MEITAR AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PHOTOGRAPHY

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Photo: Michael Naify

ABOUT

The Meitar Award for Excellence in Photography, a collaboration between PHOTO IS:RAEL and the Zvi and Ofra Meitar Family Fund, will be awarded for the tenth time this year for a body of work that demonstrates excellence in the field of photography. A professional independent jury of leading international professionals will review all shortlisted candidates anonymously and will select a photographer who demonstrates thought, quality, originality, and excellence in photography, as well as the potential to create a comprehensive body of work suitable for a solo exhibition.

The 20 finalists will be showcased in a group exhibition at the International Photography Festival in November 2026 in Tel Aviv. The award winner will be announced during the festival.

For more information on the submission process, please visit our FAQ page >> FAQ

20.02.2026

Early Registration Opens

19.03.2026

Late Registration

12.04.2026

Submission Deadline

02.11.2026

Selected artists notified

AWARDS

Finalists

The 20 finalists will be showcased in a group exhibition at the International Photography Festival in November 2026 in Tel Aviv.

finalists »

THE WINNER

The winner will be announced in November 2025. The award winner will receive a $14,000 grant, composed of a personal grant of $2,500, curatorial guidance, and the production of a solo exhibition that will be part of the 2026 International Photography Festival.

Winner »
Sarah Mei Herman, 2023 Meitar Award Winner

JURY

דפנה מיתר נחמד , קרן משפחת צבי ועפרה מיתר

Dafna Meitar Nechmad

Director General, The Zvi and Ofra Meitar Family Fund, Israel

Anne Leighton Massoni

Executive Director and Curator, Houston Center for Photography, USA

Roger Ballan

Photographer

Laura Letinsky

Photographer, Professor, Department of Visual Arts, University of Chicago

Rivka Saker

Chairman of Sotheby's Israel, Founder and board chair of ARTIS

Dr. Gilad Reich

Curator of Photography, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem

Doron Oved

Photographer (Israel), 2016 Meitar Winner

Sarah Mei Hermann

Photographer (The Netherlands), 2023 Meitar Winner

2025 WINNER

Massimo Pellone
Holland
The Winner of the 2025 Meitar Award for Excellence in Photography

 

Massimo Pellone, from the series “Scampia – Something Went Wrong”, 2017-ongoing

FINALISTS

Michal Baratz Koren
Shelly Brown
Corina Gertz
Marcus DeSieno
Orly Zailer
Michal Chelbin
Edgar Martins
Michael Naify
Sofia Samoylova
Asaf Einy
Laura Pannack
Sagit Friedman Hallel
Diana Cheren Nygren
Dmytro Kupriyan
Natalia Kepesz
Tali Ratzker
Max Sher
Arnon Toussia-Cohen
Michal Baratz Koren / from the series "Maybe I Saw an Angel", Meitar 2025

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