LensCulture Black & White Photography Awards 2026

Deadline: 14 October 2026 [ 4+ weeks remaining ]
Results Announcement Expected: End of 2026

LensCulture is hosting the LensCulture Black & White Photography Awards 2026, inviting participation from photographers from around the world.

The competition is open for submissions and welcomes monochrome work, from classic darkroom processes to digital and experimental approaches. Submitted work must have been made within the last 10 years.

A total of 33 photographers will be honored as winners, jurors’ picks and finalists. The best works will be awarded with cash prizes totaling $10,000, a group exhibition in London, and publication and exposure through LensCulture.

Competition Categories

Entries are judged in two strands:

Series – a cohesive group of up to 10 images, judged as a unified whole, thematic or aesthetic
Single Image – individual standout images, judged individually

Eligibility

Age: participants must be 18 years of age or older
Level: open to professional and amateur photographers alike
Scope: international entry is accepted
Authorship: entrants must be the sole copyright owner and creator of the submitted photographs
Prior LensCulture awards: photographs or series previously awarded a cash prize in a LensCulture competition are not eligible for cash prizes in subsequent competitions; finalist selections without a cash prize remain eligible
AI-generated work: purely AI-generated work is not accepted; modification of original photography with AI tools is acceptable when disclosed in the project statement, including the method and extent of modification

All photographers retain full copyright in submitted work.

Prizes

Total cash grants of $10,000 will be announced, distributed as follows:

Series 1st Place: $3,500
Series 2nd Place: $2,000
Series 3rd Place: $1,000
Single Image 1st Place: $2,000
Single Image 2nd Place: $1,000
Single Image 3rd Place: $500
Jurors’ Picks – each juror selects an individual Juror’s Pick for special distinction, with accompanying comments
Finalists – 20 Finalists will be highlighted on the winners’ page and in worldwide promotion, alongside Winners and Jurors’ Picks

Additional recognition announced by the organizer includes:

Exhibition in London – winning photographers will be exhibited during Photo London 2027
Solo Feature Published on LensCulture – for top Series winners
Permanent Exhibition in LensCulture Online Gallery – for winners, finalists and jurors’ picks
International Press Exposure – coverage of award winners in international media
Visibility with Industry Insiders – inclusion of highly rated photographers in LensCulture Discoveries, the directory provided to editors, publishers, gallery owners, festival directors, curators and media publishers
LensCulture Portfolio Account – available for all Series entries and 5+ Single entries

LensCulture is one of the most comprehensive and far-reaching resources for discovering contemporary photography talent around the world. Over 20 years, LensCulture has built a global online audience of more than three million photography makers, lovers and thinkers from 160 countries and we’re proud to offer career-changing opportunities through our photography awards, exhibitions in leading cities, festival screenings, and books.

Please visit the official website for further information.