Call for Applications: YATA Photo Award

In the context of the Munich Security Conference 2026, YATA Germany (Junge Deutsche Atlantische Gesellschaft), in cooperation with Airbus Defence and Space and YATA International, warmly invites submissions for the second edition of its international photo competition, placing the power of visual storytelling at the center of the security policy discourse and offering the chance to win coveted prizes.

The international photo competition “Images of Resilience: Framing Peace through Allied Vision” honors photographers who capture the human essence of security, resilience, and solidarity. The award ceremony and exhibition will take place as part of the Emerging Leaders Hub of the Munich Security Conference at the Amerikahaus Munich on 13 February 2026. This project is supported by Deloitte, RENK Group, NATO, CALUMET and Europäische Sicherheit & Technik as media partner.

The competition is open to amateur, emerging, and professional photographers who are citizens or residents of a NATO or Partnership for Peace (PfP) country and at least 18 years old at the time of submission.

Submitted works should reflect the competition’s main theme, “Images of Resilience: Framing Peace through Allied Vision,” celebrating cooperation, commitment, and resilience in the service of peace. Participants may submit up to three single images or one series of up to five images.

Submissions are accepted exclusively via the official online form:
https://forms.gle/ghSv96e34Xe8WiqQA

Prizes

In addition to the invitation to the award ceremony in Munich, the following prizes await the winners:

🥇 1^st Prize – Behind the Camera at the Munich Security Conference
Experience the Munich Security Conference up close and be part of it as a photographer. Together with renowned Munich-based photographer Jan Saurer, you will spend one day shooting at the world’s leading security conference. Jan will mentor you as you capture its most compelling moments.

🥈 2^nd Prize – Leopard 2 Tank Transmission Model
A high-quality Leopard 2 tank transmission model worth €250.

🥉 3^rd Prize – CALUMET Photo Workshop Voucher
A CALUMET voucher for a photography workshop worth approximately €100.

Entries will be reviewed by a jury of experts from the Young DAG, the field of security policy, photography, and partner institutions. The awarded photographs will be selected by this expert jury and exhibited in the framework of the Munich Security Conference 2026.

All winners will be invited to Munich for the award ceremony on 13 February 2026 in the Emerging Leaders Hub at Amerikahaus Munich – with travel and accommodation costs covered – and will take part in an engaging, curated program in an international environment focused on security policy. Selected photographs will be presented as part of the official exhibition, offering opportunities to connect with leading figures from politics, industry, and the media.

The submission deadline is 6 January 2026. Late entries cannot be considered. For any inquiries, please contact events@yata-germany.de

The organizers look forward to inspiring submissions that showcase how photographers bring peace, resilience, and humanity into focus within the context of international security.

Good luck!