Contest

Between 1996 and 2022, the NWFP honoured ten outstanding talents in the field of photography each year. Following the merger of the vfg with the SBF and the uspp to form SIYU professionelle fotografie schweiz, the time has come to organise the award again. In doing so, SIYU is emphasising its claim to sustainably promote young local photographers and help young talents gain visibility. Works can be submitted online via Picter between 1 February and 30 April.

Ten of all the works submitted to the professional and independent jury of three experts will be presented to the interested public at an exhibition and other events and documented in a publication. In addition, workshops and events will be organised to facilitate networking, exchange with other photographers and artists and engagement with the general public.

Schedule

1.2.–30.4.2026 

Call for entries SIYU AWARD 2026

until early June 2026

Pre-selection by Picter

13.6.2026 

Jurying in Zurich

22.10.2026

Opening of the group exhibition, award ceremony and catalogue presentation at Photobastei Zurich, 6:30 p.m.

23.10.–8.11.2026

Duration of the exhibition at Photobastei Zurich

Terms and conditions

General information

The SIYU AWARD is the successor to the “vfg Young Talent Photography Award” (NWFP), which was held between 1996 and 2022, and is designed to promote talent and support young photographers. The competition is organised on a voluntary basis and is partly funded by SIYU Professional Photography Switzerland, among others. From 2026 onwards, thanks to the Alois Ottiger Grant, three prize winners will receive a substantial financial award and the catalogue will be co-financed.

Eligibility to participate

All photographers with Swiss citizenship and all photographers of other nationalities who live, study or work in Switzerland at the time of submission are eligible to enter. They are entitled to submit entries until they reach the age of 39. The deadline is the date of submission to Picter. No correspondence will be entered into regarding the conditions. Unauthorized entries will be disqualified. Refunds of registration fees are not possible.

Requirements for the project to be submitted

Only original, self-created work will be accepted. None of the works entered may have already won an award elsewhere, either in Germany or abroad.
If AI (or similar) is used as an aid or creative element, this must be clearly indicated.
The topic of the work(s) is free.
Any number of projects per person may be submitted.
A project or submission consists of three components: 1. a series of at least three and no more than eight photos/images; 2. a project description (maximum 1,000 characters); and 3. a presentation plan that shows the jury how the work would be presented.

Application fee

The application fee is CHF 50 per submitted project. This is due upon submission via Picter. The fees are earmarked for the organization of the award.

Jury, jurying and financial support

The jury consists of three people, each of whom works in a photo-related field. The jury’s decision is final. The judging tool is provided by Picter.

The ten finalists selected by the jury, whose works will be shown in the group exhibition, will be notified immediately after the final judging on Saturday, 13.6.2026. All finalists will receive a contribution towards the production of their works (prints, frames, etc.). In addition, the jury will award three works with support grants of CHF 5,000, CHF 3,000 and CHF 2,000 from the Alois Ottiger Grant, according to their ranking (1st, 2nd and 3rd prize). The three prize winners will be announced at the vernissage on 22.10.2026.

Further information will follow shortly and will be communicated on the website (siyu-award.ch).

Exclusion of liability

The insurance of the works shown in the exhibition is the responsibility of the participants. The SIYU AWARD declines all responsibility (e.g. in the event of damage or theft). Participants undertake to ensure that all submitted works are free of third-party rights (e.g. third-party copyrights, design rights, personal rights) or that these have been properly cleared. Participants shall indemnify the organizer SIYU AWARD against any infringement of third-party rights.

All submitted images may be used by SIYU AWARD for the further promotion and advertising of the award free of charge in terms of time and space.