Systemic Change Photography Prize

2022 First Place is shared by: Kiliii Yuyan for Indigenous Fire, United States

Giacomo d’Orlando for Nemo’s Garden, Italy

SDN will award two photographers the ZEKE Award for Systemic Change and a $2,500 honoraria to recognize their outstanding visual stories documenting systemic changes leading to sustainable solutions to important issues affecting the world today. We are particularly interested in the threat to democracy and solutions to this global crisis as well as related issues including human rights, global health, climate change, migration and refugees, conflict, race and gender, reproductive rights, sustainable farming practices, and others. We look to photographers to educate us as to what issues are most pressing and the change that is being done.

We are happy to announce again that we will be giving two separate awards.
1. ZEKE Award for Systemic Change
2. ZEKE Award for Documentary Photography
Each awardee will receive $2,500

We are announcing the call for entries four months in advance of the January 12 deadline to give photographers an opportunity to identify and create new projects for either award but specifically for the ZEKE Award for Systemic Change which may require a longer lead time and planning.
 

In partnership with Social Documentary Network (SDN), the FSC has created the Systemic Change Photography Prize for the 3rd year in a row.

ZEKE Award for Documentary Photography
SDN will award one photographer the ZEKE Award for Documentary Photography and a $2,500 honoraria to recognize their success in documentary visual storytelling about any subject matter with an emphasis on themes that affect the global community. Jurors will look at quality of the photographic images and accompanying text and how well the combination adds to our understanding of the issue.  

It is not necessary to indicate which award you are applying to. The jurors will award one of each based on the work submitted.

Click here to view 2023 ZEKE Award recipients.

Begin accepting submissions on SDN website: November 1, 2023
Deadline for submissions: January 12, 2024
Entry Fee: $30  
Up to 30 images can be submitted and all submissions include a free exhibit on the SDN website for one year.
Scholarships available. Click here for details

Click here for complete award rules and requirements and to enter.
Already a member of SDN and ready to enter? Click here or just login to your account and get started.

Awards

Two First-Place Winners will receive

  • $2,500 cash prize

  • Featured in ZEKE magazine.

  • Featured in exhibitions of ZEKE Award winners. Exact venues to be determined.

  • Featured in in SDN's email Spotlight sent to SDN's 8,500 members and on SDN's home page, X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram feeds.

Honorable Mentions

  • Presented in ZEKE magazine.

  • Featured in exhibitions of ZEKE Award winners. Exact venues to be determined.

  • Featured in in SDN's email Spotlight sent to SDN's 8,500 members and on SDN's home page, X (Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram feeds.

Other benefits of submitting your work to the ZEKE Awards

  • Even if you don't win, your work will be eligible for publication in all future issues of ZEKE magazine.

  • Select work is featured in SDN's social media feeds.

  • All entries remain live on the SDN website for one year and can be renewed. 

  • SDN periodically does other special online publications, including InFocus, that your work is eligible to be featured in.     

Jurors

To be announced later this fall