Marai Photo Grant 2027: South Asian Agriculture Photo Stories, Applications Open 24 November
The Marai Photo Grant has announced its 2027 open call for emerging documentary photographers in South Asia, with the theme 'Agriculture'. The application period is scheduled for 24 November 2026 through 29 January 2027. This is an advance notice: as of October 2026, the submission window has not yet begun, and prospective entrants should prepare a project proposal rather than assume an application sent today will be accepted.
The organizer specifies eight participating countries: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, India, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, the Maldives and Bhutan. The aim is to support photographers telling locally grounded stories about farmers, changing livelihoods, food systems and agricultural solutions. It is not a universal worldwide grant: photographers outside the defined South Asian audience should not presume eligibility.
The project continues the legacy of Shah Marai, chief photographer of the Agence France-Presse (AFP) Kabul bureau, who was killed in Afghanistan in 2018. The earlier Marai Photo Award developed into the Marai Photo Grant in 2025, offering funding and professional mentorship to selected photographers. The program's past-winner pages, jurors and collaboration with AFP provide credible institutional context.
The 2027 announcement confirms the application dates, agriculture theme and regional scope. However, some detailed pages on the website still display the 2026 rules concerning age, portfolio format and exact prize package. Applicants must NOT assume those older-year numbers automatically apply to 2027. Before applying, obtain the updated official 2027 eligibility conditions, ID/residency requirements, grant size, rights and portfolio instructions.
The central artistic challenge is to propose a coherent, documentary photo story with an authentic human perspective. Entrants can use the period before 24 November to identify people, locations and ethical consent issues relevant to agriculture in their home communities. AFP mentoring is a selective award outcome rather than a service automatically offered to every applicant.
Official 2027 announcement and past-award information: https://www.maraiphotoaward.com/ ; application portal to monitor for the updated 2027 rules: https://maraiphotoaward.com/application/index.html