Elisa Medde is an art historian, editor, curator and lecturer specialising in photography and visual culture. Medde has been nominated for prizes and chaired juries, including the Luma Rencontres Dummy Book Award, Prix Elysée and MAST Photography Grant on Industry and Work. Her writing has appeared in FlashArt, PhotoEye, Time Magazine, Foam Magazine, Something We Africans Got, YET Magazine, the Aperture PhotoBook Review, the British Journal of Photography and artists’ books. Between 2012–23, she served as Editor-in-Chief of Foam Magazine, which received a Lucie Award for Best Photography Magazine. In 2023 she received the Royal Photographic Society Award for outstanding achievement in photographic publishing. She is Director at Foto Colectania Foundation in Barcelona, Spain.  

What does the shortlist say about photography today?
I think this year’s shortlist is a powerful testimony of the fertility and vitality of photographic practices, and its centrality as the defining medium of our time. It also offers a wonderful chance for us to reflect on the necessity for a slower, multi-layered, committed approach in image making and image presentation, moving away from sensational, perhaps entertaining but quick lived forms. 

Please can you sum up the shortlist in three words? 
inspiring, unexpected, solid 

Newsha Tavakolian (1981, Tehran) is a photographer, visual artist and educator known for her work that captures the human condition.  Tavakolian began her career in photography at a young age and is now a Magnum Photos member. Her photography is characterised by its evocative storytelling and her keen eye for capturing the delicate emotions that shape us as humans. She has covered a wide range of topics, from the challenges faced by women in Iran and worldwide, to the aftermath of tensions in conflict zones. Her work often combines artistry with documentary, blurring the lines between reality and the imagined. She has received numerous awards and international photo prizes. Her photographs have been featured in prestigious exhibitions worldwide.

What does the shortlist say about photography today?
All those selected represent authenticity in photography, for me the most important part of our work.

Please can you sum up the shortlist in three words? 
creativity, honesty, consistency

Dr. Mark Sealy is the Executive Director of Autograph (since 1991) and Professor of Photography, Rights and Representation at University of the Arts London – London College of Communication. Sealy’s work explores the intersection of art, photography, social change, identity politics, race and human rights. He earned his PhD from Durham University and has written extensively for leading international photographic journals, producing numerous artist publications, curating major exhibitions and commissioning photographers and filmmakers worldwide. Sealy has served as an advisor to prominent cultural institutions, including Tate, the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, Art Fund, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, World Press Photo and the International Centre of Photography, New York. In 2026, he was appointed Artistic Director for the Hamburg Triennial of Photography.

What does the shortlist say about photography today?
This year’s shortlist reminds us of photography’s capacity to be dynamic, diverse and radical. In the hands of those who truly understand its potential to narrate, it continues to be a profoundly complex medium – one that not only reflects our times but also helps us navigate the challenges we face.

Please can you sum up the shortlist in three words? 
dynamic, diverse, radical

Anne-Marie Beckmann is a German-French art historian and curator. She is the Director of the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation. Since 1999 she has been curating the Art Collection Deutsche Börse, an international collection of contemporary photography, and developing the company's cultural programme. Beckmann is a lecturer and Honorary Professor at the University of Art and Design in Offenbach/Main. 

What does the shortlist say about photography today?
The shortlist celebrates photography’s versatility and capacity to not only document the world around us, but to also challenge our perceptions of it. 

Please can you sum up the shortlist in three words? 
impactful, pioneering, empowerment

Shoair Mavlian is Director of The Photographers' Gallery where she leads the strategic vision and artistic direction of the organisation. She was previously Director of Photoworks where she oversaw the exhibitions, biennial festival, commissions, learning and engagement, publishing and digital content. Before that Mavlian was Assistant Curator, Photography and International Art at Tate Modern, London. 

What does the shortlist say about photography today?
The shortlisted work shows how photography continues to be a powerful reflection on contemporary life.   

Please can you sum up the shortlist in three words? 
intimate, investigative, imaginative