F/262 Photography Awards
Where global voices meet local stories
The F/262 International Photography Festival invites artists and photographers from around the world to take part in its inaugural edition in 2026, held in the UNESCO Creative City of Caldas da Rainha, Portugal.
Whether you are submitting a single image, a long-term project, a photobook dummy, or a social-impact proposal, this is your opportunity to present your vision at Portugal’s newest festival dedicated to contemporary photography.
For 2026, the festival explores the sub-theme of water, Shaping Shores, inviting artists to reflect on its cultural, environmental, social, political, or emotional significance. Entries across all open calls may address water, but this is never mandatory.
All open calls include professional exhibition opportunities, public visibility, and prize packages supported by the festival and its partners. Additional awards and partners will be announced progressively.
Image © Nuno Vasco Rodrigues
About F/262 Photography Awards
The F/262 Photography Awards form the official awards program of the F/262 International Photography Festival.
They recognise contemporary photography as a tool for storytelling, authorship, and cultural reflection, across different practices, generations, and thematic approaches.
Open to photographers worldwide, the awards highlight work that stands out for its visual strength, originality, and relevance today.
Selected finalists are printed and exhibited during the F/262 Festival in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal.
The awards reflect the festival’s commitment to accessibility, sustainability, and the belief that photography belongs everywhere, from the street to the museum.
Award Categories
F/262 Photography Award
The F/262 Photography Awards include a range of distinctions that reflect different approaches to photographic practice:
Gold, Silver, and Bronze distinctions recognising outstanding photography and visual storytelling.
ZÉ Award
A creative distinction celebrating originality, authorship, and the symbolic power of the single image.
NextGen Award
Focused on emerging photographers and early-career voices.
Thematic Award — “Moldar as Margens / Shaping Shores”
Highlighting work that engages with the festival’s 2026 theme of water, environment, and territory.
Additional categories and sponsor-supported awards may be introduced in future editions.
THE ZÉ AWARD
The ZÉ Award is a creative distinction within the F/262 Photography Awards, celebrating the single image as a powerful form of authorship and visual storytelling.
Open to photographers worldwide, the award recognises originality, narrative strength, and contemporary relevance.
The winner receives the ZÉ Award trophy, inspired by the cultural figure of Zé Povinho and reimagined as a symbol of resilience, creativity, and independent vision.
Selected finalists are exhibited in large-scale outdoor displays across Caldas da Rainha, with production and public visibility fully supported by the festival.
CURATED OPEN CALL EXHIBITIONS
Submit a complete project for festival exhibition.
This open call invites photographers and artists to submit a full project, series, or conceptual body of work for curatorial review. Selected works will be developed into indoor exhibitions across museums, galleries, and civic spaces in Caldas da Rainha .
Open to all genres — fine art, documentary, conceptual, portrait, experimental, and cross-media.
Selections are made solely based on artistic merit, originality, and curatorial viability.
There are no rankings or prizes; this is a pure selection program.
Meet the Jury
International Voices in Photography
Discover the photographers, editors, and curators shaping the F/262 Awards selection.
READY TO SUBMIT?
Explore each open call to find the best fit for your work, or submit to more than one category.
Every program offers a different opportunity to share your voice with the world.
AWARD PARTNERS:
Produced by F/262 & Associação F/SOS
With the support of:
May – September 2026
Caldas da Rainha Portugal
About F/262
F/262 is an international photography festival rooted in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal.
Through exhibitions, talks, education, and public installations, the festival engages contemporary photography with place, community, and the world we share.
©2026 F/262 – Festival Internacional de Fotografia
Produced by Associação F/SOS – Fotografia, Solidariedade e Obras Sociais
English (UK)