An international prize awarded to a woman photographer, the Virginia Prize has been presented every two years since 2012 to a professional photographer, with no age or nationality restrictions, for a body of photographic work that is not commissioned by the press or advertising and has not previously been shown in France.

Recognising, Supporting, and Promoting Women Photographers

Born into a family of women artists—painters, sculptors, and musicians—photographer and visual artist Sylvia Schildge sought to pay tribute to them by creating, in 2012, one of the first photography prizes exclusively dedicated to women.

By naming the prize after her grandmother, Virginia, a pianist, Sylvia Schildge conveys her family values through a professional award and actively contributes to the recognition and promotion of a different perspective in photography.

A Professional Jury, Renewed for Each Edition

Committed to ensuring the highest standards of quality and professionalism, Sylvia Schildge assembles, for each new edition and in collaboration with Lucy Conticello, Director of Photography at M, le Magazine du Monde, a jury of eight leading figures from the fields of photography and visual arts.

Since 2012, jury members have included:

Jacques Audiard, filmmaker

Adelaide Delgado, Founder and Director of Women Photographers International Archive (WOPHA)

Marta Gili, former Director of the École Nationale Supérieure de la Photographie in Arles

François Hebel, Director of the Henri Cartier-Bresson Foundation and former Director of the Rencontres d’Arles

Marin Karmitz, President of the Institut pour la Photographie, founder of mk2, and filmmaker

Laurent Le Bon, former President of the Musée Picasso in Paris and current Director of the Centre Pompidou

Lekgetho Makola, Director of the Market Photo Workshop in Johannesburg

Azu Nwagbogu, Founder and Director of the African Artists’ Foundation (AAF) and the Lagos Photo Festival

Anna Planas, Artistic Director of Paris Photo

Hripsimé Visser, Curator of Photography at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam