PORTRAITS - Hellerau Photography Award 2026
PORTRAITS - Hellerau Photography Award is a Germany-based international portraiture competition held at the Festspielhaus Hellerau (Dresden). The 2026 cycle is themed 'ESCAPISM.' Prizes total EUR 8,000 across first, second, and third places. AI-generated works are explicitly excluded - one of the cleaner blanket bans among German-language portraiture awards.
- Deadline
- May 3, 2026
- Entry fee
- EUR 50 for a series of up to 20 images; EUR 30 for a single image; 50% discount for students
Authenticity policy
AI policy
Works created using AI ('Artificial Intelligence') are not eligible for the competition.
RAW files
Not specified
Editing rules
The 2026 motto is 'ESCAPISM.' Entries can be single portraits or series of up to 20 photographs. AI-generated work is fully ineligible (no carve-out for AI-assisted editing surfaces in the rules text). Prize recipients are announced at an Autumn 2026 vernissage in Hellerau (Dresden).
Verified on June 24, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- Does PORTRAITS - Hellerau Photography Award 2026 allow AI-generated images?
- No. PORTRAITS - Hellerau Photography Award 2026 does not permit AI-generated images in its competition entries.
- When is the PORTRAITS - Hellerau Photography Award 2026 entry deadline?
- Entries for PORTRAITS - Hellerau Photography Award 2026 close on May 3, 2026.
- How much does it cost to enter PORTRAITS - Hellerau Photography Award 2026?
- EUR 50 for a series of up to 20 images; EUR 30 for a single image; 50% discount for students
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