F/262 NEXT GEN アワード 2026

The NEXT GEN Award, part of the F/262 International Photography Festival in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal, is a global competition for young visual storytellers. It is open to photographers worldwide who are 25 years old or younger at the time of submission. The award is split into two age bands: Junior (16 and under) – free entry, submit 1‑3 images; Emerging (17‑25) – €5 per image, submit 1‑5 images. All entrants must upload a proof of age (ID, passport or birth certificate) as a PDF. Any subject and any device (analogue, digital, phone) are accepted, though the 2026 sub‑theme “Shaping Shores / Moldar as Margens” is suggested. Submissions are accepted from 7 April to 19 August 2026 (World Photography Day). A shortlist of up to ten photographers is selected, and the overall winner receives the title NEXT GEN Photographer of the Year 2026 together with a dedicated solo exhibition at the Centro de Experimentação Fotográfica (CEF) in October‑November 2026. Gold, Silver and Bronze winners each receive a festival exhibition plus a Rotary prize (€450, €200, €100 respectively), KOYLAB vouchers (€250, €150, €100), BlackRapid accessories and SmartAlbums software; the Gold winner also receives an Instax Mini Evo Cinema camera. All shortlisted finalists receive a certificate, catalogue feature and participation in the group exhibition. Photographers retain full copyright; the festival holds a non‑exclusive licence for up to three years.