The Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award of £3,000, facilitated by FotoDocument and supported by Nikon, is granted annually to a professional female photographer towards the completion of a compelling and cohesive documentary photo essay, which addresses an important social, environmental, economic, or cultural issue, whether local or global. The Award, now in its 9th year, is reserved solely for documentary photographers working on projects which are intended to make the world a better place and which may be unreported / under-reported. The work should, in part, showcase positive solutions to any issue/s it raises and demonstrate impact through practical engagement on the ground.
The call for submissions opened on International Women’s Day (8 March 2025) and will run to 16 May 2025. The shortlist and winner will be announced in late June 2025 and this year the winner’s work will be shown in London at a prestigious venue.
An international panel consisting of industry experts will look at submissions:
Andrea Bruce: Photojournalist, Co-owner NOOR Photo Agency, Nikon Ambassador.
Donna De Cesare: Photojournalist, Associate Professor, University of Texas at Austin.
Nina Emett: Director of FotoDocument, Curator, Documentary Photographer.
Ana Maria Arévalo Gosen: Winner of Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award 2023, Photographer.
Marilyn Stafford’s daughter, Lina Clerke, joins the panel as honorary judge in memory of her late mother.
Stafford’s photography career got off to a remarkable start taking stills of Albert Einstein in 1948. Her eclectic body of work spans five decades until 1984, and includes portraits of well-known historical figures such as Édith Piaf, Sir Richard Attenborough, Sir Patrick Moore and Twiggy as well as ordinary people like Francesca Serio, an illiterate Sicilian peasant woman who brought the mafia to trial for murdering her son; international fashion (50s-80s); Parisian children living in slum housing (1950s); refugees from the Algerian War of Independence (1958); pre-civil war Lebanon (1960); and Indira Gandhi’s intervention in the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971.
Marilyn Stafford founded this Award in 2017 in collaboration with FotoDocument to recognize women photographers working in this genre, who are often juggling their work with caring duties for family.
Women from any stage of their careers are welcome to apply, whether emerging, mid-career or established. They must have already started the photo essay for which they are seeking funding and be able to show a considerable body of work in progress. They must have already completed at least one other documentary photo essay in their career previously to demonstrate track record. Entrants must be over 18, can be any nationality and based anywhere in the world. It is free to submit. One overall winner will receive the Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award of £3,000 towards the completion of their project and an exhibition at The Foundry – A Place for Change in London.
“It is with great pride that we announce the 9th year of the Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award, supported by Nikon, on this International Women’s Day. It is a time to celebrate and reward the brave and talented women photographers who bear witness to the world around them through their lens to bring attention to compelling, under-reported and impactful stories. We very much look forward to reviewing the entries which come from all over the world.” – Nina Emett, Director, FotoDocument
“We’re delighted to be supporting the Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award once again. Year after year, this award amplifies powerful stories realized through the lens of female photographers. Their perspective is invaluable, and it is an honour and a privilege to empower them and their work once again.” – Julian Harvie, Marketing Director, Nikon Northern Europe
“The Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award presented a unique opportunity to share my project with a wider international audience, promoting awareness and understanding of the importance of preserving delicate ecosystems like the Po Delta in Italy. Furthermore, the Award provided me with the necessary resources to continue documenting my work in this area and to produce a book that promotes sustainable development. Winning this Award was therefore an important step in advancing my commitment to environmental protection and the appreciation of an invaluable natural heritage.” – Isabella Franceschini – Winner of the Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award 2024
The only way to submit to the Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award 2025 is through their online portal.
AWARD TIMELINE:
Saturday 8 March: FotoAward launches and Call for Submissions opens
Friday 16 May: FotoAward deadline for photographer submissions
Tuesday 10 June: FotoAward Shortlist announced
Wednesday 24 June: FotoAward Winner & Honourable Mentions announced
About: Marilyn Stafford’s photography career got off to a remarkable start taking stills of Albert Einstein in 1948. Her eclectic body of work spans five decades until 1984, and includes portraits of well-known historical figures such as Édith Piaf, Sir Richard Attenborough, Sir Patrick Moore and Twiggy as well as ordinary people like Francesca Serio, an illiterate Sicilian peasant woman who brought the mafia to trial for murdering her son; international fashion (50s-80s); Parisian children living in slum housing. Stafford was a pioneering female photographer at a time when there were few; she left her native US to work abroad when it was relatively unusual for American women to do so; her work is broad ranging, representing her need to make a living balanced with her desire to cover issues of international concern. In Paris, she was mentored by Henri Cartier-Bresson who helped her to secure the front page of the Observer in 1958 with her moving image of a refugee mother (right), which brought the violence of the Algerian War of Independence to international attention. In 2020, she was awarded the ‘Chairman’s Lifetime Achievement Award’ from the UK Picture Editor’s Guild. Stafford’s third book, a retrospective on her life’s work Marilyn Stafford – A Life in Photography (Second Edition) was published by Bluecoat Press in 2024. An accompanying retrospective exhibition of the same name toured to Farley’s House & Gallery, Brighton Museum and Dimbola Museum & Galleries in 2021 / 2022 and is currently being exhibited at Akron Art Museum in Ohio, US from 24 February – 14 July 2024.
www.marilynstaffordphotography.com @marilynstaffordphotography
Wobneb Magazine 