Resource: Photo Contests and Grants Calendar

(Updated August 2024)

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Photography Contests and Grants Calendar for 2024

Photography offers many opportunities to showcase your talent and receive support through contests and grants. Below is a comprehensive list of key photography contests and grants for 2024, including specific grants aimed at documentary photographers who are People of Color, Women, or Indigenous.

Top Photography Contests and General Grants for 2024

1. International Photography Awards (IPA)

   • Prizes: Up to $12,000 for professionals

   • Eligibility: Open to photographers of all levels worldwide

   • Categories: Ranging from fine art to documentary photography

   • Deadline: January 31, 2024

   • Details: IPA Website​

2. Sony World Photography Awards

   • Prizes: Multiple categories with significant media exposure

   • Eligibility: Open globally with specific categories for youth, students, and professionals

   • Deadline: Various deadlines for different categories (Professional competition: January 12, 2024; Open competition: January 5, 2024)

   • Details: Sony World Photography Awards​

3. Monovisions Photography Awards

   • Prizes: $3,000 for Black and White Series of the Year

   • Eligibility: Open to black and white photographers at all levels

   • Deadline: January 21, 2024

   • Details: Monovisions Awards

4. Fine Art Photography Awards

   • Prizes: $5,000 in total cash prizes

   • Eligibility: Open to all, with categories for both amateurs and professionals

   • Deadline: February 11, 2024 (Early Bird: October 13, 2023)

   • Details: Fine Art Photography Awards​

5. Abbey Road Studios Music Photography Awards

   • Prizes: Mentorship sessions with leading industry figures

   • Eligibility: Open to all music photographers

   • Deadline: July 18, 2024

   • Details: Abbey Road Studios

6. Getty Images Editorial Grants

   • Amount: $5,000 to $15,000

   • Eligibility: Open to emerging photographers and photojournalists

   • Focus: Supports impactful editorial projects, particularly those highlighting underrepresented communities

   • Deadline: Typically opens in spring

   • Details: Getty Images Grants

7. The Howard Chapnick Grant

   • Amount: $10,000

   • Eligibility: Focuses on education, research, and projects promoting social change in photojournalism

   • Deadline: Spring 2024

   • Details: W. Eugene Smith Fund​

8. The Magnum Foundation Fund

   • Amount: Varies per project

   • Eligibility: Prioritizes photographers of color and those working on projects related to social justice

   • Deadline: Typically opens in March

   • Details: Magnum Foundation

9. National Geographic Storytelling Grants

   • Amount: Up to $30,000

   • Eligibility: Open to photographers documenting underrepresented communities or critical global issues

   • Deadline: Rolling deadlines throughout the year

   • Details: National Geographic​

10. The Alexia Foundation Grants

    • Amount: Varies

    • Eligibility: Supports photographers focusing on social justice and human rights issues

    • Deadline: Opens in early 2024

    • Details: Alexia Foundation​

Top Grants for Documentary Photographers (People of Color, Women, Indigenous)

1. Women Photograph Project Grants

   • Amount: Up to $5,000

   • Eligibility: Open to women and non-binary documentary photographers

   • Focus: Supports photographers telling stories about their communities or issues affecting women globally

   • Deadline: Opens in spring 2024

   • Details: Women Photograph​

2. The Nat Geo Explorer Grant

   • Amount: Up to $10,000

   • Eligibility: Open to early-career photographers who identify as women, Indigenous, or as part of an underrepresented community

   • Focus: Supports impactful storytelling projects

   • Deadline: Rolling applications throughout the year

   • Details: National Geographic Explorers​

3. Indigenous Photograph Annual Grant

   • Amount: Varies

   • Eligibility: Indigenous photographers from around the world

   • Focus: Supports the work of Indigenous photographers documenting their communities and issues relevant to them

   • Deadline: Typically opens in the fall

   • Details: Indigenous Photograph​

4. The Visionary Woman Awards

   • Amount: $5,000

   • Eligibility: Open to women photographers with a focus on social justice or environmental issues

   • Focus: Supports projects that address critical issues affecting women and communities of color

   • Deadline: Summer 2024

   • Details: Visionary Woman Awards​

5. Native and Indigenous Photographer Fund

   • Amount: $10,000

   • Eligibility: Exclusively for Native American, First Nations, and Indigenous photographers

   • Focus: Supports documentary photography projects that highlight Indigenous experiences and stories

   • Deadline: Typically opens in the fall

   • Details: Native Photographers​

6. Black Women Photographers Grant

   • Amount: $5,000

   • Eligibility: Open to Black women and non-binary photographers

   • Focus: Provides funding to help elevate the work of Black women photographers and document their communities

   • Deadline: Opens in spring 2024

   • Details: Black Women Photographers​

7. Diverse Photographers Initiative by Adobe

   • Amount: $10,000

   • Eligibility: Open to photographers of color, particularly those from underrepresented communities

   • Focus: Supports creative projects that highlight diversity and social justice

   • Deadline: Opens in the spring of 2024

   • Details: Adobe Diversity Initiative

8. The Serendipity Arles Grant

   • Amount: €5,000

   • Eligibility: South Asian women photographers

   • Focus: Supports creative documentary projects that explore social issues in South Asia

   • Deadline: Typically opens in late summer

   • Details: Serendipity Arles Grant

9. Fellowship for Black Photographers by Light Work

   • Amount: $10,000

   • Eligibility: Black photographers working on documentary projects

   • Focus: Supports emerging and mid-career Black photographers with a focus on documentary work

   • Deadline: Opens in early 2024

   • Details: Light Work​

10. The Color Positive Grant

    • Amount: $7,500

    • Eligibility: Photographers of color

    • Focus: Supports documentary photography projects that highlight positive stories from communities of color

    • Deadline: Opens in the fall

    • Details: Color Positive Grant​

Conclusion

The landscape of photography contests and grants is rich and diverse, with numerous opportunities for photographers of all backgrounds to advance their careers and amplify their voices. For documentary photographers who are People of Color, Women, or Indigenous, these grants provide vital support to tell important stories that might otherwise go unheard. Stay updated with deadlines and apply to those that resonate most with your work and vision.

Explore, create, and submit—2024 could be your year to shine!

Documentary Photography Grants

Please note that grant availability and application criteria may change over time, so it's always a good idea to check the respective organizations' websites for the most up-to-date information.

1. Magnum Foundation Emergency Fund: Supports independent documentary photographers who are covering critical issues around the world.
   https://www.magnumfoundation.org/emergency-fund

2. Getty Images Grants for Editorial Photography: Provides financial support to photographers working on compelling social, political, and cultural stories.
   https://wherewestand.gettyimages.com/grants

3. W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund: Awards annual grants to photographers working on humanistic documentary projects.
   https://smithfund.org/

4. The Aftermath Project: Offers grants to photographers exploring the aftermath of conflict and promotes constructive storytelling.
   https://www.theaftermathproject.org/

5. Women Photograph Grants: Aims to support the work of women, non-binary, and gender non-conforming photographers worldwide.
   https://www.womenphotograph.com/grants

6. Alexia Foundation Grants: Supports photographers and visual journalists addressing social justice and humanitarian issues.
   https://www.alexiafoundation.org/

7. Open Society Foundations Documentary Photography Project: Funds photographers documenting social issues and human rights.
   https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/grants/documentary-photography-project

8. Pulitzer Center Grants: Provides funding for journalism projects, including documentary photography, with a focus on underreported issues.
   https://pulitzercenter.org/grants

9. International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF): Offers reporting grants for female and gender non-conforming journalists, including photographers.
   https://www.iwmf.org/programs/reporting-grants-for-women/

10. CatchLight Fellowship: Supports visual storytelling that drives social change and amplifies underrepresented voices.
    https://www.catchlight.io/fellowship

11. The Documentary Project Fund: Grants for photographers and filmmakers working on projects that shed light on social, political, and environmental issues.
    https://www.documentaryprojectfund.org/

12. World Press Photo Foundation: Offers grants, fellowships, and other programs to support visual journalism and storytelling.
    https://www.worldpressphoto.org/activities/grants-programme

13. The FENCE Grant: Provides financial support and exhibition opportunities for photographers participating in The FENCE, an outdoor photography exhibition.
    https://fence.photoville.com/

14. The Ian Parry Scholarship: Aims to support young documentary photographers and offers mentorship, equipment, and cash prizes.
    https://www.ianparry.org/

Remember to visit each organization's website for specific details on application deadlines, eligibility criteria, and grant amounts.

Here are some grants specifically tailored for Indigenous photographers:

1. Native American Journalists Association (NAJA) - National Native Media Awards: NAJA provides grants to Indigenous photographers and journalists for their work in covering Native American communities. Website: https://najanewsroom.com/programs/awards/

2. IllumiNative - Native Storytelling Fellowship: Offers financial support to Native American and Alaska Native artists, including photographers, to create and share authentic narratives. Website: https://www.illuminatives.org/native-storytelling-fellowship

3. Indigenous Screen Office (ISO) - Mentorship Program: ISO provides grants and mentorship opportunities for Indigenous photographers and filmmakers working on storytelling projects. Website: https://www.screenoffice.ca/

4. N7 Fund - Nike: N7 Fund supports Native American and Aboriginal communities through grants for various artistic and sporting endeavors, including photography projects. Website: https://www.nike.com/n7

5. First Peoples Fund - Cultural Capital Program: Offers grants to Indigenous artists, including photographers, to support the continuation and revitalization of traditional art forms. Website: https://www.firstpeoplesfund.org/grants/cultural-capital

6. National Geographic Society - Indigenous Storytelling Grants: Provides grants to Indigenous storytellers, including photographers, to document and share stories from Indigenous communities worldwide. Website: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/funding-opportunities/grants/what-we-fund/indigenous-storytelling/

7. The Native Arts and Cultures Foundation - Artist Fellowship: Offers fellowships to Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian artists, including photographers, to support their artistic development and projects. Website: https://www.nativeartsandcultures.org/grants-fellowships/artist-fellowship

8. Ford Foundation - Indigenous Art and Culture Initiative: Supports Indigenous artists and cultural practitioners, including photographers, through grants that foster the revitalization and celebration of Indigenous cultures. Website: https://www.fordfoundation.org/work/our-grants/indigenous-art-and-culture-initiative/