Photography Contest

The Aperture Portfolio Prize is an annual international competition to discover, exhibit, and publish new talents in photography. The purpose of the Aperture Portfolio Prize is to identify trends in contemporary photography and highlight artists whose work deserves greater recognition. When choosing the first prize winner and runners up, Aperture's editorial staff look for innovative bodies of work that haven't been widely seen in major publications or exhibition venues. The Aperture Portfolio Prize is open exclusively to Aperture magazine print subscribers.

The first prize winner will be published in Aperture magazine and will receive a $3,000 cash prize and exhibition in New York. The winner and shortlisted artists will each have their own feature on aperture.org and will be featured across Aperture's social media channels. All finalists are announced in the foundation's e-newsletter, which reaches ninety thousand subscribers across the globe, including curators, critics, and members of the photography community. The winner and shortlist may also be presented the opportunity to participate in the Aperture Foundation limited edition print program.

In addition, twenty-five total finalists (comprised of the winner, 4 shortlisted artists, and 20 runner-ups) will receive a virtual portfolio review session with an Aperture Editor. These one-on-one sessions will offer artists the opportunity to receive thoughtful and constructive feedback on their work.

Call for entries open: November 18, 2021
Submission deadline: Deadline Extended! January 7, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. EST
Shortlist announcement: April 2022
Winner announcement: May 2022