The Tom Stoddart Award for Excellence

The Tom Stoddart Award for Excellence 2026 is built around a result that few photography awards can offer: turning an established long-form documentary project into a professionally published photobook. Run by the Ian Parry Photojournalism Grant in collaboration with GOST Books, the award is open internationally to photographers aged 18 or over. Entries close on September 30, 2026.

The recipient will work directly with GOST Books on the edit of both photographs and text, with the finished project produced as a clothbound hardback and distributed worldwide. The award also provides £5,000, approximately $6,750 at current exchange rates, toward expenses connected with producing the book and overseeing printing in Verona. The finished publication will receive publicity through media partner The Guardian as well as promotion through the award’s website and social channels. For photographers following Deartline’s best photo challenges to participate, this call is specifically aimed at mature documentary photography projects.

Applicants may submit up to 40 representative photographs from a project that is nearing completion and substantial enough to become a book. There is no restriction on when the photographs were made, but staged or digitally manipulated work is not accepted, and AI-generated imagery is prohibited. The entry fee is £50 per submission.

Prizes

The The Tom Stoddart Award for Excellence has one principal recipient and is structured around producing and distributing a complete photobook.

• A photobook published by GOST Books: the recipient works with GOST Director Stu Smith to edit the photography and text before publication as a clothbound hardback.
• £5,000 grant: approximately $6,750, intended to cover publication-related expenses such as high-resolution scans, match prints, shipping materials and travel.
• Printing oversight in Italy: the recipient has the opportunity to travel to Verona to review book proofs and make amendments.
• Worldwide distribution: the finished book will be distributed internationally by GOST Books and its partners.
• Publicity: the photobook will receive promotion through The Guardian, the Ian Parry platforms and associated social media.

The £5,000 grant is paid in two £2,500 instalments: the first when the award is announced and the second after a six-month review of the project’s progress.

Categories or Themes

There are no separate categories. The The Tom Stoddart Award for Excellence is specifically for established photographers working on long-form photojournalism or documentary photography.

The submitted project should be in-depth, close to completion and extensive enough to justify publication as a full photobook. Subjects can vary, and photographs may have been made in any year.

Dates and Entry Fees

The The Tom Stoddart Award for Excellence 2026 edition runs from July through November, with judging taking place after submissions close.

Entry fee: £50 per separate submission.

How to Enter

Applications are submitted through Picter. Entrants must provide a short biography, a concise book-project description and up to 40 representative images. A PDF showing a possible book design may also be included if available, although the final design will be developed by GOST Books with the recipient.

Image files must be JPGs measuring 1,500 pixels on the long side.

About the Jury

Entries are assessed by an industry panel during October 2026. Individual jury members are not identified in the actual award information.

Shortlisted photographers and the eventual recipient are contacted after the judging period.

Why Enter The Tom Stoddart Award for Excellence 2026?

The defining feature of this The Tom Stoddart Award for Excellence is that it starts where many photography competitions finish. The strongest candidate is expected to arrive with a substantial body of work already developed; the prize then addresses the difficult next stage of turning that project into a professionally edited, designed, printed and internationally distributed book.

The collaboration with GOST Books also means that the recipient works directly with a specialist photography publisher rather than simply receiving funding to arrange publication independently. The £5,000 is tied to practical production expenses, while the opportunity to review proofs in Verona brings the photographer into the physical printing process.

That makes the award particularly relevant to photographers with a nearly complete documentary project that already has the depth required for book form. Among Deartline’s more current photo contests, its combination of publishing collaboration, financial production support and worldwide book distribution is the clearest point of difference.

Rules and Copyright

We reviewed the official rules of the The Tom Stoddart Award for Excellence 2026 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

Applicants must be at least 18 years old and may enter from any country. Submitted photographs must be the applicant’s original work. Staged or digitally manipulated photographic work is not accepted, and AI-generated imagery is prohibited. Late submissions are not accepted.

Copyright and Image Usage

Photographers retain copyright in their photographs. For awarded entries and honorable mentions, rights holders grant unlimited non-exclusive use of high-resolution images for activities connected with the award, including social media, online and print use, exhibitions, promotion and educational activities, without additional remuneration.

The winning photographer will enter into a separate contract with GOST Books. GOST receives exclusive worldwide distribution rights for the finished book and owns copyright and other rights in the book as a publication, excluding the photographs themselves. The photographer continues to own copyright in the photographs.

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For more information and to participate in the contest, visit: the official website.