There’s a new reason for Black female and non-binary photographers to dust off their portfolios. Flickr and the organization Black Women Photographers have reopened applications for their annual grant program, and this fourth edition carries the biggest purse the partnership has ever offered: a $10,000 grand prize.
The money is only part of the package. The chosen recipient also walks away with a two-year Flickr Pro membership and a one-year SmugMug Pro membership. Beyond the headline winner, ten additional photographers get recognized, each collecting one-year memberships to both Flickr Pro and SmugMug Pro. It’s a structure designed to spread visibility rather than crown a single name and move on.
This year’s brief revolves around the theme “Traces of Connection,” chosen by 2025 grant recipient and guest judge Éléonore Menga. Applicants are asked to chase the visible and invisible threads linking people, places, memories, environments, and identities — think belonging, intimacy, distance, memory, and the lasting residue of human connection. It’s an open enough prompt to reward genuine interpretation and specific enough to weed out filler.
Who’s behind it
Black Women Photographers, founded in 2020, has swelled into a global network of more than 2,100 Black and African creatives spanning over 60 countries and 35 US states. The organization runs educational resources, portfolio reviews, workshops, and industry introductions, and says it has funneled more than $185,000 in grants and photography equipment to Black creatives through its programs and partnerships to date.
“Black Women Photographers is home to an incredible network of artists and storytellers,” said Crystal Duarte, Director of Marketing at Flickr, framing the collaboration as a natural fit for a platform built around self-expression and individuality.
How to enter
Applications are open now through August 6, 2026. To qualify, you need to:
- Be a member of Black Women Photographers
- Join the organization’s Flickr Community
- Submit a photograph inspired by “Traces of Connection”
- Include a brief explanation of how the image ties back to the theme
The judging panel is stacked with people who know the terrain: Black Women Photographers founder Polly Irungu, Flickr Community Manager MacKenzie Joslin, guest judge Éléonore Menga, and members of the Flickr Community team.
The winner will be revealed during the inaugural MODE by Flickr festival, running September 18–20, 2026 in Minneapolis. Full eligibility details and submission guidelines live on Flickr’s website — worth a look before you start shortlisting your best frames.
