Awarded every two years since 2012, the Prix Virginia is one of the first photography award exclusively dedicated to a female photographer, regardless of age or nationality. The work submitted must never have yet been exhibited in France and must not be the result of an editorial assignment or advertisement commission.
The Prix Virginia will be presented in November 2026 with a 10,000€ grant.
A private initiative to celebrate and support women photographers
Sylvia Schildge, founder and president of the Prix Virginia, is a photographer and visual artist. She belongs to a family of women artists, painters, sculptors, and musicians and decided to honor their heritage by launching a prize exclusively dedicated to women photographers, named after her pianist grandmother, Virginia.
Through this award, she aims to promote and honor women photographers and shine a light on their works worldwide.
An independent and professional judging panel renewed every two years
Mindful of ensuring high quality and professionalism to the Prix Virginia, Sylvia Schildge gathers, with the help of Lucy Conticello, of the French newspaper M le Magazine du Monde, for each edition, a jury of eight industry leaders working in the field of visual arts.
Among the previous panels were:
- Jacques Audiard, film director
- Adelaide Delgado, founder and director of Women Photographers International Archives (WOPHA)
- Marta Gili, former Director of the l’Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Photographie in Arles and director of Jeu de Paume
- Marin Karmitz, collector, movie producer, distributor, and founder of mk2
- Laurent Le Bon, former director of the Musée Picasso in Paris and current director of the Centre Pompidou
- Lekgetho Makola, Johannesburg Market Photo Workshops Director
- Azu Nwagbogu, founder and director of the African Artists’Foundation (AAF) and the Lagos Photo Festival
- Anna Planas, artistic director of the Paris Photo fair
- Hripsimé Visser, curator of photography at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam
Until May 7th, 2026
Download the application form on www.prixvirginia.com
