The Celebration of Photography 2026
8 October saw another highlight of the Leica annual programme take place at Leitz-Park in Wetzlar: the Celebration of Photography. This successful event brought the Leica Community together once again, showcasing the diversity of Leica culture and enabling everyone involved to share their passion for authentic photography. The focus was on presentations of the 46th edition of the prestigious Leica Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA), the new LOBA Women Grant and the Leica Hall of Fame Award. The programme also featured discussions about the stories behind the images, the experiences that inspired them and the biographies of the award-winning photographers. The Celebration of Photography once again proved to be an unforgettable experience that celebrated the shared Leica spirit in an appropriate setting.
The 2026 LOBA Winners Are Damir Faizulin and Laila AnnMarie Stevens
As in previous years, there was a nail-biting wait until the very end to find out which two series from the LOBA shortlist would be awarded the highly sought-after LOBA prizes. There were over 400 entries this year, put forward by the expert international panel of nominators and selected by the high-calibre jury to form a shortlist of 11 series. In the main category, the Russian photographer Damir Faizulin was honoured for his series Preserving Nature as Preserving Ourselves, in which he focuses on the people and landscapes of the Dagestan mountains. This year, the winner of the Newcomer category was American photographer Laila AnnMarie Stevens. Her sensitive black-and-white series, Clayton Sisterhood Project, is a personal exploration of new family structures, drawing on her own family and featuring self-assured Black women.
The 2026 LOBA Shortlist Showcased in a Major Exhibition at the Ernst Leitz Museum
The opening of the LOBA exhibition was another highlight of the Celebration of Photography. The two winning series have been elaborately staged alongside nine further series that made it onto the LOBA 2026 shortlist. The exhibition is a powerful statement on current photographic perspectives regarding the relationship between people and the environment, exploring socially relevant topics and complex global challenges. All of the series from the 46th LOBA competition will be showcased in the museum’s temporary exhibition space until 18 February 2027.
© Valentina Sinis/LOBA Women Grant 2026
The LOBA Women Grant Goes to Valentina Sinis
This is the first time that funding has been awarded as part of the LOBA programme for a project to be developed in the coming year. The LOBA Women Grant will enable the Italian photographer Valentina Sinis to expand her long-term project, The Last Butterflies, with a new chapter in which she will accompany women in the mountains between Iraq and Iran as they fight for political freedom and social recognition.
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Leica Picture of the Year 2026 © Graciela Iturbide
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Graciela Iturbide Inducted into the Leica Hall of Fame
This year, Graciela Iturbide was honoured with the Leica Hall of Fame Award in recognition of her life’s work. It was a special moment for everyone present to experience the work of this artist, who was born in 1942. She is widely regarded as one of Mexico’s most significant and internationally renowned contemporary female photographers. An accompanying exhibition featuring over 50 of her photographs is showing at the Leica Gallery in Wetzlar until January 2027, offering comprehensive insights into her work.
The Leica Picture of the Year 2026 by Graciela Iturbide
This year’s Leica collector’s item was also unveiled at the event: Graciela Iturbide’s photograph “Na’ Lupe Pan”, from the series Juchitán, taken in Oaxaca, Mexico in 1986. The Leica Picture of the Year 2026 will join the high-quality collection of images by outstanding Leica photographers that Leica has been building up since 2021 and offering exclusively at Leica Galleries. This new limited-edition print will be available at Leica Galleries from December 2026.
Celebration of Photography – a Festival of Impactful Images and Engaging Encounters
Once again, the day’s programme embodied a very special experience. However, the success of an event like the Celebration of Photography hinges on the collaboration of the many people involved. Leica Camera AG would therefore like to thank all its staff, supporters and partners. Special thanks go to Brieke and Weingut Leitz, who supported the 2026 Celebration of Photography as cooperation partners.
