Application

The Marai Photo Grant Assignment 2026

Under the concept of "My Reality. Now.", this year's theme is "Water Scarcity". We invite photographers from South Asia — Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, the Maldives, and Bhutan — to submit project proposals documenting how water scarcity has impacted their local communities. How would you capture this impact in a photo story that raises awareness and inspires sustainable living? Through your lenses, highlight the urgent need for action and drive the conversation forward.

Winner Prize and Mentorship

The Marai Photo Grant has two gender categories: "Female" and "Male." Applicants must apply according to the gender stated in their passport. Winners in each category will receive prize money, Nikon gear, and AFP mentorship to bring their photo story projects to life. The winners' photo story projects will then be showcased on AFP's global news wire! Each category will also feature one runner-up.

Prizes:

• Two winners (one from each gender category) will receive $3,000 USD and a Nikon Z6III with a NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S.
• Two runners-up (one from each gender category) will receive a Nikon Z50II with a NIKKOR Z DX 16-50mm f/3.5-6.3 VR.

Mentorship:

With their mentor, the Grant winners will define clear and achievable objectives for the program duration through regular one-on-one sessions for discussion and guidance. Grant winners will focus on their project and set challenging targets, aided by the mentor, who will provide regular reviews and constructive feedback. The photographer’s development will be tracked by the mentor. Through these discussions, the Grant winners will also be able to learn more about the news photography industry. At the end of the program, the mentor will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of their project work.

Application Period

• Start: Monday, November 17th, 2025, 9:00 (New Delhi Time)
• Deadline: Thursday, January 15th, 2026, 13:30 (New Delhi Time)