Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards

Deadline: 4 September 2026

Opening Soon: 2026 Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards

The Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards celebrate the photobook’s enduring role within the narrative of photography.

See the 2025 Shortlist

About

The Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards are an annual celebration of the photobook’s enduring role within the narrative of photography. The awards, established in 2012, recognize excellence in three major categories of photobook publishing: First PhotoBook, PhotoBook of the Year, and Photography Catalog of the Year. Each year, winners are selected from among nearly one thousand books submitted by artists and publishers from around the world.

The Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards are juried for both the shortlist and final selection. The shortlist jury will convene in New York for three concentrated days of review and deliberation to select thirty-five distinguished books in the three prize categories. The 2026 shortlist is juried by leading figures in the field of photography:

Alexandra Cunningham Cameron, director of design, Donald Judd Foundation
Michael Famighetti, editor in chief, Aperture
Anna Planas, artistic director, Paris Photo
Anshika Varma, curator and founder, Offset Projects

The final jury, composed of five members, will meet at the Grand Palais, Paris, in November to award a winner for each prize category. The winners will be announced at Paris Photo and online on Friday, November 13. The final jury for the 2026 Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards will be announced soon.

What Winners Receive

First PhotoBook Prize

A $10,000 prize is awarded to the photographer(s) or artist(s) whose first finished, publicly available photobook is judged to be the best of the year. Twenty books will be shortlisted in this category, presented to the award jury for final selection, and exhibited during Paris Photo.

PhotoBook of the Year Prize

This prize is awarded to the photographer(s) or artist(s) and the publisher of the photobook judged to be the best of the year. Ten books will be shortlisted in this category, presented to the award jury for final selection, and exhibited during Paris Photo.

Photography Catalog of the Year Prize

This prize is awarded to the publication, publisher, and/or organizing institution responsible for the exhibition catalog or museum publication judged to be the best of the year. Five books will be shortlisted in this category, presented to the award jury for final selection, and exhibited during Paris Photo.

Exhibition

The thirty-five shortlisted books, accompanied by the jury’s statements, will be on view at Paris Photo.

In addition to a presentation at Paris Photo, all the shortlisted books and the winners in each category will be exhibited around the world, ensuring maximum exposure for all the titles.

In past years, venues have included Backlight, Tampere, Finland; Copenhagen Photo Festival, Denmark; Flash Forward Festival, Boston; Fotofestiwal, Lodz, Poland; FotoFocus, Cincinnati; Huis Marseille, Amsterdam; IMA Concept Store, Tokyo; Istituto Italiano di Fotografia, Milan; Landskrona Foto, Sweden; Leipzig Photobook Festival, Leipzig, Germany; PhotoIreland, Dublin; Printed Matter, New York; Tenderbooks, London; and Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, New York.

How to Enter

How to Enter:

Generate your submission form via the contest page
Complete payment
Print out the submission form on Picter. For detailed instructions, see here
Send one copy of each submitted photobook with your submission form(s) to Aperture for arrival by 5 p.m. EDT on Friday, September 4, 2026

You will need to provide the following information for each book submitted:

Book title, year of publication, and publisher information
A short description, or summary, of the book that includes a few words about which prize category best fits the book
Full names of the photographer or artist, designer, and editor
Book dimensions, number of pages, and edition number or print run
A short description of where your book can be purchased or acquired
An image or render of the book cover (JPG file)

Shipping your book(s):

All books (with a printed copy of the submission form) must be received by 5 p.m. EDT on Friday, September 4, 2026. Please note: This year, all books should be mailed to Aperture’s Upper West Side address in New York City. This date does not include postmark. All entries must be physically received by this date, and there will be no refunds if the books are not delivered on time. Books should be sent to the following address:

Aperture
ATTN: PhotoBook Awards
380 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10024

Entry Fees:

June 10 to July 10, 2026: Early-Bird Special

First PhotoBook: $15 per project
PhotoBook of the Year: $40 for first project from a given publisher, $15 for each subsequent project from the same publisher
Photography Catalog of the Year: $40 for first project from a given publisher, $15 for each subsequent project from the same publisher

July 11 to September 4, 2026:

First PhotoBook: $30 per project
PhotoBook of the Year: $60 for first project from a given publisher, $30 for each subsequent project from the same publisher
Photography Catalog of the Year: $60 for first project from a given publisher, $30 for each subsequent project from the same publisher

By submitting your work to the Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards, you are found to be in agreement of the terms and conditions. Click here to read the terms and conditions.

Deadline and Time Frame

Timeline:

June 10, 2026: Call opens.
July 10, 2026: Early-bird entry period ends.
September 4, 2026: Deadline to submit. Call for entries closes at 5 p.m. (EDT). Absolutely no exceptions are made for late submissions. Please allow ample time to enter and mail your book. Books received after the deadline will not be considered.
October, 2026: Announcement of shortlist.
November 13, 2026: Announcement of prize winners.

Shipping your book(s):

All books must be received by 5 p.m. EDT, on Friday, September 4, 2026. Please be aware that the time required for packages to be received may be longer than expected. All books should be mailed to Aperture’s Upper West Side address. This date does not include postmark. All entries must be physically received by this date, and there will be no refunds if the books are not delivered on time. Books should be sent to the following address:

Aperture
ATTN: PhotoBook Awards
380 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10024

Judging Criteria

All books must be produced and published between September 6, 2025, and September 4, 2026. Books printed before September 4, 2026, but listed with an official publication date through December 31, 2026, are also eligible.

Entries for the First PhotoBook and PhotoBook of the Year awards may be submitted only by the photographer or artist, the publisher, or a third party acting with the consent of the photographer or artist. Virtual or electronic books that exist only in digital form are not eligible for entry.

First PhotoBook:

A book in which the main content is photography, featuring the work of one or more photographers or artists and available for purchase, or distributed free of charge, whether via trade distribution, print on demand, a gallery or online outlet, or otherwise.
A book that is the first by the given photographer(s) or artist(s) is eligible for entry, whether a first self-published book, a first limited-edition book, a first gallery-published collection, a first book made available by print on demand, or a first book published by a publisher for release in the book trade. A first book published by an established publisher is eligible for entry even if the photographer or artist previously released a self-published book or a limited-edition book for distribution outside the trade. However, once a photographer or artist has had a book published by a mainstream publisher in the book trade, a subsequent book (whether self-published or not) is not eligible for entry.

PhotoBook of the Year:

A book in which the main content is photography, whether authored by one or more photographers or artists or authored by an editor, and published in an edition of no fewer than one hundred copies.

Photography Catalog of the Year:

An exhibition catalog or museum publication in which the main content is photography. Catalogs can feature the work of one or more photographers or artists and should be available for purchase, or distributed free of charge, whether via trade distribution, print on demand, a gallery or online outlet, or otherwise.
Text-only publications are not eligible. But catalogs whose main content is photography may include extensive research, writing, and analysis—whether dedicated to the oeuvre of a single photographer or an exploration of a collection based in photographic history and practice.

Contact and FAQs

If you don’t find what you are looking for below, email us at bookawards@aperture.org.

By submitting your work to the Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards, you are found to be in agreement of the terms and conditions.Click here to read the terms and conditions.

What constitutes a photobook?

A book whose main content is photography.

Where do I enter my submission?

You can complete your submission here.

Once I finish my submission, where do I ship my book(s)?

Books should be sent to:
Aperture
ATTN: PhotoBook Awards
380 Columbus Avenue
New York, NY 10024
Please note: All books must be received by 5 p.m. EDT, Friday, September 4, 2026.

Can I drop off my book(s) at Aperture’s office?

Yes, you may drop off your book at Aperture. As we are in the process of moving to a new home, to ensure someone from our staff is available to receive your book, please email bookawards@aperture.org. All books must be received by 5 p.m. EDT, Friday, September 4, 2026.

Are self-published books eligible in all categories?

Yes, but books entered in the PhotoBook of the Year category must have been printed in a minimum edition of one hundred copies. See Entry Criteria for more information.

What if I self-published my book via a print-on-demand book service? Is it eligible?

Yes, it’s eligible in the First PhotoBook category as long as the book has been made available to the public in physical form. It is also eligible in the PhotoBook of the Year category, providing it has been printed in a minimum edition of one hundred copies.

I self-published a book a couple of years ago, and now a publisher has released it to a broader audience. Is the publisher’s edition of my book eligible for the prizes?

Yes. If your self-published book has been picked up by a trade publisher and rereleased under their imprint, the trade edition is eligible.

I self-published several books in the past, and I did a book with my gallery last year, prior to having my new book published this year by a publisher. Is my new book eligible for the First PhotoBook category?

Yes. If your self-published book has been published by a gallery or other publisher and rereleased under their imprint, it is eligible for the First PhotoBook prize.

Can I submit the same book in all three categories?

If the book meets the entry criteria for all three categories, it may be entered separately into each category, and all entry fees for each prize will apply. Books will be juried only within the context of the category to which they have been submitted. Please note that you must submit a physical copy of the book for each category, even if it is the same book. For example, if you submit the same book to both the First PhotoBook and PhotoBook of the Year categories, then you need to mail us two (2) copies of the book along with the respective submission forms.

I have put a book proposal together using a print-on-demand service, and people can go on to the service and print it out. Is that enough for my book to be considered available in physical form, and hence eligible for the First PhotoBook award?

Yes, it is eligible. However, you must submit a physical copy of your book for it to be considered.

Can I submit an e-book?

No, virtual or electronic books that exist only in digital form are not eligible for entry.

What should be included in my submission packet?

The packet of submission materials sent to Aperture should include the book(s) for entry and a printed, completed submission form for each entry, which is printed out after filling in the online application form.

What happens to the books chosen to be shortlisted?

Once an entry has been chosen for the shortlist, an Aperture staff member will contact the applicant. Three additional copies of each shortlisted title will be requested, so that Aperture may exhibit the book to its best advantage at Paris Photo. Thirty-five shortlisted entries in total will be exhibited, and the award winners will be announced at Paris Photo and online on November 13, 2026.

If my book makes the shortlist, do I have to be in Paris to win any of the prizes?

No, but it would be fun! We encourage all shortlisted photographers or artists to attend if possible. You will gain free entry to the fair. Unfortunately, Paris Photo and Aperture cannot be responsible for any travel expenses required for you to attend.

I have fewer than three copies of my book. Can I still submit to the First PhotoBook award?

Yes, providing the book meets the criteria in all other regards. Please tell us this when you enter. What this means, however, is that if your book is shortlisted or wins, it will have limited visibility when exhibited.

Will I get my book(s) returned?

No. Aperture is not responsible for the return of submissions. All books submitted to the Awards will be placed in Aperture’s archive.

What if I run out of time?

No exceptions will be made for late submissions.

Can I submit a book to the Photography Catalog of the Year category that was published to accompany a gallery or festival exhibition?

Yes. Any book published to accompany a gallery, festival, museum, or other public exhibition can be submitted to the Catalog of the Year category.

Can I submit a book of essays or a book that is primarily text (with only a few illustrations) to the Photography Catalog of the Year category?

No. It is important that the main content of each submitted catalog is image-based. The unique design challenges involved in creating the structure and informational architecture of such a volume—integrating text and images—are an important part of the judging criteria for this category.

Can I submit a book to the Photography Catalog of the Year category with material that has not been exhibited?

If the material included in the book focuses on the research or the presentation of material that is part of an institutional collection, the book can be submitted to this category, even if the material has not been exhibited at the time of publication.