LUMA Rencontres Dummy Book Award 2026

The LUMA Rencontres Dummy Book Award is the joint photobook prize from Les Rencontres d'Arles — the major French photography festival — and the LUMA Foundation, the contemporary art organization founded by Maja Hoffmann. The award was established in 2015 and has run annually since.

The prize is one of the more substantial photobook awards globally: €25,000 production grant, including €3,000 in royalties for the author. The grant funds book production for an unpublished dummy. Les Rencontres d'Arles collaborates with a chosen publisher on editorial and financial oversight, with production occurring in late 2026 / early 2027.

Beyond the cash, all shortlisted dummies are exhibited at Mécanique Générale during the festival from July 6 through October 4, 2026 — meaning even non-winning shortlisted books reach the festival's substantial international audience.

Eligibility is restricted to professional photographers and artists using photography of all nationalities and ages. Applicants must have previously appeared in group and/or solo shows and publications that have gained them national or international recognition — the prize is positioned for established practitioners. Each applicant submits one unpublished project not under contract to any publisher.

Selection is jointly made by Les Rencontres d'Arles and LUMA Foundation. Application is free of charge. Submissions require both an online form and a physical dummy parcel sent to Arles. The 2026 deadline is May 13 (both online and physical); winner announced July 10, 2026 during the festival's opening week.