Organizer Information
Open Doors Gallery was founded in 2017 as a global platform for emerging contemporary photographic artists. Operating without a permanent fixed location, the gallery presents its artists through a rotating programme of exhibitions, pop-ups, and international art fairs, including London Art Fair, Photo London, Approche in Paris, and UNSEEN/Art Rotterdam. It represents and develops the careers of a roster of award-winning photographic artists working across mixed media, sculptural, darkroom, and documentary practices, and maintains an online presence through its @odtakeovers and @odprintsales channels with a stated social media following of over 100,000. The OD Photo Prize, now in its sixth edition, was established by the gallery in 2021 as a way to broaden its search for new talent and build lasting relationships with photographic artists internationally.
Title & Description
OD Photo Prize 2026
The OD Photo Prize is an annual, open-themed open call from Open Doors Gallery for artists working within the first ten years of their practice. The prize is designed to discover and mentor early-career photographic artists, with the gallery reporting that last year's edition drew over 1,200 projects from more than 70 countries. Submissions are reviewed by an eight-person jury, with selected artists invited into a group exhibition in London and the possibility of long-term representation by the gallery; several past entrants have gone on to be represented by Open Doors Gallery.
Categories
- Photography
- Visual Arts
- Mixed Media
- Collage
- Multimedia
- AI
Eligibility
- Open internationally to all artists working with photography
- Artists must be working within the first ten years of their practice (career start date must be clearly stated at the end of the artist bio)
- Submissions must be photographic or lens-based, but may incorporate other art forms (performance, collage, painting, sculpture, music, literature, etc.)
- Where AI or generative tools form part of the process, this must be declared; fully machine-generated imagery without a lens-based foundation or clear authorial hand is not eligible
Program Benefits & Awards
- Grand Prize: £2,000 cash prize
- Grand Prize: exclusive interview published on the 1000 Words Magazine website
- Grand Prize: long-term mentorship through Open Doors Gallery (portfolio guidance, collector presentation, industry advice)
- Grand Prize: listed as an OD Artist and given an Artsy profile for at least one year
- Grand Prize: exhibited in London as part of the OD Photo Prize group exhibition
- Two Runners-Up: long-term mentorship through Open Doors Gallery
- Two Runners-Up: listing on the OD Artist page and Artsy platform for at least one year
- Two Runners-Up: exhibited in London as part of the group exhibition
- Judges' Picks: one artist selected per juror from the Longlist, with a chance to be exhibited
- InCadaqués Award: one artist selected from the Longlist for a solo presentation at the InCadaqués Festival in Spain (third year of this award)
- AJ Page Award (People's Choice): ten selected artworks posted to @odtakeovers for public vote; at least one included in the group exhibition and online show
- Shortlisted artists: inclusion in a limited-run exhibition catalogue, with extended features for the winner and runners-up
- Shortlisted artists: work produced for the group exhibition in London (Nov–Dec 2026)
- Shortlisted artists: exhibited in London and online, with sale profits shared with the artist
- Shortlisted artists: exposure to visual arts professionals, media, and the gallery's 100,000+ social media following
- Shortlisted artists: inclusion in an ongoing community/support network
- Shortlisted artists: discounted one-to-one portfolio review places (two sessions: one with an OD-represented artist, one with gallery director Tom Page); free for the two Runners-Up and the Winner
- Artists retain full copyright of their work at all times
- No cost to exhibit; print production for the group exhibition and the OD Print Sale is covered by the gallery, which also provides a dedicated budget for the winner and runners-up presentations
Application Fee
£17 entry fee (approx. €20 / $23), paid via the Picter submission platform. A limited number of bursaries are available for outstanding projects for artists who find the fee a barrier — interested applicants must contact the gallery to register interest.
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 11 August 2026
- Shortlisted Artists Announced: October 2026
- Successful Entrants Notified: early October 2026
- Winner Announced: October/November 2026
- Group Exhibition: November 2026, at Dandi, Battersea, London (per organizer update; source document states "Nov–Dec 2026, dates and venue TBC")
Location
London, United Kingdom
Additional Details
- Judging is conducted individually online by each of the eight jurors via Picter, using a 0–5 star rating system; this process can take several weeks
- Accumulated jury points determine the Grand Prize Winner, two Runners-Up, and Shortlisted Artists; Judges' Picks are selected individually by each juror
- At least 20 artists will be invited into the 2026 exhibition, including Judges' Picks and the AJ Page Awardee
- Open Doors Gallery reserves the right to determine which artworks are included and may exclude entries at its discretion; the jury's and gallery's decisions are final and not open to further discussion with unsuccessful applicants
- By submitting, artists grant Open Doors Gallery permission to feature their entry online and on social media; being featured does not indicate selection status, which is determined later in October 2026
- Entrants agree for Picter to share their email address with Open Doors Gallery, including for promotional use
- All work remains the sole copyright of the entrant throughout