Paris Photo–Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards

Deadline: 9 September 2022

Call Closed: 2022 Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards

Ten years of celebrating the book’s contribution to the evolving narrative of photography.

See the 2022 Winners

This year, Paris Photo and Aperture are delighted to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the awards!

Initiated in November 2012 by Aperture and Paris Photo, the Paris Photo–Aperture PhotoBook Awards celebrate the photobook’s contribution to the evolving narrative of photography, with three major categories: First PhotoBook, PhotoBook of the Year, and Photography Catalogue of the Year.

This call to entry is now closed.

What Winners Receive

The First PhotoBook Prize
A $10,000 prize will be awarded to the photographer(s)/artist(s) whose first finished, publicly available photobook is judged to be the best of the year. Twenty books from this category will be selected for the shortlist, presented to the Jury for the final selection and exhibited during Paris Photo.

The PhotoBook of the Year Prize
This prize will be awarded to the photographer(s)/artist(s), and publisher responsible, for the photobook judged to be the best of the year. Ten books from this category will be selected for the shortlist, presented to the Jury for the final selection and exhibited during Paris Photo.

The Photography Catalogue of the Year Prize Awarded to the publication, publisher, and/or organizing institution responsible for the exhibition catalogue or museum publication judged to be the best of the year. Five books from this category will be selected for the shortlist, presented to the Jury for the final selection and exhibited during Paris Photo.

The shortlisted books, accompanied by the jury’s comments, will appear online and in a special take-away catalogue, to be released at Paris Photo. An exhibition of shortlisted books will also travel internationally following their display in Paris.

Exhibition

Each year, the thirty-five shortlisted books are exhibited around the world, ensuring maximum exposure for all titles, including the winners in each category.

This year, in addition to being seen at Paris Photo, the shortlisted books will be exhibited at Printed Matter, New York; PHOTO 2022 International Festival of Photography, Melbourne; Museum of Photography, Seoul; Officine Fotografiche Roma; Lumos Exhibition Space, Daegu; and Lightbox Photo Library, Taipei. For more information on the venues, please see the Aperture website.

In past years, venues have included Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, New York; Flash Forward Festival, Boston, Massachusetts; Copenhagen Photo Festival, Denmark; Photo Ireland, Dublin; Backlight Photo Festival, Tampere, Finland; FotoFocus, Cincinnati, Ohio; IMA Concept Store, Tokyo, Japan; Photobook Melbourne Festival, Melbourne, Australia; Huis Marseille, Amsterdam, Netherlands; Self Publish Riga, Riga Photomonth, Latvia; Fotofestiwal, Lodz, Poland; Look3 Festival of the Photograph, Charlottesville, Virginia; and Landskrona Foto Festival, Landskrona, Sweden

How to Enter

How to Enter:

Generate your submission form via the contest page
Complete payment
Send one copy of each submitted photobook with your submission form(s) to Aperture Foundation's offices in New York by September 9, 2022

You will need to provide the following information for each book submitted:

Book title, year of publication, and publisher information
A short description / summary of the book and why it’s being submitted to that particular category
The photographer or author’s name, as well as the designer and editor’s names
Book dimensions, number of pages, the edition number or print run
A short description of where the book is sold
An image or render of the book cover (JPG file)

Shipping your book(s):

All books must be received before September 9, 2022. Please note, this year all books should be mailed to Aperture Foundation's office in New York City. This date does not include postmark. All entries must be physically received by this date and there will be no refunds if the books are not delivered on time. Books should be sent to:

Aperture
ATTN: PhotoBook Awards
548 W 28th Street, Floor 4
New York, NY 10001

Please note, books must arrive with their submission form to Aperture Foundation by September 9, 2022. You can print out your submission form on Picter. Detailed instructions to print the submission form here.

Entry Fees

First PhotoBook: $30 per book
PhotoBook of the Year: $60 for first entry from a given publisher, $30 for each subsequent entry from the same publisher
Photography Catalogue of the Year: $60 for first entry from a given publisher, $30 for each subsequent entry from the same publisher

From June 15 to July 30, 2022: Early Bird Special

First PhotoBook: $20 per project
PhotoBook of the Year: $50 for first project from a given publisher, $20 for each subsequent project from the same publisher
Photography Catalogue of the Year: $50 for first project from a given publisher, $20 for each subsequent project from the same publisher

By submitting your work to the Paris Photo-Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards, you are found to be in agreement of the terms and conditions. Click here to read the terms and conditions.

Deadline and Time Frame

Timeline

June 15, 2022: Call for entries is open for submissions.
July 30, 2022: Early bird entry period ends.
September 9, 2022: Deadline to submit. Call for entries closes at 5:00 p.m. EST. Absolutely no exceptions are made for late submissions. Please allow ample time to enter and mail your book. Books received after the deadline, will not be considered.
October 3, 2022: Announcement of shortlist
November 11, 2022: Announcement of winners

Shipping your book(s)

All books must be received before September 9, 2022. lease be aware that the time required for packages to be received may be longer than usual. All books should be mailed to Aperture’s New York City office. This date does not include postmark. All entries must be physically received by this date and there will be no refunds if the books are not delivered on time. Books should be sent to:

Aperture
ATTN: PhotoBook Awards
548 W 28th Street, Floor 4
New York, NY 10001

Judging Criteria

First PhotoBook:

A book in which the dominant content is photography, featuring the work of one or more photographer/artist,* produced in physical form, and available for purchase or distributed free of charge, whether via trade distribution, print on demand, a gallery or online outlet, or otherwise. (“Virtual” or electronic books that exist only in digital form are not eligible for entry at this time.)
A book that is the first by the given photographer/artist is eligible for entry, whether a first self-published book, a first limited-edition book, a first gallery-published collection, a first book made available by print on demand, or a first book published by a publisher for release in the book trade. A first book published by an established publisher is eligible for entry even if the photographer/artist previously released a self-published book or a limited-edition book for distribution outside the trade. However, once a photographer/artist has had a book published by a mainstream publisher in the book trade, a subsequent book (whether self-published or not) is not eligible for entry.
Books must be produced or published between September 10, 2021, and September 9, 2022. Books produced before September 9, 2022, but not due for release or publication until a later date in 2022, are also eligible.

PhotoBook of the Year:

A book in which the dominant content is photography, whether authored by more than one photographer/artist* or authored by an editor, produced in physical form, and published in an edition of no less than one hundred copies.
Books must be produced or published between September 10, 2021, and September 9, 2022. Books produced before September 9, 2022, but not due for release or publication until a later date in 2022, are also eligible.
Entries for either award may only be submitted by the photographer/artist, the publisher, or a third party acting with the consent of the photographer/artist.

Photography Catalogue of the Year:

An exhibition catalogue or museum publication in which the dominant content is photography. Catalogues can feature the work of one or more photographers/artists, should be produced in physical form, and available for purchase or distributed free of charge, whether via trade distribution, print on demand, a gallery or online outlet, or otherwise.
Text-only publications are not eligible, however, catalogues can include extensive research, writing, and analysis—whether dedicated to the oeuvre of a single photographer, or an exploration of a collection based in photographic history and practice.
Catalogues must be produced or published between September 10, 2021, and September 9, 2022. Catalogues produced before September 9, 2022, but not due for release or publication until a later date in 2022, are also eligible.

*Books by or featuring the work of more than one photographers/artists are eligible in all categories.

Contact and FAQs

Email bookawards@aperture.org with questions.

By submitting your work to the Paris Photo-Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards, you are found to be in agreement of the terms and conditions. Click here to read the terms and conditions.

What constitutes a photobook?

A book that situates photography at its core.

Where do I enter my submission?

You can complete your submission here.

Once I finish my submission, where do I ship my book(s)?

Books should be sent to:
Aperture
ATTN: PhotoBook Awards
548 W 28th Street, Floor 4
New York, NY 10001
All books must be received before September 9, 2022.

Can I drop off my book(s) at Aperture's office?

Yes, you may drop off your book at Aperture's offices. Please note, Aperture employees are currently working remotely which means the office may not be open every day. To ensure someone is in the office on the day you'd like to drop off your book please email bookawards@aperture.org
All books must be received before September 9, 2022.

Are self-published books eligible in all categories?

Yes, but books entered in the PhotoBook of the Year category must have been printed in a minimum edition of one hundred copies. Seeing Judging Criteria for more information.

What if I “self-published” my book via a print-on-demand book service? Is it eligible?

Yes, in the First PhotoBook category, so long as the book has been made available to the public for sale in physical form. It is also eligible in the PhotoBook of the Year category, providing it has been printed in a minimum run of one hundred physical copies.

I self-published a book a couple of years ago, and it’s now been picked up by a publisher and released for a broader audience. Is the publisher’s edition of my book eligible for the prizes?

Yes. If your self-published book has been picked up by a trade publisher and rereleased under their imprint, the trade edition is still eligible for the First PhotoBook prize.

I self-published several books in the past, and I did a book with my gallery last year, prior to having my new book published this year by a publisher. Is my new book eligible for the First PhotoBook category?

Yes. If your self-published book has been published by a gallery or other publisher and rereleased under their imprint, it is still eligible for the First PhotoBook prize.

Can I submit the same book in all categories?

If the book meets the criteria for all categories, it may be entered separately, with applicable entry fees to each prize. Books will only be juried within the context of the category to which they have been submitted. Please note, you must submit a physical copy of the book for each category, even if it is the same book. For example, if you submit the same book to both the First PhotoBook and PhotoBook of the Year categories then you need to mail us two (2) copies of the book.

I have put a book proposal together using a print-on-demand service, and people can go on to the service and print it out. Is that enough for my book to be considered available in physical form, and hence eligible for the First PhotoBook award?

Yes, it is. However, you must submit a physical copy of your book in order to be considered.

What should be included in my submission packet?

The packet of submission materials sent to Aperture Foundation should include the book(s) for entry and a printed, completed application form for each entry, which you will print out after filling in the online application form.

What happens to the books chosen to be shortlisted?

Once an entry has been chosen for the shortlist, an Aperture staff member will contact the applicant. Three additional copies of each shortlisted title will be requested, in order for the book to be exhibited to its best advantage at Paris Photo. Thirty-five shortlisted entries in total will be exhibited, and the award winners will be announced, at Paris Photo, November 11, 2022.

Do I have to be in Paris to win the prize in either category?

No, but it might be fun. We encourage all shortlisted entrants to attend if possible. Unfortunately, Paris Photo and Aperture cannot be responsible for any travel expenses required for you to attend, but you will gain free entry to the fair.

I have less than three copies of my book, can I still submit to the First PhotoBook award?

Yes, providing the book meets the criteria in all other regards. Please tell us this when you enter. What this means, however, is that if your book is shortlisted / wins, it will have limited visibility when exhibited.

Will I get my book(s) returned if I am not shortlisted?

No. Aperture is not responsible for the return of submissions. All books submitted to the awards remain the property of Aperture Foundation and will become part of the Aperture library. This is not negotiable.

What if I run out of time?

No exceptions will be made for late submissions. Please allow for ample time to complete your entry and mail your book.

Can I submit a book to the Photography Catalogue of the Year category that was published to accompany a gallery or festival exhibition?

Yes. Any book published to accompany a gallery, festival, museum, or other public exhibition can be submitted to the new category.

Can I submit a book of essays or a book that is primarily text, with the inclusion of just a few illustrations, to the Photography Catalogue of the Year category?

No. It is important that each catalogue submitted is image-driven. The unique design challenges involved in creating the structure and informational architecture of such a volume—integrating text and images—are an important part of the criteria for this category.

Can I submit a book to the Photography Catalogue of the Year category even if the material has not been exhibited?

If the material included in the book focuses on research or the presentation of material that is part of an institutional collection, even if it has not been exhibited at the time of publication, the book can be submitted to this category.