New Wave Photography Award 2026
The New Wave Photography Award is a biennial prize from Lightbox Photo Library, the Taipei-based photography library, exhibition space, and educational platform. The award is structured around emerging photographers — applicants must not have held solo exhibitions at museums, commercial galleries, or art fairs, and no more than five group shows.
Eligibility is geographically focused on Taiwan but the jury is regional. Sixteen jurors from Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Singapore — curators from Hanmi Museum, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, Taipei Fine Arts Museum, New Taipei City Museum of Art, Objectifs (Singapore), WMA (Hong Kong), and others.
The Grand Prize is TWD 100,000 (approximately $3,000) plus an exhibition.
Submitted projects must be created after 2021 — recent work only. Each application is a series of 15–25 images with artist statement in both Chinese and English (500 words each). Standard fee is TWD 1,200; students and persons with disabilities pay a reduced TWD 600.
Submission is through the Lightbox award portal. The 2026 deadline was April 30; results announced July 2026.
Jury: Chelsea Chua, Program Director, Objectifs Centre for Photography and Filmmaking · Wang Jo Hsuan, Executive Director, Taipei First High School of Art · Pin Leng, Secretary General, Fubon Cultural & Educational Foundation · Elaine Lin, Director, WMA · Chiu Yu-Hsuan, Curator, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography · Peng-Hui Hou, Assistant Professor, National Taiwan Ocean University · Yu-Yin Chang, Director, nodate · Huang Shih-Tse, Photography Department Head, The Reporter · Ting Tsou, Curator, New Taipei City Museum of Art · Tsai Ming-Jiun, Deputy Director, Asia University Museum of Modern Art · Sheng-Wen Lo, Artist · Yen Xiao Xiao, Editor-in-Chief, Artouch · Kimi Himeno, Editor-in-Chief, Akakasha & Founder, PURPLE Gallery · Sunyoung Kim, Senior Curator, Hanmi Museum · Sharleen Yu, Exhibition Curator, Taipei Fine Arts Museum · Tseng Shao-Chien, Professor, National Central University
Organized by Lightbox Photo Library