W. Eugene Smith Fund Announces Call for Entries for 2026 Grants in Humanistic Photography and Howard Chapnick Grant
Maen Hammad received the 2025 W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography ($30,000) for his project, Amira’s Castle, an ongoing exploration of his grandparents’ lives, and his own documentation of the Palestinian present.
Mumin Gul is a student at Pathshala South Asian Media Institute in Bangladesh and co-recipient of the 2025 Smith Student grant. “Silent Whispers,” is a visual exploration of the nuances of the Kashmir conflict and daily realities of ordinary Kashmiris.
Shubhadeep Mukherjee is a student at Jamia Millia Islamia University in India and co-recipient of the 2025 Smith Student grant. His project, “Smells Like Home,” explores the concept of ‘Home’ from the perspective of childhood.
47th Annual Grants Total $67,500 with Top Honor Receiving $30,000; International Partners to Distribute $8,000 in Entry Fee Waivers to Photographers Worldwide
The Howard Chapnick Grant, which recognizes programs–not individuals–that significantly contribute to the field of documentary photography through education, will honor the top entry with a $7,500 grant, as determined by a panel of judges. Now in its 29th year, the grant was named in honor of Howard Chapnick, president of Black Star picture agency, and a mentor to photographers around the world for decades. The entry fee of $25 is voluntary and can be paid through the Smith Fund’s GoFundMe page. No entry to the Howard Chapnick Grant will be disqualified for non-payment.
The deadline for submitting applications for all grants is Monday, October 12th, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
In total, the W. Eugene Smith Fund will present $67,500 in grants, making it one of the largest annual grant awards in the photographic industry. Since the Smith Fund’s inception in 1979, it has awarded over $1.4 million to photographers whose past work and proposed projects follow the tradition of W. Eugene Smith’s career as a photographic essayist. None of the grants presented by the Smith Fund are endowed, and rely entirely on corporate contributions, foundation grants, and individual donations to fund its grants and fellowships.
“Thanks to the ongoing financial support from our loyal patrons, the W. Eugene Smith Fund is able to continue funding the incredible work by documentary photographers and photo essayists all over the world,” said Marcia Allert, president of the W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund. “It is with the generous support from organizations such as the Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation, the John and Anne Duffy Foundation, Joy of Giving Something, and Earth Vision Institute that we are able to provide more than $67,000 in grants this year to visual storytellers who capture the world around us, often at great personal risk. Their stories need to be told, and our partners are providing the financial platform to help us help them,” Ms. Allert added.
The Smith Fund will continue to partner with numerous international photo organizations to encourage and incentivize documentary photographers from a variety of demographic and socio-economic backgrounds to submit their work to the annual Smith Fund grants. Organizations currently partnering with the W. Eugene Smith Fund include African Photojournalism Database, African Women in Photography, Authority Collective, Black Women Photographers, Center for Photography Ethiopia, Diversify Photo, Everyday Projects, Foto Féminas, Indigenous Photograph, Magnum Foundation, Maleza, MATCA, Market Photo Workshop, Nuku Studio, Pathshala South Asian Media Institute, Women Photograph, UCAB PhotoContact Project, and VII Foundation.
Collectively, these organizations provide media outlets, art buyers, and editorial directors with an expansive portfolio of diverse international talent whose work is often ignored or overlooked. As part of its support of the Smith Fund, the Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation will once again help underwrite the cost of allowing these organizations to waive entry fees for the Smith Grant ($50), and Smith Student Grant ($10) up to $8,000. Entrants should visit entry rules to determine if they qualify to have their entry fee waived.
Past recipients of the W. Eugene Smith Grant include Maen Hammad (2026, Palestine / U.S.), Yael Martinez (2021, Mexico), Robin Hammond (2013, New Zealand), Chien-Chi Chang (1999, Taiwan), James Nachtwey (1993, U.S.), Cristina Garcia Rodero (1989, Spain), and Gilles Peress (1984, France). For a complete list of past Smith Grant recipients, visit SmithFund.org.
The W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund, Inc. is a non-profit corporation qualified as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and is supported by generous contributions from The Phillip and Edith Leonian Foundation, Earth Vision Institute, the John and Anne Duffy Foundation, and Joy of Giving Something. Additional support is provided by the International Center of Photography, and Synergy Communications.
Louis Desiderio
Synergy Communications, Inc.
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2025 W. Eugene Smith Fund Award Ceremony and Grant Recipient Presentations
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