ABOUT THE FELIX SCHOELLER PHOTO AWARD

A short Overview:

Welcome to the Felix Schoeller Photo Award – An international photography awards for professional photographers and young photographic talent. Felix Schoeller has been organizing and awarding the photography contest every two years since 2013. The tender for the Felix Schoeller Photo Award 2025 will start on 20.01.2025. The photo contest entry is free. You can reach the upload tool here.

As part of the Felix Schoeller Photo Award the different photo contest categories are:

  • Sustainability
  • Emerging Photographer
Categories Shortlisted
work will be
Nominated
entrants will
Category Winners
will also receive
Sustainability Published in the Website Gallery
  • Appear in the online campaign in social media
  • Appear with their nominated work in the high-quality ‘Winners and Nominees’ exhibition
  • Receive an invitation to the awards ceremony.
Cash prize
5.000 €
Emerging Photographer Cash prize
5.000 €

In addition, Felix Schoeller has been awarding the German Peace Prize for Photography together with the City of Peace Osnabrück since 2019. This photo award honours works that make the topic of peace photographically visible.

Shortlisted
work will be
Nominated
entrants will also
Category Winners
will also receive
German Peace Prize for Photography
Published in the Website Gallery
  • Appear with their nominated work in the high-quality ‘Winners and Nominees’ exhibition
  • Appear in the online campaign in social media
  • Receive an invitation to the awards ceremony.
Cash prize
10.000 €

Only professional photographers may submit entries in the categories " Sustainability" and the "German Peace Prize for Photography”. Only emerging photographers may submit entries to the special category “Emerging Photographer”. No liability is assumed for the accuracy of the information provided. The final terms and conditions of entry apply.  These can be found here.

Timing of the Award 2025
Submission period Registration and upload option for concepts and submissions January 20, 2025 – April 5, 2025
Submission deadline Last day for online submissions April 5, 2025
Online judging for compilation of the shortlist The juries view all work entered and compile a shortlist for each category May 1, 2025 – June 8, 2025
Publication of shortlist The shortlist will be published on this website June 27, 2025
Final jury sessions Discussion of shortlisted works, selection of five nominees per category, and the selection of the winners from the nominated works July 28, 2025 – July 29, 2025
Publication of nominees Publication of the work of the nominees in the Winners’ Gallery on this website August 12, 2025
Awards ceremony Award ceremony at the Museumsquartier Osnabrück September 25, 2025
Publication of award winners Publication of the work of the award winners in the Winners’ Gallery, start of the press and online campaign September 25, 2025
Exhibition opening Exhibition opening in Osnabrück’s Museum Quarter September 25, 2025

The photo contest categories

The Felix Schoeller Photo Award honors work that demonstrates a love of photography and the highest standards of image quality. As a manufacturer of specialty papers for high-quality photographic reproductions, we would like to use the international photo award to honor and support photographers who share our passion for uncompromisingly good pictures.

Below you will find more information about the individual photography contest categories of the Felix Schoeller Photo Awards 2025:

In all competition categories, both artistic and conceptual forms of expression are permitted in the individual photographic positions. These are even desired, especially since the written concept is also submitted with the photographic work.

German Peace Prize For Photography

The “German Peace Prize for Photography” honors works that conceptually address the theme of 'peace' through the medium of photography.

Felix Schoeller Photoaward

Picture Credits: Part of the nominee series German Peace Prize for Photography 2019 "Young People Photographed in Kyiv, April and May 2022", from Sebastian Wells & Vsevolod Kazarin, Deutschland, sebastianwells.de / www.vsevolodkazarin.com

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Sustainability

In this category we award entries that deal with the sustainable development of our planet and our society.

Felix Schoeller Photoaward

Picture Credits: Part of the winner series Felix Schoeller Photo Award 2023 in the category Sustainabilty, »New ways to the future« from Simone Tramonte, Italien, www.simonetramonte.it.

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Emerging Photographer

The “Emerging Photographer Award” honors up-and-coming young talents in the world of professional photography. This applies to photographers enrolled on degree courses, in professional training or internship who, in the opinion of the jury, particularly deserve to be promoted.

Felix Schoeller Photoaward

Picture Credits: Part of the winning series Felix Schoeller Photo Award 2023, Best Emerging Photographer: "The Holy Women" by Lisa Marie Asubonteng, Deutschland, lisamarieasubonteng.com.

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