Saltzman-Leibovitz Prize: A New Wave of Diverse Female Photographers

Marisol Mendez, a photographer and researcher from Cochabamba, Bolivia, has been named the winner of the 2026 Saltzman-Leibovitz Photography Prize for her project titled “MADRE.” The award, which includes a top prize of $15,000, recognizes emerging female visual storytellers at critical stages of their creative development.

The prize was established in 2025 by photographer and philanthropist Lisa Saltzman, through the Saltzman Family Foundation, in collaboration with Annie Leibovitz. The initiative is designed to honor the legacy of Ralph and Muriel Saltzman, who were collectors and patrons of the arts.

The Winning Project: MADRE

Mendez’s winning project, “MADRE,” is an exploration of Bolivian identity and matriarchal lineage. The work integrates Andean folklore and Catholic iconography, utilizing a combination of archival family photographs alongside both staged and naturalistic imagery created by Mendez.

Mendez’s practice focuses on the intersection of truth and fiction, using the gaze of her subjects to challenge preconceived biases or prejudices regarding women. Upon receiving her nomination, Mendez described her approach to the medium:

“It’s usually easier to understand love or time through a poem or song than through a chemistry lesson or the manual of a clock,”

Runner-Up and Nominated Artists

Miranda Rae Barnes received second place in the competition, which carries a prize of $5,000. A Brooklyn-born artist, Barnes was recognized for her project “Social Season,” which documents African American cotillion culture. Her work includes “The Debutantes’ Ball,” a project conducted from 2022 to 2025 in Detroit, Michigan.

Barnes’s photography uses richly composed color images to document the community and anticipation surrounding debutante customs. According to Barnes, the work seeks to offer a glimpse of generational Black excellence and expression while acknowledging the historical tensions regarding race and visibility.

“My project Social Season offers a glimpse into the world of African American cotillions.”

In addition to Mendez and Barnes, the 2026 shortlist included three other nominated artists: Cole Ndelu, Lindeka Qampi, and Bettina Pittaluga.

Prize Philosophy and Selection Process

The 2026 edition of the prize took inspiration from Annie Leibovitz’s book “Women,” focusing on practices that expand the representation of memory, identity, and lived experience. The prize aims to highlight how photographers choose to look at the world and what they choose to see.

“I established the Saltzman Leibovitz Prize in honour of my parents… who taught me to pay attention: to art, to people, and to the world around us,”

The selection process involved an international group of nominators from the fields of visual culture, curating, and publishing. This group included figures such as Emma Bowkett and Zanele Muholi. Each nominator put forward a candidate, whose work was subsequently evaluated by a panel of experts.

Exhibition at Photo London

A selection of works by the five nominated artists will be exhibited at Olympia London as part of Photo London. The exhibition runs from May 13 to May 17, 2026, placing the work of these emerging photographers within one of the city’s prominent photography platforms.