The Marai Photo Grant 2026 turns a single urgent question into a full photographic assignment. Under the concept “My Reality. Now”. the 2026 theme is “Water Scarcity”. The grant invites young photographers from across South Asia to develop a photo story on how limited access to water shapes daily life in their own communities. For anyone planning the year through a trusted photo contest directory, the Marai Photo Grant 2026 call for entries is a focused opportunity linked directly to the international news agency Agence France-Presse.
The grant is open to photographers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, the Maldives and Bhutan who live in their home country, are younger than 26 on January 1, 2026 and are of legal adult age where they reside. The assignment asks for a clear project proposal on water scarcity, supported by a small portfolio that shows the applicant’s current work. The application period runs from November 17, 2025 to January 15, 2026, with a cap of 500 applications, so timing matters.
Two winners, one in each gender category of Female and Male, receive $3,000 in grant funding, a Nikon Z6III with a NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S and a tailored mentorship with AFP. Their completed stories are then distributed on AFP’s global news wire. Two runners up, again one in each gender category, receive a Nikon Z50II with a NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR. With its mix of funding, equipment, mentorship and real news distribution on a climate related theme, the Marai Photo Grant 2026 sits close to the intersection of climate photography contests and practical, assignment based career support.
Contents
Prizes
The Marai Photo Grant 2026 organises its prizes around two gender based categories and combines financial support, professional gear and structured mentorship, followed by international visibility through AFP.
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- Winners (2 Photographers): Each receives $3,000 USD and a Nikon Z6III camera with a NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S lens. Crucially, they also receive an AFP Mentorship program to bring their photo story to life, with the final work published on AFP’s global news wire.
- Runners-up (2 Photographers): Each receives a Nikon Z50II camera with a NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR lens.
The winners’ completed projects are then showcased on AFP’s global news wire. This means the resulting work can reach media outlets and audiences well beyond the grant website itself.
Related Photo Contests
Categories or Themes
The Marai Photo Grant 2026 does not divide entries into subject categories such as portrait or landscape. Instead, it defines a single thematic focus and a gender based structure. All applicants must propose a photo story that deals with water scarcity and its impact on daily life within their own community. This framework naturally invites approaches that sit close to documentary, environmental and photojournalism, but the grant materials place the emphasis on the strength of the story rather than on a specific visual style.
Dates and Entry Fees
The Marai Photo Grant 2026 follows a clear application schedule that runs over two months and is limited to a maximum of 500 entries.
| Application period opens | November 17, 2025 |
| Application deadline | January 15, 2026 |
| Maximum number of applications | 500 |
The Marai Photo Grant is committed to accessibility for young talent. It is one of the most significant free photo competitions in the region, with no fee required to apply.
How to Enter:
To enter the Marai Photo Grant 2026, applicants begin on the grant website and follow the link to the online application form.
Alongside the images, each applicant submits a project proposal in clear English of up to 1,500 characters in total, with a title of up to 50 characters including spaces. This proposal outlines how they plan to approach the theme of water scarcity as a photo story. Once the form is complete, applicants send their submission through the platform, keeping in mind that only the first 500 applications will be accepted.
About the Jury
The 2026 jury panel consists of distinguished professionals from the world of journalism and photography, ensuring a high standard of review.
- Candida NG: Deputy Photo Director for Asia-Pacific at AFP (Jury President).
- Ami Vitale: Nikon Ambassador and National Geographic photographer.
- Palani Mohan: Acclaimed photographer and author.
- Edwin Koo: Documentary photographer and visual author.
- Sara Hussein: Future of the Planet Reporter, Asia-Pacific at AFP.
Why Enter Marai Photo Grant 2026?
For young photographers in South Asia, the Marai Photo Grant 2026 is built around the idea of telling a story that feels close and real. Instead of asking for a finished project on any subject, it gives space to develop a focused story on water scarcity with direct input from AFP mentors. The winners receive funding and cameras, and they also sit down regularly, online or in person, with experienced editors to talk through editing choices, how to build a sequence and how to work within the rhythm of news coverage. That kind of steady guidance can be difficult to find at the start of a career.
The grant also places the resulting work directly in front of news desks through AFP’s global wire, which is a different kind of visibility from a gallery show or a one off online feature. If the stories resonate, editors around the world can pick them up and share them with their own audiences, which gives each project a life beyond the grant itself. That combination of assignment, mentorship and distribution is particularly relevant for photographers who already lean towards the kinds of narratives that sit within photojournalism and documentary work.
Because the call is limited to 500 applications and focuses on a single, clearly defined theme, the Marai Photo Grant 2026 can feel more approachable than larger open calls with a very broad scope. Photographers who use resources like Deartline to discover best photography competitions to enter can see this grant as a targeted option if they are already thinking deeply about water and about how climate issues play out at street level in their own communities.
Rules and Copyright
This section about the rules and image rights of the Marai Photo Grant 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
According to the application information, the Marai Photo Grant 2026 is open to photographers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, the Maldives and Bhutan who currently reside in their home country. Applicants must be younger than 26 years old on January 1, 2026 and must also be considered legal adults under the laws of their country when they register. The organisers will accept a maximum of 500 applications, and submissions must be completed within the stated application period.
Each applicant must be willing to produce a photo story on the water scarcity theme within the framework of the mentorship program and agree that the completed work will be published on AFP’s global news wire. The application must include four recent JPEG photographs, a written project proposal within the stated character limits and a scan of a valid official ID such as a passport. The guidelines specify that AI generated and AI assisted images are not allowed in either the portfolio or the proposed project. By submitting through the platform, applicants also agree to the general Terms of Use and Privacy Policy that govern how the site is used and how personal data are processed.
Copyright and Image Usage
The entry agreement and related pages describe the ownership and protection of the platform and its content, and they explain how AFP handles personal data and files that are uploaded during the application process. They state that the website itself and its components belong to AFP and its partners, and that users may not reproduce or distribute that material for commercial purposes without written approval. They also describe how personal information and technical data are collected, how long they are stored and in which cases they may be shared with sponsors, jury members or other parties involved in organising the grant.
The material available through the application and agreement pages does not set out a full clause on copyright ownership of submitted images or on the precise licensing terms under which AFP may reproduce them beyond the context of the grant. Since the winners’ work will be published on AFP’s global news wire, and since some images may appear on the grant website or in related communications, it is important that photographers read the complete Entry Rules and any detailed licensing language on the platform before applying. Those documents will give the definitive description of how their images can be used, how long any licence lasts and in which contexts their work may be shared.
For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.
