional pre-screening and continues to final decisions by the jury.
Why Enter LensCulture Art Photography Awards?
The LensCulture Art Photography Awards 2026 are built for artists who care about ideas as much as images, and who want their projects seen by curators, editors, and gallery teams that follow LensCulture closely. The judging is blind, so the work stands on its own, which gives newer voices a real shot alongside established names.
There is also a practical upside. The grants help fund future work, while the New York exhibition gives selected photographers a chance to show in a setting that attracts collectors and art professionals. Add the permanent online feature and press reach, and the contest earns its spot among the best photography competitions to enter for anyone working in fine art, hybrid practice, or concept-led storytelling. Even the optional review can be useful for artists who want thoughtful feedback from people used to reading portfolios, not just scrolling.
Rules and Copyright
This section about the rules and image rights of the LensCulture Art Photography Awards 2026 has been generated automatically. If you are interested in participating in this contest we suggest you review the complete rules provided by the contest.
Rules:
Entrants must be at least 18 years old. Images can be from any date and can have been shown elsewhere. A photo or series that already won a cash prize in a LensCulture competition is not eligible to win another cash prize here. Purely AI generated images are not accepted. AI tools may be used for editing original photographs if this use is disclosed in the project statement. Each entrant confirms they hold the rights to the work and that the submission does not infringe on others’ rights.
Copyright and Usage:
Photographers keep full copyright of their images. By entering, they grant LensCulture permission to display and reproduce submitted work, with credit, for running and promoting the awards and related LensCulture activities. This includes online galleries, social media, and printed materials tied to the contest.
For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.
