ECHT JETZT German Youth Photo Award 2026

ECHT JETZT focuses on what matters to young people: their questions, their relationships and their perspectives. In a time of change, the exhibition creates a space for reassurance, exchange and reflection.

Through 40 works, ECHT JETZT paints a picture of how young people are shaping their present. The exhibition offers insights into the facets that define their lives today: It tells of empathy and curiosity, of solidarity and community, of fragmentation and cohesion, of faith and hope. It highlights the coexistence of social and personal struggles and brings to light the rich diversity of young people’s perspectives.

At the same time, ECHT JETZT demonstrates the depth of young people’s trust in images and the power they attribute to them in expressing their own issues and concerns. Photography is explored and utilised across its entire spectrum: documentary and artistic, analogue and digital, using historical techniques and smartphones, in moving images, single frames and series, through chance and staged scenes.

The 40 works on display were selected by the jury of the German Youth Photo Award from the entries submitted for the 2025/26 competition. The competition was organised in the categories ‘Free Choice of Subject’, ‘Experiments’ and the annual theme ‘A House, A Boat, A Car’. The annual theme invited young people to express their ideas about social justice and their dreams for the future through photography. 1.236 young people from across Germany took part, submitting 8.304 entries. The exhibition and spatial concept, as well as the production, were developed during a collaborative seminar in the Photography department at the HSD / Peter Behrens School of Arts.

The German Youth Photo Award has been discovering, supporting and connecting young photographers since 1961. Organised by the German Children’s and Youth Film Centre (KJF), it offers young people a platform for exchange, visibility and artistic development. Entry to the nationwide competition has always been free of charge, and is open to young people aged 0–25. From the very beginning, the competition has been dedicated to the idea of providing a space for young photography and bringing young people’s perspectives to the public’s attention – for many photographers now well-known, taking part was a crucial starting point for their future careers.

A great deal has been achieved over more than six decades: around 80.000 young creative talents have taken part since 1961 – either individually, in teams or as a group. More than 11.000 award-winning photographs can now be viewed in the digital archive at jugendfotopreis.de.

And since then? A lot has happened! With changing themes, diverse exhibitions and exciting special projects, the competition has continually reinvented itself. It tackles current issues, responds to social developments and reflects what matters to young people. New visual languages, new ideas, new perspectives – there’s a place for all of them here. The next call for entries for the German Youth Photo Award will open in autumn 2027.

KIT Project Manager: Jana-Catharina Israel

Director of the German Youth Photo Award: Katharina Klapdor Ben Salem

Exhibition concept: Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences, Peter Behrens School of Arts, led by Prof. Mareike Foecking and Morgaine Schäfer

Arts Education: Münster Academy of Fine Arts, led by Prof. Dr. Sarah Hübscher