Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards

About the Open Call

The Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards are an annual celebration of the photobook’s enduring role within the narrative of photography. Established in 2012, the awards recognize excellence in three major categories: First PhotoBook, PhotoBook of the Year, and Photography Catalog of the Year. Each year, winners are selected from nearly one thousand books submitted by artists and publishers worldwide. The awards feature a two-stage jury process, with a shortlist jury convening in New York to select thirty-five distinguished books, and a final jury meeting at the Grand Palais, Paris, to award a winner for each prize category. Winners are announced at Paris Photo and online. Shortlisted books are exhibited at Paris Photo and subsequently toured to various international venues, ensuring maximum exposure.

What is Offered

Winners receive a $10,000 prize for the First PhotoBook Prize category. All thirty-five shortlisted books are exhibited at Paris Photo and subsequently at various venues around the world, providing significant exposure for the titles and artists.

Requirements

Eligible books must be produced and published between September 7, 2024, and September 5, 2025. Books printed before September 5, 2025, but with an official publication date through December 31, 2025, are also eligible. Entries for the First PhotoBook and PhotoBook of the Year prizes may be submitted by the photographer/artist, publisher, or a third party with consent. First PhotoBook entries must be the artist's first publicly available photobook. PhotoBook of the Year entries must have a print run of no fewer than one hundred copies. Photography Catalog of the Year entries must be exhibition catalogs or museum publications where the main content is photography; text-only publications are ineligible. Books that exist only in digital form are ineligible. Physical copies of books must be submitted. Applicants may submit the same book to multiple categories if it meets the criteria, but a separate physical copy and entry fee are required for each category.

How to Apply

To enter, applicants must generate a submission form via the contest page on Picter, complete payment, and send one copy of each submitted photobook along with the printed submission form(s) to Aperture’s offices in New York. All books must be physically received by 5 p.m. (EDT) on September 5, 2025, at the address: Aperture, ATTN: PhotoBook Awards, 548 W 28th Street, Floor 4, New York, NY 10001. Drop-offs are also permitted by appointment.