What are the Evi Mono Awards?

Evi Mono Awards is a free international monochrome photography award about women.

The award recognises documentary and conceptual photographic works that explore women’s lives, presence, identity, memory, body, work, solitude, strength, vulnerability and place in the world.

Who can participate?

The award is open to photographers of all genders, nationalities and backgrounds.

Participants must be 18 years old or over.

You do not have to be a woman to enter. However, the submitted work must be about women.

What kind of work can I submit?

You may submit monochrome photographic work only. Monochrome includes black and white as well as single-colour photographic works.

The submitted image must be connected to the theme of the current edition and must meaningfully engage with women as the subject, context or central idea of the photograph.

We accept documentary and conceptual photography.

Do you accept AI-generated images or digital art?

No. Evi Mono Awards accepts photography only. AI-generated images, fully synthetic images, digital art, illustration, and poster design are not permitted and may result in disqualification at any stage of the award process. Basic photographic editing is allowed, including cropping, exposure correction, contrast, tonal adjustments, dust removal and standard retouching. The image must originate from a camera-based photographic process.

What are the categories?

There are two categories:

Documentary Photography

For monochrome photographic work rooted in real life, observation, people, places, events, memory, social context or everyday experience.

Conceptual Photography

For monochrome photographic work built around an idea, symbol, staging, metaphor, constructed image, self-portraiture, object, body, absence, memory or experimental photographic language.

How often does the award take place?

Evi Mono Awards is organised through recurring editions. Each edition has its own theme, submission deadline and announcement date, published on the official website. Each theme focuses on a different aspect of women’s lives, presence, identity, memory or place in the world.

How do I submit my work?

You submit your work through the submission form on the Evi Mono Awards website.

You do not need to create an account. You do not need to pay an entry fee.

The submission form will ask for your contact details, category, image title, short description, country and a link to your photographic work.

How many works can I submit?

You may submit one work per category for each edition.

This means you may submit:

One work in Documentary Photography

One work in Conceptual Photography

Each submitted work must respond to the theme of the current edition.

Are submissions anonymous?

Where possible, the jury review process is conducted without unnecessary identifying information. However, because submissions are collected through a form, Evi Mono Awards may need to store your name, email address and submission details for administrative purposes. Selected, shortlisted or awarded works may be published with the photographer’s name, country, image title and artist statement.

What are the prizes?

Prizes and opportunities may vary depending on the edition and available support.

They may include online gallery features, certificates, social media promotion, newsletter features, interviews, publication opportunities, exhibition opportunities or other awards announced for a specific edition. Evi Mono Awards is supported by donations, sponsors, partners and cultural funding.

Is the award free to enter?

Yes. Evi Mono Awards is free to enter. We do not charge photographers submission fees. The project is supported through donations, sponsors, partners and cultural funding.

Do you donate to charity?

Evi Mono Awards is built as a free-to-enter cultural platform. As the project develops, part of the support may be directed towards selected initiatives connected with women, education, visual culture, research or charitable causes. Any such support will be announced clearly and transparently.

Who owns the copyright to submitted works?

Photographers retain full copyright to their submitted works. By submitting work, you allow Evi Mono Awards to use selected, shortlisted or awarded images for purposes connected with the award, including website publication, online exhibitions, social media, newsletters, press materials, catalogues and promotion of the award. Images will be credited to the photographer wherever reasonably possible.

Are entries judged by humans or AI?

A human jury reviews the submissions. AI is not used for artistic evaluation. Evi Mono Awards may use basic technical or administrative tools to manage submissions, but artistic decisions are made by people.

Can I withdraw my submission?

You may contact us if you wish to withdraw your submission.

Please email: contact@evimonoawards.com

If your work has already been selected, published or included in award materials, removal may not always be possible immediately, but we will review the request reasonably.

Where can I find the official rules?

The official rules are available on the website under “How to Enter”, “Terms & Conditions” and alongside the submission form.

Before submitting your work, please read the rules carefully.

How can I support Evi Mono Awards?

You can support Evi Mono Awards by making a donation, becoming a sponsor, becoming a partner, sharing the open call, joining the newsletter or helping us reach photographers and cultural organisations.

Support helps us keep the award free for photographers.

Selected works may be:

- Featured on the Evi Mono Awards website

- Shared through our social media channels

- Considered for future exhibitions and publications

- Included in the official shortlist

- Reviewed by the international jury