Snider Prize

The Snider Prize is administered by the Museum of Contemporary Photography (MoCP) at Columbia College Chicago. The prize was established by Lawrence K. and Maxine Snider to support emerging photographers transitioning from graduate study into professional practice.

Eligibility is restricted to artists in their final year of graduate study in photography or photo-related disciplines. The award structure is one main winner and two honorable mentions: the winner receives $3,000 plus acquisition of the winning work into the MoCP permanent collection; honorable mentions receive $500 each. Acquisition into MoCP's collection is the more durable element of the prize — the museum holds significant photography holdings used in exhibitions and academic research.

Recent winners include Ching-Wei Wang (MFA, Parsons, 2025), Claire Warden (MFA, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, 2024), and Sidian Liu (MFA, Parsons, 2023). The pattern across recent cycles favors candidates from major MFA programs, though the prize is not formally restricted to specific institutions.

Submissions go through JotForm and require 10 images plus supporting materials. Entry fee details and jury composition are not published on the prize landing page. The 2026 deadline is June 12 at 11:59 PM; results announced fall 2026.