Currently 14 active prizes and awards open to applicants in Worldwide, across AI, arts, film, journalism, research, tech and cross-disciplinary practice. Hand-curated and updated weekly. Almost every entry is funded; a few notable unpaid open calls and festival submissions are included as clearly flagged exceptions. Browse the list below, or use the interactive desk for filtering and shortlisting.
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Short film competition from Day Job Films created to give auteur directors full creative freedom, awarding a production budget of up to GBP 7,000 to make a short film with no producer interference or commercial agenda. Open to animation, live-action and documentary projects. Runs in three rounds: (1) a pitch deck outlining concept, story, key characters and visual style; (2) a full script for those who progress; and (3) an interview to discuss the vision and execution. A panel of industry professionals judges the pitch deck, script and interview, with at least one team member reading each pitch deck and script in full. The winner receives full creative control over the project. ELIGIBILITY: applicants can be from anywhere worldwide, but all production must take place in the UK; applicants must have a producer on board who is separate from the director/writer. Applicants may optionally include a plan for adapting the script into a feature-length film (this does not affect the outcome). Submissions open February 10, 2026 and close August 10, 2026. Enquiries: hello@dayjobfilms.com.
The Bloomberg Green Docs competition is open to all eligible filmmakers competing for a $25,000 grand prize for a short climate documentary. The call seeks films that explore our climate future and reveal the world we are making today: ecosystems being restored, tomorrow's zero-carbon communities being formed, and habitat extremes warning of cascading climate consequences. REQUIREMENTS: films must address the urgency of climate change and run under 10 minutes including credits. The jury awards a $25,000 grand prize, announced at the Bloomberg Green Docs Film Festival in New York City on 22 September 2026, where the top five documentaries will be screened. Check the official rules on the competition site for eligibility details. DEADLINE: submissions accepted through 14 August 2026.
Future Vision XPRIZE is a sci-fi film competition challenging filmmakers to portray an optimistic, abundant future for humanity rather than a dystopian one. CHALLENGE: create a 3-minute sci-fi trailer that depicts a bold, original, hopeful vision of progress. PRIZES: USD 3.5 million-plus total; the grand prize winner gets USD 2.6 million-plus to turn their trailer into a feature film, plus over USD 1 million in prizes for runners-up. BACKGROUND: launched by the nonprofit XPRIZE and funded by Peter Diamandis, with Google and Range as partners; inspired by the optimism of Star Trek and intended to give storytellers a hopeful 'north star' for builders. ELIGIBILITY: open to all filmmakers globally. TIMELINE: competition launched 9 March 2026; submission deadline 15 August 2026; finals on 25 September 2026 in Los Angeles (finalists attend in person). APPLY: register and read the rules on the contest website at futurevisionxprize.com.
Annual essay competition from the Berggruen Institute, a companion to the Berggruen Prize for Philosophy & Culture, seeking new thinking and cross-cultural perspectives on fundamental philosophical questions of significance for contemporary life and the future. It looks for essays in the tradition of Rousseau, Montaigne, and Emerson (models cited include Frankfurt, Nagel, Sontag, Fukuyama, and recent Noema pieces), not peer-reviewed academic work: novel ideas, clearly argued in compelling ways for intellectually serious readers. THEME for 2026: 'A New Axial Age?' Referencing Karl Jaspers's Axial Age (c. 800-200 BCE), the prompt asks whether civilisation is again at a 'hinge of history' undergoing a pivotal transformation of consciousness driven by rapid technological change and its social, economic, and political consequences. Suggested (non-exhaustive) angles: the foundational ideas and institutions underpinning present and future societies; the philosophical implications of the current era; the future of human evolution and life amid the ecological crisis; shared conceptual foundations for a common future; global transformation driven by technology and the rise of AI; the end of the global order and its ramifications; and the future of life amid biotechnology and synthetic life. Entrants may choose their own topic; for 2026 creative fiction is accepted. ELIGIBILITY: open to the public; not for academic papers and not governed by academic disciplinary standards or affiliations. Length up to 10,000 words in English or 15,000 characters in Chinese (excluding diagrams, tables, endnotes, bibliography, or authorship declaration). One submission per year per entrant, in either English or Chinese; co-authorship allowed. Submissions must be original and previously unpublished. AI USAGE: generative AI must not be used to create content or substitute original thought, and entrants must engage primary sources rather than AI summaries; AI is permitted only for proofreading/grammar, as quoted supporting material when AI itself is the subject of the research, or for translating an essay into English or Chinese, and all AI use (including AI-assisted translation) must be disclosed on the front page or the entry is disqualified. JUDGING: originality, clarity, and style. Essays are due by 23:59 PT on 17 August 2026; PDF only. Chinese-language submissions use a separate page. Inquiries to essay@berggruen.org.
The Fondation Francois Schneider's Contemporary Talents competition, themed The Earth for this edition, awards EUR 15,000 per laureate (including acquisition of the work; EUR 8,000 for editioned works) plus an exhibition at the foundation's centre in Wattwiller. ELIGIBILITY: professional artists internationally, in SCULPTURE AND INSTALLATION only (video or digital work alone does not qualify). NOTE: the 23 August 2026 deadline is from a listing site; the organizer page only states the call runs June to August, so verify the exact date before applying.
USD 10,000 prize from the Association for Mathematical Research for serious experimentation in how mathematicians communicate with one another, beyond the static PDF. Submissions should demonstrate communicative capabilities fundamentally unavailable in a linear paper: interactive exploration of parameter spaces in differential equations, dynamic visualisation of group actions or geometric structures, multi-perspective representations of algebraic or number-theoretic objects, nonlinear navigation of proof architectures or dependency graphs, embedded computation as part of exposition, or similar. ELIGIBILITY: no nationality, institutional or career restriction stated; the focus is mathematical depth and communicative innovation. This is NOT for popularisation, production polish or short-form video content - it is about novel research-to-research communication. EVALUATION CRITERIA: mathematical depth and rigor; conceptual insight enabled by the medium; communicative innovation beyond static exposition; scalability and reproducibility; transformative potential for research communication. PROCESS: initial submissions are a short public YouTube concept demonstration (with the hashtag #AMRPotF and a concise written explanation of the mathematical substance and communicative innovation in the video description), with the YouTube link emailed to PotFPrize@amathr.org. Finalists are asked to provide a fully accessible prototype suitable for hosting or linking within AMR Reviews; the winning submission will be published in AMR Reviews as an interactive exposition. Selection committee: Mohammed Abouzaid, Benson Farb, Alex Kontorovich, Akshay Venkatesh, Maryna Viazovska.
The Xposure International Photography Awards are free to enter and include a dedicated Drone Photography category alongside many others. Category winners receive cash, equipment, and a trip to the Sharjah festival for the ceremony and exhibition. Official deadline 5 September 2026, extended deadline 20 September 2026.
The Foundwork Artist Prize is an annual juried award supporting outstanding artistic practices. The 2026 honoree receives an unrestricted USD 10,000 grant, studio visits with each of the five jurors, and an interview for Foundwork's Dialogues program. In addition, three artists are named to the 2026 Short List, each receiving a USD 1,000 micro-grant in support of their practice. Submissions are made online through Foundwork. Application deadline 25 September 2026.
The Earth Partner Prize is a global open call for young creatives making work about climate action and ecological justice, run by Earth Partner with the Global Environment Facility and Re:wild, and timed to amplify youth voices ahead of the UN climate conference in November 2026. IT IS NOT A PHOTOGRAPHY PRIZE: the call takes work across disciplines, and the organisers explicitly list photography projects, docu-style and experimental film, performance art, app development, spoken word, musical compositions, dance, fashion design, new media and social media projects. PRIZES: USD 10,000 for first prize, USD 5,000 each for two runners-up, USD 2,000 each for five finalists, plus an Impact Award and twenty honourable mentions. ELIGIBILITY: aged 14 to 30 at the time of submission, any nationality, race, gender or faith; applicants under 18 need parental consent. SUBMISSION NOTES: entry is free, and entrants are asked to disclose any use of AI tools and to mention prior awards or press coverage in the project description. Submissions are handled on Picter; deadline 7 October 2026 at 21:59.
The Aesthetica Art Prize accepts work in any discipline and theme, with video, installation, digital, and photography regularly shortlisted; past shortlists frequently feature critical-tech and surveillance-adjacent work, making it a strong venue for media art. Main Prize GBP 10,000 plus a group exhibition at York Art Gallery and editorial coverage. Standard deadline 11 October 2026 (GBP 25 for two works); late entries 12-18 October 2026 (GBP 35).
Global art prize celebrating how art is made, open to artists worldwide working in any medium or art form. Instead of a traditional application form, artists submit a digital presence (website, portfolio or social profile) linked through a .ART domain that documents identity, process and work as one continuous record. PRIZES: Grand Prize (USD 15,000 cash); Artist Residency Award France (one month at Chateau du Fresne, near Paris); Artist Residency Award Spain (residency at Anfitrion, Marbella); Publication Award (editorial coverage in Whitewall Magazine, the campaign's media partner); .ART Domain Award (USD 10,000 premium .ART domain name). ELIGIBILITY: individual artists and artist collectives from all backgrounds (cultures, ethnicities, gender identities, abilities); 18 or older at time of submission; open to artists from all geographic regions with no restrictions on nationality or place of residence. Multiple entries permitted, as long as each submission (single artwork, series or overall practice) is presented on or linked to a SEPARATE .ART domain. NOTE: a .ART domain is required for submission; this is the de facto entry mechanism. ANNOUNCEMENT: winners revealed during Art Basel Miami on 3 December 2026. DEADLINE: 1 November 2026. APPLY via the .ART Award site.
Artist Grant awards an unrestricted USD 1,200 grant to one visual artist three times a year, on a deliberately low-friction application: NO grant proposal is required. You email a link to your website, or 3-5 images of your work as JPG, PNG or PDF, plus a resume, CV or short bio with your name, to submit@artistgrant.org, and separately pay the USD 30 fee through Stripe or PayPal. If the name on your payment differs from the name on your email, say so in the email. ELIGIBILITY: visual artists aged 18 or over, worldwide. Past winners may NOT apply again. MEDIA ACCEPTED: painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, photography, mixed media, installation, and new or alternative visual art forms. NOT ACCEPTED: film and video, music, theatre, dance. SELECTION CRITERIA: a cohesive body of work; well-crafted work; well-presented work, judged with an explicit allowance that artists have differing financial means for presentation; work that communicates its viewpoint, ideas and concepts clearly, effectively and creatively; and work that is not derivative. RESULTS: all applicants are notified within 6-8 weeks of each deadline, and results are announced on the website, social media and newsletter. They will not respond to individual queries during the review period. VISIBILITY: grantees are showcased on the website, social media and marketing materials, and selected applicants are featured on social media with permission. Artists retain their copyrights. NOTE: the grant recurs on 15 March, 15 July and 15 November each year, and this desk lists each round separately. There is a USD 30 application fee.
Artist Grant awards an unrestricted USD 1,200 grant to one visual artist three times a year, on a deliberately low-friction application: NO grant proposal is required. You email a link to your website, or 3-5 images of your work as JPG, PNG or PDF, plus a resume, CV or short bio with your name, to submit@artistgrant.org, and separately pay the USD 30 fee through Stripe or PayPal. If the name on your payment differs from the name on your email, say so in the email. ELIGIBILITY: visual artists aged 18 or over, worldwide. Past winners may NOT apply again. MEDIA ACCEPTED: painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, photography, mixed media, installation, and new or alternative visual art forms. NOT ACCEPTED: film and video, music, theatre, dance. SELECTION CRITERIA: a cohesive body of work; well-crafted work; well-presented work, judged with an explicit allowance that artists have differing financial means for presentation; work that communicates its viewpoint, ideas and concepts clearly, effectively and creatively; and work that is not derivative. RESULTS: all applicants are notified within 6-8 weeks of each deadline, and results are announced on the website, social media and newsletter. They will not respond to individual queries during the review period. VISIBILITY: grantees are showcased on the website, social media and marketing materials, and selected applicants are featured on social media with permission. Artists retain their copyrights. NOTE: the grant recurs on 15 March, 15 July and 15 November each year, and this desk lists each round separately. There is a USD 30 application fee.
Artist Grant awards an unrestricted USD 1,200 grant to one visual artist three times a year, on a deliberately low-friction application: NO grant proposal is required. You email a link to your website, or 3-5 images of your work as JPG, PNG or PDF, plus a resume, CV or short bio with your name, to submit@artistgrant.org, and separately pay the USD 30 fee through Stripe or PayPal. If the name on your payment differs from the name on your email, say so in the email. ELIGIBILITY: visual artists aged 18 or over, worldwide. Past winners may NOT apply again. MEDIA ACCEPTED: painting, drawing, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, photography, mixed media, installation, and new or alternative visual art forms. NOT ACCEPTED: film and video, music, theatre, dance. SELECTION CRITERIA: a cohesive body of work; well-crafted work; well-presented work, judged with an explicit allowance that artists have differing financial means for presentation; work that communicates its viewpoint, ideas and concepts clearly, effectively and creatively; and work that is not derivative. RESULTS: all applicants are notified within 6-8 weeks of each deadline, and results are announced on the website, social media and newsletter. They will not respond to individual queries during the review period. VISIBILITY: grantees are showcased on the website, social media and marketing materials, and selected applicants are featured on social media with permission. Artists retain their copyrights. NOTE: the grant recurs on 15 March, 15 July and 15 November each year, and this desk lists each round separately. There is a USD 30 application fee.