Deadline: October 11, 2026
30th Luis Valtueña International Humanitarian Photography Award 2026
- Submission Deadline: October 11, 2026, 23:59 GMT+2 (Spain time)
Submitted images must narrate a story related to: health, natural disasters, humanitarian action, international cooperation, social exclusion, violation of human rights, armed conflicts, vulnerable groups, refugee and/or migrant populations. Particular consideration is given to stories that are rarely highlighted or receive limited public attention.
- Open to adult professional and non-professional photographers of any nationality worldwide
- Collectives of two or more members working in documentary photography or photojournalism are also accepted
- Entries must be original personal work
- At least 50% of the series must have been produced during 2025–2026
- Previously submitted series are excluded from re-entry
- Only single-frame photographs are accepted; photo montages are prohibited
- Documentary content may not be altered; wholly or partly AI-generated images or images with AI-added elements are strictly prohibited
- Each participant may submit only one application
- Médicos del Mundo Spain staff, their first-degree relatives, jury members, and anyone directly involved in organizing the competition are ineligible
- Submissions via the Picter platform (free registration required)
- A photographic series of 5–10 images (color and/or black and white)
- Personal and contact details, biography (max. 1,500 characters), project description, and photo captions required
- The author's name must not appear in the project description, captions, or file names (anonymous judging)
- Total prize fund: €12,000 (gross)
- First Prize (Overall Winner): €6,000
- Second Prize: €2,000
- Third Prize: €2,000
- Fourth Prize: €2,000
- Special Prize: €1,500 (awarded by the San Sebastián Human Rights Film Festival; one photograph selected from the four winning series becomes the official visual image of the festival's 2027 edition)
- All four winning series published in the official catalogue
- Winning works included in a travelling exhibition presented at photography festivals, galleries, and cultural centres across Spain, including the Asturias International Photojournalism Festival
- Organizer covers travel and two consecutive nights of accommodation for selected entrants attending the award ceremony and exhibition opening
- Médicos del Mundo commits to promoting the winning images and their authors for at least one year through press releases, media meetings, and dissemination materials
The Luis Valtueña International Humanitarian Photography Award, organized by Médicos del Mundo Spain, commemorates photographer and humanitarian worker Luis Valtueña and colleagues Flors Sirera, Manuel Madrazo, and Mercedes Navarro, who were killed while assisting civilians affected by armed conflict in Rwanda (1997) and Bosnia (1995). Now in its 30th edition, the award is one of the most prestigious international humanitarian photography competitions, aiming to expose social inequalities, human rights abuses, and humanitarian crises through photography, and to drive social transformation. The international jury, composed of leading photography professionals, humanitarian action representatives, and Médicos del Mundo delegates, evaluates photographic quality, story relevance, ethical practice, and the work's capacity to raise public awareness. Through its official catalogue and a travelling exhibition program spanning photography festivals, galleries, and cultural centres across Spain, the award continues to champion photography committed to human dignity, the defence of rights, and social change.
