Encontros da Imagem Photobook Award 2026

Encontros da Imagem is a long-running Portuguese photography festival held annually in Braga, with the 2026 edition the festival's 36th. The Photobook Award is the festival's dedicated prize for photography in book form, run alongside its main exhibition program.

The 2026 theme — for both the photobook award and the broader festival — is "Territory and Identity." Submissions are split between two parallel categories: Best Published Award (for completed published photobooks) and Best Dummy Award (for unpublished photobook dummies in advanced stage). Each category awards €1,000 plus up to two honorable mentions.

All submitted books are shown in a group exhibition during the festival, September 18 through November 1, 2026 — meaning entry to the prize functions as automatic exhibition placement, even for non-winners.

The 2026 jury comprises Franek Ammer (artist and curator), José Farinha, and Sara Giuliattini (co-director of Polycopies Paris, the major French photobook fair).

Eligibility is open to artists, photographers, and publishers worldwide aged 18 or over, individually or collectively. Up to three photobooks may be submitted per applicant per category. Submissions go through Picter as PDF, and physical copies of submitted books must arrive in Braga by July 15, 2026 for the exhibition. Entry fee is €25. The 2026 deadline is May 24, 2026; results announced September 2026.