LENSCULTURE PORTRAIT AWARDS

For this year’s Portrait Awards, we’ve teamed up with an influential panel to scout out the best new portrait photographers from across the globe:

• Francesca Marani, Vogue Italia

• Katherine Pomerantz, TIME

• Rory Walsh, New York Times Magazine

• Ruby Rees-Sheridan, National Portrait Gallery

• Nadav Kander, Photographer

• Allyson Torrisi, National Geographic

• Andrew Katz, New Yorker

• Laura Sackett, LensCulture

These photo editors, curators, publishers and experts want to see your portraits!

Winners will be exhibited in a group show in London and win cash prizes. Hundreds of photographers will get global exposure through our social platforms.

Send us your most creative images — today— for an opportunity to be selected as an Editor's Pick featured on our social media and online gallery — before the official judging begins!

Discover 100+ Portraits selected from early entries so far. You might be featured next week!.

Deadline: Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Images shown above are Editors’ Picks from recent entries. See them all in the online gallery! © Amarachi Nnoli, Elena Donskaya, Konstantin Vladov, Amy Horowitz, Павел Ермилов, Cristiana Zamboni.

PHOTOGRAPHER INTERVIEW

In this LensCulture interview, Torrance York reflects on how photography became a tool for understanding, acceptance, and connection after her Parkinson’s diagnosis. Photographs by Torrance York. Interview by Sophie Wright.

PORTRAIT AS A SHORT STORY

85-year-old actor Ian McKellen let his hair and beard grow out to play the ionic role of Shakespeare’s Falstaff — after the final performance, he finally stepped out of character and back to himself. Photographs and text by Frederic Aranda.

INTERVIEW

One of America’s leading photographers offers his insights about making great photographic portraits. Interview with Todd Hido.

Call for Entries - This Moment in Time

Use your photography to show us what this moment in time means to you: each entry will be featured in a loop at SHOW LA, and 3 photographers will be chosen for an exhibit at the REEF. In addition, one entry will be selected for publication as part of the Nazraeli Press One Picture Book series.

Deadline: February 13, 2026

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