Daylight Photo Awards 2026

Daylight Photo Awards is the annual juried prize from Daylight Books, the North Carolina-based photography publisher. Daylight has published photo monographs since 2002, and the awards function as both prize and pipeline — with one juror's pick receiving the opportunity to collaborate with Daylight on a future monograph.

The 2026 jury is built from photo editors and curators at major institutions: Mike Kamber (Bronx Documentary Center), Hideko Kataoka (Newsweek Japan), Tif Ng (Magnum Foundation), Momo Takahashi (The New Yorker), and James Wellford (National Geographic).

Top prize is $2,500 plus a digital portfolio created with the photographer. Juror's Picks receive international marketing promotion through Daylight's channels and the chance to develop a monograph project with the publisher.

Eligibility is open globally. Submission is through the Daylight Photo Awards website with 15–20 images. Fee is $35. The 2026 deadline was May 1; results announced August 2026.