Organizer Information:

Pasadena Photography Arts (PPA). The 2026 award will be guest-juried by Craig Krull, art dealer and founder of Craig Krull Gallery in Santa Monica, alongside PPA Advisors.

Title & Description:

Applications are open for the PPA Photo Award 2026: Excellence in Contemporary Photography (Open Theme).

This is an annual award for emerging photographers residing in the United States. Photographers are invited to submit cohesive bodies of work between 10 to 20 images with an accompanying statement. Entries will be judged on the basis of creativity, originality, quality, and responsiveness to the call.

Category:

Photography (Analogue, digital, portrait, abstract, mixed-media, documentary, street photography, conceptual, still-life, landscape, alternative processes, and cell phone photography are all acceptable).

Eligibility:

  • Who: Emerging photographers who are 18+ and legal residents of the United States. (Note: U.S. citizens living abroad may apply ONLY if they currently maintain a primary U.S. address and a U.S. bank account).
  • "Emerging" Definition: Photographers currently enrolled as students, within the first five years of their professional practice, or whose primary income is not derived from photography.
  • AI Rule: NO fully generated AI images allowed. However, utilizing AI as an editing tool (e.g., Photoshop, Capture One) is permissible.
  • Publication Rule: Projects must be previously unpublished. PPA defines "published" as a project in which 10 or more photographs have been exhibited in a gallery, published on another organization’s platform, or included in an awarded book. (Self-published projects on personal websites/socials, or un-awarded self-published books, are eligible).
  • Originality: Projects primarily composed of found photographs or found objects will NOT be considered. Submitted photographs must NOT contain watermarks.

Program Benefits & Awards:

  • $2,000 Cash Prize
  • A feature on Lenscratch.
  • A published interview on the PPA website.
  • A virtual hosted artist talk.

Application Fee & Program Costs:

  • Application Fee: $42 per project entry.
  • Limits: Applicants may submit up to 2 projects (each requires a separate $42 fee).
  • Scholarships: A limited number of scholarships are available; email pasadenaphotoarts@gmail.com for assistance.

Application Requirements:

Submit via CaFÉ. Submissions require:

  1. 10 to 20 images from a cohesive project. (Format: sRGB, 1200 pixels on the long side, 72ppi, max 5 MB each).
  2. File Naming / Strict Constraint: Must strictly follow the format: ProjectTitle_01.jpg, ProjectTitle_02.jpg. Do not use symbols or spaces.
  3. Project Description: Up to 2,000 characters.
  4. Biography: Up to 2,000 characters.

How to Apply?

Submit your application and pay the fee via the official Call For Entry (CaFÉ) portal.

Key Dates:

  • Application Deadline: April 12, 2026, at 11:59 PM MT. (Late submissions will not be considered).
  • Public Announcement of Winner: August 21, 2026.

Location:

Online / Pasadena Photography Arts, California, USA.

Contact Information:

Email: pasadenaphotoarts@gmail.com

Application Portal: CaFÉ PPA Application