The W. Eugene Smith Grant

The W. Eugene Smith Grant is designed to encourage and support visual storytellers whose photographic work renews the tradition of W. Eugene Smith's dedicated compassion as evidenced during his 45-year career as a photographic essayist. Special consideration will be given to work that promotes social change, that embraces new technologies and image distribution, and that seeks to integrate the tradition of photography and social change with contemporary practice. The judges will be looking for a photographer and project that seem most likely to use exemplary and compelling photojournalism and documentary photography to address an issue of import and impact related to the human condition. Applicants can submit up to 40 images total. These should consist of representative images from the project being proposed to the W. Eugene Smith Fund. Or, if a new project, the applicant can include in their submission past work clearly marked as such, that represents the candidate's vision and their ability to execute the project being proposed to the fund. No AI generated imagery is allowed. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older. Students are not eligible for this grant (a separate W. Eugene Smith Student Grant is available). The application fee is $50 USD, with fee waivers available through partner organizations. Required materials include a biography (up to 1500 characters), an optional CV (up to 2000 characters), a project description (up to 2000 characters), and a project proposal (up to 3000 characters). The 2026 cycle opens July 1, 2026, with a submission deadline of October 12, 2026. The 2026 grant amount is $30,000, plus two additional $10,000 Finalist Grants. Please visit the award's website for more information.