Photography Scholarships for 2024: A Comprehensive List for Photographers

[Updated in January 2024]

Are you searching for the best photography scholarships to enhance your photography skills to an extraordinary level? If yes, then you have come to the right place. Photography scholarships are financial awards that are provided to learners who are curious about pursuing a photography career. There are a lot of institutions and universities that provide such offers every year to discover the most talented and professional photographers.

These scholarships are organized by some art lovers and organizations. Many of the students and beginner level photographers get opportunities such as tuition waivers, Fellowships, and also internships. To apply for a photography scholarship, learners are typically required to submit a portfolio of their previous work, along with a statement of purpose and a letter of recommendation.

List of Photography Scholarships for 2024

Photography is not just a hobby or part-time activity for all. In some cases, it’s more than a profession. It requires time, passion, and investment to reach the right destination. So, if you are searching for a better opportunity to develop yourself as a professional photographer, then you should take the chance.

Several organizations and authorities offer photography scholarships, including professional photography organizations, universities, and foundations. Some popular photography scholarships include the National Press Photographers Association (NPPA) scholarship, the Eddie Adams Workshop scholarship, the ZEISS Photography Award, the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) scholarship, etc.

1. Nikon International Small World Competition

This is another photography contest, namely Nikon International Small World Competition. It was first introduced in the year 1975. Since then, it’s been recognized as an important event for many photographers. This event is focused on those who are familiar with the light microscope and capturing pictures from scientific disciplines. You can participate whether you take photos professionally or as a hobby. And, it offers no fee to take part in the competition.

Eligibility and Guidelines

• All the candidates are eligible over 18 years old, except the members of Nikon family.
• No entry fee to take participation in the contest.
• Basic editing is acceptable with phase contrast, fluorescence, deconvolution, and polarized light.

Benefits

Nikon International Small World Competition gives awards to the best 20 photographers. The winners from 1^st to 6^th position will receive $3000, $2000, $1000, $800, $600, and $400 respectively. And, the positions from 7^th to 10^th will get $300 each. From 11^th to 20^th, winners will be awarded $200 each.

2. The Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest

It is among the most popular photography scholarships in photojournalism that offers a cool scholarship for photographers. The full name of this contest is V Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest. There are five categories in this photo contest for which photographers are being awarded. These are- Top News, My planet, Portrait, Inspiration, and Sports photography. An expert commission conducts the whole judgment process. A group of experts and Jury boards from different organizations deal with the contest procedure and select the best candidate.

Eligibility and Guidelines

• This contest is open to all participants of Russia and foreign nationality, who are aged 18 to 33.
• There is no entry fee to participate here. As a contestant, you can submit up to three images in each category.
• You can’t implement any advanced editing or retouching before delivering the photos to the board. Minor cropping and color correction can be accepted.
• Image format has to be in JPG format, having a dimension between 2200 to 5700 pixels.
• File size should be a maximum of 20 MB and it must contain the EXIF data.

Benefits

The grand prize winner of this contest will receive 700000 Russian Ruble. In each category, there will be three winners as first, second, and third place winners. The winners will get 100000, 75000, and 50000 respectively. In addition, sponsors may offer some additional prizes for the participants.

3. Fine Art Photography Awards

Fine Art Photography Awards is among the popular names in the photography world to be recognized globally. Since the beginning of this Photography scholarship in 2014, it’s been a great platform to find artists and unique souls in various categories. Several high profile photographers judge the competition and bring talent. This contest has two different types, namely amateur and professional. And, there are 20 categories likely Abstract, Architecture, Fashion, Landscape, Night Photography, Panoramic, Portrait, Travel, and more.

Eligibility and Guidelines

• The contest is open to all photographers in different fields around the world.
• The entry fee for the amateur category is 20 USD and 25 USD for professionals. You have to pay $10 as an additional fee for each category.
• All images must be original and maintain copyright laws and standards while captioning them.
• Photos should not have watermarks, copyright units, or logos. The file has to be saved in JPEG format.
• The decision from Fine Art Photography Awards Jury will be final through the nominated judges.

Benefits

The total amount of the prizes for the winners is $5000. The finalist in the amateur section will be announced as the Fine Art Discovery of the Year with an amount of $2000. And, the winner from another section will receive $3000 and the title- Fine Art Photographer of the Year. Besides these, finalists from each category will also receive certification along with a statue.

4. Transparency and Accountability Initiative (TAI) Photo Competition

Once again, it’s another opportunity for professional and amateur photographers from the Transparency and Accountability Initiative (TAI). This is a funder organization that works to strengthen accountability and transparency around the world. For this, the board focuses on subjects like citizen interaction with the government, data usage, public resources, and the interaction between the government and companies. Besides these, you can also submit in different fields, whatever you like. All in all, it’s among the photography scholarships for 2024 in the list that bring a platform to showcase individual talents in the photography area.

Eligibility and Guidelines

• Age should be at least 18 years and there is no entry fee or nationality barrier to participating in the competition.
• The ideal number to submit photos is five. But, it’s okay with three. You have to capture images related to the theme, including a detailed proposal.
• The image format is JPEG/JPG with high-quality and resolution. The file size should be a maximum of 3MB but not less than 1 MB.
• Photos with nudity, violence, and contrary to public morals are not allowed.
• You can do the basic technical editing before submitting it to the contest.

Benefits

The winner will receive a working grand of total $8000. He/she will get the opportunity to carry out a photographic project to produce about 30 photographs. The theme of the project will be related to the transparency and accountability of the government and corporate sectors.

5. HIPA Photography Competition, Dubai

The Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA) is an independent platform to showcase talent in the photography world. After ending the ninth season, the next season is knocking at the door with a new theme. It includes three different categories besides the main theme, namely – Portfolio, General, and Mobile photography. Participants can submit captions regarding their choices.

The Jury introduces three special awards in the upcoming season. These are- ‘The Photography Appreciation Award’, ‘The Photography Content Creator Award’, and ‘Emerging Person/Organization in Photography Award’. You can keep it as one of the most honorary photography scholarships for 2024 on your list.

Eligibility and Guidelines

• Contestants must be at least 18 years old to be eligible for the competition.
• You have to submit the raw/original files with high-quality and resolution.
• Participants can submit photographs of up to ten of the same subject/theme. The minimum range is five.
• Image format should be in JPEG with a minimum size of 5MB (except mobile category).

Benefits

The prize for the overall winner is $120000. There are also other prizes for each category that vary from $4000 to $24000. Besides this, the winner of the Photography Appreciation Award will receive, The Photography Content Creator Award and the Emerging Person/Organization in Photography Award will receive $20000, $15000, and $10000 respectively. The total of the overall prizes is around $450000.

6. ZEISS Photography Award

ZEISS Photography Award comes with its new theme- ‘Seeing Beyond-Discoveries’, in the year 2024. This contest is open to all nationalities around the world. ZEISS and the World Photography Organization organize this competition every year. The subject for 2024 covers all the discoveries in the area of personal revelation, science, or technology that impact social, political, and economic changes. Entrants have to submit their captions with a brief in detail that outlines the story behind the photoshoot.

Eligibility and Guidelines

• No entry fee to participate in the competition. Entrants must submit photos within the deadline.
• The age of contestants must be 18 or more.
• You have to submit a series of high-quality photos (five to ten).
• Make sure you are the sole owner and author of each product.
• Images size should be a minimum of 1MB to a maximum of 5MB and the standard format is JPEG.
• Photos should maintain sRGB color model. Also, it should have EXIF data in the image file.

Benefits

Winner of this contest will receive ZEISS camera lenses worth $12000. Besides this, he/she will get $3000 as a travel cost for taking part in a photo project. The authority will provide the facility of flights and accommodation to attend the Sony World Photography Awards night in London. Also, the winner will get an opportunity to visit the headquarters of ZEISS in Germany. Furthermore, he/she will get the priority to be a part of future projects run by the organization.

7. Wildlife Photographer of The Year

It’s one of the renowned photography scholarships for 2024 on our list, which is operated by the Natural History Museum. Wildlife Photographer of the Year offers contestants to showcase their talents, especially in the field of wildlife photography. This leading event started in the year 1965. Now, it has been a popular and honorary name for photographers from almost 100 countries around the world. Many international journals and magazines publish winning images on their websites. It helps the participants to be recognized globally.

Eligibility and Guidelines

• Anyone above 18 is eligible for the competition in the adult category. You can also participate in the Young category if you are aged 17 and under.
• It needs a non-refundable entry fee of 30 euros to take part in the competition.
• For each category, participants may need to submit between six to ten photos.
• Image file format should be JPEG and caption information (background story, location, etc.) with the images have to be complete and accurate.
• Contestants are not allowed to submit photos that have been awarded in any international competition in the running year.
• You can’t implement any advanced digital photo editing like adding/removing objects, plants, animals, or their parts.
• This platform does not permit images of farm animals, cultivated plants, and also family pets.

Benefits

The winner of Wildlife Photographer of the Year will receive £10000 with a trophy and personalized certificate. Other prizes in different categories like Wildlife Photographer Portfolio Award, Wildlife Photojournalist Story Award, and Rising Star Portfolio Award offer £2500, £2500, and £1500 respectively for the winners. In the category of Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year will receive £1000. Apart from the payment and certification in each section, it also provides the facility to attend the awards ceremony in London.

8. SONY World Photography Awards for Professionals

This is among the four categories from the SONY World Photography Awards competition. It is regarded as one of the important events for photographers to showcase their talents in different fields of photography. It includes categories like Architecture, Creative, Landscape, Wildlife, Documentary, Sport, Travel, and more. You are welcome if your works are technically brilliant and exciting. A group of judges from the industry will examine the images to find out the best creation.

Eligibility and Guidelines

• No entry fee to take part in the competition. Anyone over 18 can join here.
• You must submit the files via the World Photography Organization website keeping the instructions in mind.
• The image size can’t be less than 1MB and larger than 5MB.
• Images containing threatening, misleading, abusive, and pornographic material are not allowed.
• It needs high-resolution images so that they can be suitable for print media.

Benefits

SONY World Photography Award winner will receive $25000. Winners of 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd positions will get a ticket for Award ceremony and exhibition at Somerset House, London. Besides this, it offers a publication facility in the Sony World Photography Awards book. And, winners from the individual category will receive flights and accommodation to the awards ceremony.

9. Accenti Magazine Photo Contest

This is another platform for photographers, namely ‘Capture an Italian Moment’, operated by Accenti with an Italian accent. It is open to photographers around the world with no industry or nationality barriers. Whether you are a professional, amateur, or student, you are welcome to submit your creativity from different sectors. It’s been a great way to showcase talents in the photography field and build an artistic profile.

Eligibility and Guidelines

• Participants (students/professionals/amateurs) from different regions around the world are eligible to apply with a non-refundable entry fee of $20 (CDN).
• Images must be original with high-resolution. It can be both in color or black-white.
• It should not have any watermarks, signatures, copyright marks, or symbols.
• Photos must be in digital formats like JPEG, EPS, and TIFF at 300 ppi with a maximum size of 2MB.

Benefits

Winner for the 1^st position in Accenti Magazine Photo Contest will receive $1000 (CDN). The second and third winners will get $1000 (CDN) each. Also, there is another category as a Popular Vote Prize that offers $100 (CDN) for the deserving candidate. Furthermore, they will provide a publication facility in Accenti.

10. Monovisions Photo Awards

Monovisions Photo Awards come to discover the best monochrome photographers from all over the world. Online Black and White Photography Magazine, Monovisions organized this contest every year. It accepts all forms of black and white photography (also toned images like selenium, gold, etc.) from different levels, including professional and amateur. You can capture photos from different categories in both traditional and digital methods. The category includes Abstract, Fine Art, Landscapes, Nude, Photojournalism, Street Photography, and more.

Eligibility and Guidelines

• Monovisions Photo Awards is open for all photographers aged 18 or above with an entry fee of $20/$25/$30 in different categories.
• Participants can take part in multiple categories. An additional fee is $10 for each category.
• In the Single photo section, photographers can submit just one image. On the other hand, in the Series photo section, the range is 2-8 images.
• Image resolution must be high and the standard format is JPG.
• Contestants are allowed to submit files with basic adjustments.
• Images must not have signatures, logos, copyright, or watermarks.

Benefits

The total prize of Monovisions Photo Awards worth $5000. In the section- Black and White Series of the Year will receive $3000. And, the winner of Black and White Photo of the Year will receive $2000 as reward. Besides this, all category winners will get downloadable badges and certificates.

To Sum Up

Scholarships or Awards bring the opportunity for photographers to be recognized globally. In this article, we tried to put some of the popular and honorary photography scholarships for 2024. Whether you are a student or professional, it may help you to enhance your skill in the area with certification and reward. Isn’t it cool?

So, which one do you prefer to develop your artistic career? The list includes photo contests in different categories. You can choose the suitable one that matches the criteria of your choices.