About OD Photo Prize 2026

Open Doors Gallery is delighted to invite submissions for the sixth edition of the OD Photo Prize. An annual open call for emerging artists working within the first ten years of their practice.

For over a decade, Open Doors Gallery has championed the discovery and mentorship of early-career artists working across the full spectrum of contemporary photography. From Kensuke Koike's sculptural alchemy to Marisol Mendez's piercing portraiture, and bold pioneers of new visual languages such as Wysocka / Pogo and Sander Coers, ODG has showcased emerging talents through a dynamic programme of exhibitions, pop-ups and international art fairs. We are proud to have played a role in raising the profiles of these artists while gaining deep insight into what it takes to build a sustainable career in this industry.

The OD Photo Prize is a natural extension of this mission, a platform designed to broaden our search for exceptional talent and to foster lasting relationships with photographic artists worldwide. It is deliberately kept open-themed because we want to welcome and celebrate the full breadth of the medium. Each year the prize draws an extraordinary international field, with last year's edition alone attracting over 1,200 projects from more than 70 countries.

"Winning the OD Photo Prize meaningfully widened the audience for Angels, but what's stayed with me is the support I received from Tom after the win. Tom didn't just hand over a prize and walk away; he built an entire platform around the work and has stayed genuinely invested well past the announcement, putting hands-on care into every aspect of the process. Working with Tom and OD Gallery has been a real pleasure, and I'd recommend the prize without hesitation to any emerging artist thinking about applying." — J.A. Young Winner, 2025

Open Doors Gallery is always searching for new talent to join our roster, and the OD Photo Prize has become the single most valuable place for us to find it. Since last year's edition alone we have presented nine artists across four international art fairs, in Paris, Rotterdam and London, seven of whom first came to us through the prize. It is a ratio that speaks for itself, and a measure of both the calibre of the submissions we receive and the central role the prize now plays in how we discover, nurture and represent new artists. Indeed, several past entrants have gone on to be represented by the gallery, among them Sander Coers, Wysocka / Pogo, Kristoffer Axén, Justus de Rode and Luca Ortis.

This is a prize for photographic artists. We take an expansive view of what that means. Whilst respecting the traditions of the photography, we welcome work from across the discipline. From street photographers and documentary storytellers to collage and mixed media artists. We want to see the full spectrum of what is possible: work that celebrates classic storytelling, alongside more experimental practices, just as the medium has always found ways to evolve and challenge us, ever since its invention. What we look for, above all, is a distinct artistic voice and a considered body of work.

This year's shortlisted artists will be invited to participate in a group exhibition hosted by Open Doors Gallery in London, where this year's winner will be announced. A curated selection of works will be exhibited and made available for sale both online and at the show, with profits shared with the artist. Entrants retain full copyright of their work at all times.

Finalists will also be eligible for a number of awards selected by our esteemed panel of industry experts, including Judges' Picks, the InCadaqués Award (granting one artist a solo presentation at the celebrated festival in Spain) and the AJ Page Award (People's Choice). This year's jury brings together an exceptional group of gallerists, artists and industry figures, each offering real opportunities to the artists they champion. The full panel, with biographies, is listed separately.

The OD Photo Prize was founded by Open Doors Gallery in 2021.

What Finalists Receive

Grand Prize
A £2,000 cash prize supported by Open Doors Gallery

An exclusive interview published on the 1000 Words Magazine website alongside the winner announcement

Long-term mentorship through Open Doors Gallery, including portfolio guidance, presentation to our community of collectors and ongoing industry advice

Listed as an OD Artist on our website and given an Artsy profile for at least one year, presenting available artworks from the submitted project

Exhibited in London as part of the OD Photo Prize group exhibition

Two Runners-Up
Long-term mentorship through Open Doors Gallery, including portfolio guidance, presentation to our community of collectors and ongoing industry advice

Invited to be listed on the OD Artist page and Artsy platform for at least one year, presenting available artworks from the submitted project

Exhibited in London as part of the OD Photo Prize group exhibition

Judges' Picks
Each member of the jury selects one artist from the Longlist they feel deserves a special mention, with the opportunity to be exhibited at the OD Photo Prize exhibition

InCadaqués Award
We are delighted to continue the InCadaqués Award for a third year

Olivia and Valmont, founders and directors of this renowned festival in Spain, will select one artist from the Longlist to present at next year's festival

The form of the presentation will adapt to the nature of the work, whether an exhibition, projection or installation

AJ Page Award (People's Choice)
A People's Choice award for exceptional single images, selected by Open Doors Gallery from this year's Longlist

The ten selected artworks will be posted to the @odtakeovers feed and voted for in the comments by the public

At least one will be included in the OD Photo Prize group exhibition and online show

Shortlisted artists will receive the following support and opportunities:

Exhibiting artists will be published in a limited run exhibition catalogue with extended features for selected artists, the winner & runners up. Available for purchase at the exhibition & online.

Having their work produced for a group exhibition hosted by Open Doors Gallery in London, Nov-Dec 2026 [dates and venue TBC]

Exhibited in London and online, gaining exposure to the Open Doors Gallery collector base, with profits from any sales shared with the artist

Exhibition exposure to a substantial number of visual arts professionals and the media

Inclusion in the gallery website announcement and dedicated newsletter

Their projects viewed and considered by our panel of leading industry experts

Their work shared with our 100,000+ social media following

Inclusion in an ongoing community and support network facilitated by Open Doors Gallery

Artists retain full copyright of their work at all times

Portfolio Reviews

This year a limited number of one-to-one portfolio review places will be offered to Longlisted artists. Each review comprises of two sessions: one with a selected OD represented artist matched to your practice, and one with gallery director Tom Page. Places are strictly limited. Reviews are heavily discounted for Shortlisted artists, and free for the two Runners-Up and the Winner.

About Open Doors Gallery

Open Doors Gallery is a global platform for emerging contemporary photographic artists, representing and developing the careers of several award-winning artists, each with their own unique approach to the medium. From mixed media and sculptural artworks to darkroom creations and documentary work, we believe the limitless possibilities of the photographic medium make it the perfect prism through which to explore the world and to build a collection.

OD believes in making art accessible and affordable. With no permanent fixed location, we display our artists' work regularly through our programme of art fairs, exhibitions, events and publications throughout the year, regularly presenting our artists at fairs such as London Art Fair, Photo London, Approche in Paris and UNSEEN / Art Rotterdam.

OD has a strong presence online [@odtakeovers & @odprintsales], choosing to showcase a wide variety of styles from within and beyond our family of represented artists. We work towards broadening people's understanding of the potential within this dynamic and exciting medium, for both collectors and enthusiasts, all the while emphasising the enormous array of talent coming through. The OD Photo Prize is one way we hope to achieve that.

How to Enter

Submissions must be in project form
Must submit between 6 – 15 images per submission
Artists must be working within the first ten years of their practise [Please highlight your career start date in your bio]

Judging Criteria

OD Photo Prize is open themed. We greatly encourage submissions from artists working across all forms of photographic art: this includes, but is not limited to, storytelling, narrative, social documentary, construction, archival, conceptual or theoretical practices. Submissions must be photographic or lens-based but can incorporate other art forms (i.e. performance, collage, painting, sculpture, music, literature etc), and may result in unique artworks.

The final selection of artists from the open call will be made in collaboration between the Jury and Open Doors Gallery. At least 20 artists will be invited to participate in the OD Photo Prize 2026 exhibition in November. Including the Judges Picks, AJ Page Awardee [Peoples Choice].

The Winner will be announced in October / November.

Successful entrants will be notified by email in early-October 2026 with information regarding the following steps towards online publication and the exhibition. A list of selected applicants and awardees will be published on Open Doors Gallery's social media channels and website. The decision on successful entrants is final.

Words from our Winners

"Being included in the OD Photo Prize has significantly boosted my photography career. When my project POST was selected as a judge's pick by Rosie Wadey in the 2023 edition, it opened up a lot of opportunities for me. This recognition not only helped me gain visibility among an international network of photography enthusiasts but also led to my representation by Open Doors Gallery. Recently, I had the experience of exhibiting with them at Photo London, which was a milestone moment in my career. The support and exposure from the OD Photo Prize have been invaluable in advancing my professional journey."

— Sander Coers [Judge's Pick, 2023]

"The OD Photo Prize allowed me to further advance my practice by providing the necessary funds to purchase equipment and enhance the quality of my work. With support from Metro Imaging and MPB, I was able to take on larger and more complex projects. The prize has been instrumental in fostering innovation and helping me reach a wider audience."

– Patricia Voulgaris, OD Photo Prize Winner, 2023

“Winning the 2022 OD Photo Prize was a significant validation of many years working on what has now become, ‘They Still Owe Him a Boat’. The prize provided me with a wonderful platform and network for my work to be seen, engaged with, and then exhibited – which was a very special moment for me. It has been a great source of encouragement during the final stages of this work and has reinforced my belief in the caliber and importance of it. The competition is a great way to connect with a lot of talented photographers and I am immensely appreciative of Tom and everyone at Open Doors for the many ways they continue to provide guidance, access, and support through the OD Photo Prize.”

— Jono Terry [OD Photo Prize | 2022 Winner]

“When I received the OD Photo Prize in 2021, my project ‘Teetering like a September myth’ was still in its infancy, with only a handful of close friends even knowing that it existed. The support I received from Tom and Steve in the following months would be instrumental to my completing the work and releasing it as a book the following year. As an emerging artist still finding my feet in many ways, the OD Photo Prize and exhibition have been really important entry-points into showing my work publicly and I’ll forever hold this experience as a pivotal point in the early stage of my career.”

— Angus Scott [OD Photo Prize | 2021 Winner]

"Participating in the Open Doors Photo Prize propelled my work into new realms of recognition and opportunity. But the prize is more than just exposure; it stands for a community of passionate creatives who push the boundaries of visual storytelling. I feel fortunate to share my work on such a grand stage and to connect with fellow artists who are dedicated to elevating the art of photography."

— Marisol Mendez [Shortlisted Artist, 2021]

Building Momentum

Each year we follow the progress of artists who have passed through the prize, whether longlisted, shortlisted or beyond. Below are highlights from the past year.

Aaryan Sinha went on to win the 2026 Aperture Portfolio Prize for the very project we exhibited, Namaste or Whatever, having also been named a Foam Talent and had work acquired by the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation.

J.A. Young, a Judge's Pick who returned to win the Grand Prize, saw her debut monograph Of Fire, Far Shining shortlisted for the Rencontres d'Arles Author Book Award and was named a Fresh Eyes x Hungry Eye Talent.

Marisol Mendez, an early alumni from our 2021 edition, won the 2026 Saltzman-Leibovitz Photography Prize, the 15,000 dollar award founded with Annie Leibovitz, for MADRE, following a Sony World Photography Award win and her Setanta Books monograph.

Vic Bakin watched his monograph Epitome sell out, with the series exhibited at the Saatchi Gallery, Cortona On The Move and, in 2026, the Preus Museum in Norway.

Sander Coers, now represented by OD, is a Foam Talent and PhMuseum Grant recipient whose series Eulogy showed in Bologna, with work entering the Preus Museum collection.

Jaclyn Wright, winner of the PhMuseum Photography Grant and a Foam Talent, took up a 2025 residency at Light Work, with work now held by the Art Institute of Chicago.

Kristoffer Per Anders Axén received our 2024 InCadaqués Award, taking a solo presentation at the InCadaqués Festival, was later shortlisted for the Nikon Emerging Photographer Award at Photo London 2025, and is now an OD represented artist for both his photography & his painting practise.

Wysocka / Pogo, represented by OD, are a Berlin duo whose hand-made photobooks sit in the libraries of MoMA, The Met and Yale, with a new title, And Then There Was the Night, released in 2025. They also continued their showstopping run with a hugely popular near sell out solo presentation with Open Doors Gallery at Art Rotterdam x UNSEEN, 2026.

Chloé Milos Azzopardi went on to exhibit at Les Rencontres d'Arles with Fisheye Gallery and won the Lucie Foundation Emerging Artist Grant, her series Non Technological Devices travelling internationally.

Justus de Rode, now represented by OD in the UK, had his solo show Views of Nature named a must-see January 2026 opening by Artsy.

Luca Ortis submitted to the prize last year and was discovered from beyond the wider Longlist, now an OD artist who exhibited new work at Photo London 2026 gaining a lot of attention. As well as being joint winner of the BBA Photography Prize 2025.