This year is a milestone year for the prestigious Leica Oskar Barnack Award, as it celebrates 40 years of honoring establish and emerging photographers from across the world. Leica Camera will mark the momentous year with a few updates to the Award judging process and upgrading prizes awarded to winners:
New this year, in lieu of the standard application process, Leica has gathered a group of over 65 internationally renowned photography experts to nominate their recommendations for the main award and newcomer award.
Each member of the nominating body has selected up to three photographers for the main award, and one for the newcomer award. The only prerequisite was that the photographic work be documentary or conceptual, and in line with the basic idea behind the LOBA – the relationship of humanity to its environment. By engaging a large group from over 30 different countries, Leica looks forwards to a submission pool with great depth of diversity and creativity.
Following nominations, submissions will be reviewed by a jury panel of some of the top photography personas in the industry, including:
Finally, for the first time in the LOBA’s forty year history, the winner will receive prize money amounting to 40,000 euros, as well as Leica camera equipment valued at 10,000 euros. The winner of the Newcomer Award will receive a photographic assignment, a two-week tutoring course at Leica Camera AG headquarters in Wetzlar, and a Leica Q valued at 5,000 euros. In addition, the winning series will be displayed within the framework of a touring exhibition at Leica Galleries and at festivals. Winners will be announced at the award ceremony in October at the Ernst Leitz Museum in Wetzlar, Germany.
To learn more about this year’s Leica Oskar Barnack Award, please visit: https://www.leica-oskar-barnack-award.com/en/.
