Musa International Award for female photographers

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Musa Award for female photographers reaches its eighth edition in 2026 and begins its international adventure.

All female photographers over the age of 18 residing in the following countries are eligible to participate in the Musa Award: Albania – Andorra – Austria – Belgium – Belarus – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Bulgaria – Cyprus – Croatia – Denmark – Estonia – Finland – France – Germany – Greece – Ireland – Iceland – Italy – Kosovo – Latvia – Liechtenstein – Lithuania – Luxembourg – Malta – Moldova – Monaco – Montenegro – Norway – Netherlands – Poland – Portugal – United Kingdom – Czech Republic – Romania – San Marino – Serbia – Slovakia – Slovenia – Spain – Sweden – Switzerland – Ukraine – Hungary – Vatican City.

The award is dedicated to the creation of photographic portfolios. Musa Award is open to all female photographers, with no distinction between amateurs and professionals. The works submitted will be evaluated by a jury of experts from the Italian photography scene, whose judgement will be final. The award focuses on female photography and welcomes participants from all fields and genres of photography, with no restrictions on the project to be submitted. Each photographer may submit up to three projects.

The theme of this year’s Musa Award centers on "Reclaiming", understood as the act of repossessing the power to decide what deserves to be framed and narrated, moving beyond the purely aesthetic function of photography. Crucially, the award does not require the subjects of the works to be exclusively female, as the goal is not merely to look at women, but to view the entire world through their eyes. Reclaiming the "frame" means asserting the right to narrate every aspect of reality—from architecture to social issues, from abstraction to nature—overturning the masculine and Western gaze that has historically dictated what was noteworthy. This process of reclamation extends to narrating the body as political territory, documenting authentic experiences of health, illness, and aging outside traditional standards, and continues by redefining public and nocturnal spaces, which women have often experienced through the lens of exclusion. The project further invites an act of archive sabotage, rewriting family or collective histories where female presence has been erased, and promotes an ecofeminist vision that rejects nature as a mere postcard to reveal its interdependence with humanity. Finally, the theme challenges technological logic and algorithms that replicate gender biases, seeking works capable of giving visual dignity to invisible labor and to everything that usually remains on the margins, proving that changing who holds the camera effectively changes the perception of reality itself.

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Each work may be presented in black and white or colour, or using mixed techniques and different media. However, the work must be consistent from a formal, conceptual and aesthetic point of view. Any type of post-production is permitted (if the jury considers the work to be excessively post-produced or untruthful, in the case of photojournalistic reportage, it may decide to withdraw the prize after viewing the raw files). Musa Award accepts photos generated by artificial intelligence provided that the participant declares that the production was carried out using AI creation methods. If the participant does not disclose this creation method, will be automatically eliminated from the selection process.

NUMBER OF IMAGES PER PROJECT

A minimum of 8 and a maximum of 25 images may be submitted for each project. Please note that up to three separate projects may be submitted.

VIDEO

If the project involves the presentation of a video (by video we mean the production of a video that is part of the concept of a possible exhibition, not an audio-visual with a list of images from the project accompanied by music), the link to the video (previously published online) must be included in the project presentation PDF. (see instructions below)

Preparation of the PDF file

Prepare a PDF file named with the participant's surname first, followed by their first name (e.g. munarisara.pdf).

PDF content

The document must contain, in order:

1. Initial presentation page

• Title of the work
• Year of completion
• Presentation of the project
• Link to the video (if available)

2. Project images Insert the photographs in the desired narrative order for viewing by the jury.

Each page must contain:

A single photograph, or a diptych or triptych (if required by the narrative of the project, considered as a single image)

3. Final page

• Author's biography
• Website (if applicable)
• Contact details: Instagram, Facebook and e-mail

Technical requirements for PDF files

Maximum PDF size: 15 MB

Photos with watermarks are not permitted.

If compression is necessary, a free online programme is available (see link).

Important: projects that do not comply with these specifications will not be considered.

The work must be sent IMMEDIATELY after completing the entry form, upon payment of the fee of €25 for one work submitted, €45 for two works submitted, €65 for three works submitted.
The photographic material to be sent must not exceed 15 MB (per PDF file). Please note that the PDF file must be named with the participant's surname and first name, e.g. munarisara.pdf. Please note that if you are submitting two projects, you must send two separate PDF files. If you are submitting three projects, you must send three separate PDF files.

Fill in the registration form available at the link Sign up

Make the payment immediately

At the same time, send an email to info@musafotografia.it containing: The PDF of the project.

The payment receipt (bank transfer) or screenshot of the transaction (PayPal).

If the payment is made in a name other than your own, please indicate who made the transaction and your name.

Please note: entries will not be accepted unless registration, payment and email submission are completed together.

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- Files must be in Italian or English for communications relating to the Musa Award. Files in other languages will not be accepted.

- Once the material has been sent, no further changes can be made.

- The winner may decline the Musa Award no later than 3 days after being notified of their victory.

- We recommend viewing and registering from a PC or Mac, as there might be issues from mobile devices.

1) Exhibition Print. The exhibition will be printed at Fotofabbrica, professional fine art photography lab based in Piacenza and sponsor of the Award. The professional print of the project will then be donated to the selected photographer. The print will be made using fine art techniques in a format of approximately 30×45 cm (or a similar or smaller format, depending on the author's requirements). The number of prints offered is twenty photographs. Any additional prints and shipping costs from the lab are the responsibility of the winner ("shipping charges collect").

2) Exhibition at the Colorno Photo Life Festival Thanks to our collaboration with the Festival Colorno Photo life, the winner will exhibit her work in the edition of the Festival following the date of the Musa Award 2026 (usually the following year). Printing costs (if a different format from point 1 is required), transport, framing, and any other display materials are the responsibility of the winner. Participation conditions (accommodation, meals, and exhibition venue) are determined independently by the Festival's organisation. Musa guarantees the exhibition placement only. Should the dates of this and any other festival overlap, Musa will guarantee the printing of one exhibition only, as per point 1.

3) Portfolio review with Alessia Locatelli, artistic director of the Biennale di Fotografia Femminile di Mantova and freelance curator, who will be available for a half-hour online portfolio review on a date to be determined. The winner will discuss ways to improve an existing project or devise a new photography project.

4) Meeting with Grazia Dell'Oro. An online meeting with the director of publishing house EMUSE to explore potential editorial opportunities for the winner's project. Date to be arranged directly with Grazia Dell'Oro.

5) Screening of the project at the Biennale di Fotografia Femminile di Mantova during the organisation period of the festival following the 2026 Musa Award. As this is a biennial festival, the relevant edition may take place up to two years after the Award.

6) Interview with independent curator Loredana De Pace Studio Caos and NocSensei and publication of the interview on YouTube and social media channels.

7) A one-off payment of €200 in total as reimbursement for expenses.

8) Exhibition at the Festival Off della fotografia etica (for Reportage projects only) If the winning project is a reportage work, the winner will exhibit at the Festival Off della Fotografia Etica at the edition following Premio Musa 2026, thanks to our collaboration with the festival. Printing costs (if a different format from point 1 is required), transport, framing, and any other display materials are the responsibility of the winner. Participation conditions (accommodation, meals, and exhibition venue) are determined independently by the Festival's organisation. Musa guarantees the exhibition placement only. Should the dates of this and any other festival overlap, Musa will guarantee the printing of one exhibition only, as per point 1.

ADDITIONAL PRIZES — ITALIAN PARTICIPANTS ONLY

1. Exhibition at the Festival della Fotografia Italiana The Italian winner with the best project will exhibit at the Festival della Fotografia Italiana at the edition following Premio Musa 2026. Printing costs (if a different format from point 1 is required) and transport are the responsibility of the winner. Participation conditions (accommodation, meals, and exhibition venue) are determined independently by the Festival's organisation. Musa guarantees the exhibition placement only. Should the dates of this and any other festival overlap, Musa will guarantee the printing of one exhibition only, as per point 1.

2. One-Year Subscription to Il Fotografo Magazine A full one-year subscription to Il Fotografo, one of Italy's leading photography magazines, dedicated to the cultural promotion and wider appreciation of photography.

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If you have any questions regarding registration, please write to info@musafotografia.it

DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING WORKS: 11:59 pm on 21 November 2026. Any images received after this date will not be considered.

DATE OF ANNOUNCEMENT OF WINNERS TO THE PUBLIC: December 2026. The winners undertake to deliver, within one week of the announcement of their victory, the material necessary for publication and dissemination on social media and in newspapers.

If you have any questions regarding registration, please write to info@musafotografia.it

Q: How should I submit my photographs for the competition?

A: After completing the online form and filling in the required details, send an email to info@musafotografia.it TOGETHER with your registration and payment, including:
- A PDF of the project (named with the participant's first and last name, e.g. munarisara.pdf). Photos with signatures or watermarks are not allowed.

Q: Where will the winning images be exhibited?

A: The winning photographs will be exhibited at major Italian photography festivals. Arrangements will be made directly with the organisers.

Q: Can I replace or rearrange my photos after submitting them?

A: No, no changes to the editing or photographs will be allowed, so please check everything before submitting.

Q: Can I submit diptychs?

A: Yes, you can submit diptychs. Enter them as you would a single shot on the PDF page.

Q: We are two photographers working as a team. Can we participate together?

A: Yes, but please provide basic information about both of you in the biography so that we know you are participating as a group.

Q: Is there a time limit on when the photograph was taken?

A: No, there are no restrictions on the date a photograph was taken.

Q: Can I enter an image that has been entered in other competitions or has been published previously?

A: Both unpublished and previously published images are accepted.

Q: Can I enter an image that has won other competitions?

A: Yes, both images submitted to other competitions and photos that have won prizes in other competitions are accepted.

Q: How will my images be used?

A: The images will never be used for purposes other than promoting the Musa Award and all related initiatives.

• Musa International Award competition is open to professional and amateur photographers of any age.
• By registering for Musa International Award, you automatically accept these competition rules.
• The participant declares that every person depicted in the photograph has given their consent to be portrayed as shown, and that they have the right to give that consent.
• Musa Fotografia acknowledges that the participant retains full copyright ownership of every photograph they have submitted.
• In the event of a reported violation, if the participant guarantees that their content is lawful and requests that it be retained, they agree to bear the legal defence costs of Musa Fotografia and to compensate it for any claims or penalties for copyright infringement related to that content.
• All participants agree that photographs submitted to the competition may be reproduced (with the photographer's copyright credit) and used for promotional purposes related to the activities of the Musa International Prize, such as exhibitions, catalogues, publications, videos, websites, social media and informational materials. Musa Fotografia is hereby granted the right to use the photographs submitted in the context of such promotional activities.
• Any photograph used by Musa Fotografia must be accompanied by copyright acknowledgements. Any omission in providing such acknowledgements shall not be considered a violation, provided that Musa Fotografia makes every reasonable effort to rectify such omission within a reasonable period of time from the date of notification of such omission.
• The participant acknowledges that Musa Fotografia and the event partners assume no responsibility and are not liable for any misuse of the images by third parties.
• Digital post-production is permitted to optimise an image, and images may be cropped slightly, but key elements of the composition may not be added or removed. Adjustments to brightness, contrast and colour balance are permitted. Retouching of dust spots, minor elements, etc. is permitted. Images may be sharpened prior to printing. Post-production techniques that could realistically be achieved in a traditional darkroom will be accepted, but the judges reserve the right to reject any photograph they deem to have been excessively manipulated, thereby compromising the integrity of the original image. Participants selected for the final stage will be asked to submit the original RAW files of their chosen photographs.
• Musa International Prize accepts photographs generated by artificial intelligence provided that the participant expressly declares that the production was carried out using AI creation tools. Failure to declare this will result in automatic elimination from the selection process.
• It is possible to waive the prize within 3 days of the official announcement of the winner.
• You acknowledge and agree that these Terms and Conditions of Participation in the Musa Prize, as well as any claim that may arise between you and Musa Photography, shall be governed by and construed exclusively in accordance with Italian law. You further acknowledge and agree that the Italian courts shall be the exclusive forum in which you agree to resolve any claim, cause of action or dispute between you and Musa fotografia arising out of or in connection with these Terms.
• Musa fotografia reserves the right to suspend, modify or cancel the Musa international prize in the event of technical problems, fraud or external causes that compromise its security or proper conduct. The absence of errors or the continuity of the service is not guaranteed, and the service may be interrupted for maintenance or force majeure without prior notice. Musa fotografia declines all responsibility for any interruptions or changes to the service.
• Personal data will be processed in accordance with the GDPR (EU 679/2016) and Legislative Decree 196/2003 exclusively for the purposes of the prize. Participants may exercise their right to access, rectify or delete their data at any time.

• info@musafotografia.it