Black Women Photographers x Nikon Grants

The 2026 Black Women Photographers x Nikon Grant Program is a year-long initiative designed to support creators through four quarterly grant opportunities. Each grant recipient will receive:

  • (1) $2,500 USD cash grant

  • (1) Nikon Z6III 24-70mm f/4 lens kit

Applications are now open for the first quarter grant.

Apply by March 22nd. Applications close at 11:59 PM EST. Late submissions will not be accepted.

“While receiving the Z6II and lenses was significant, the opportunities that followed through Black Women Photographers truly changed the trajectory of my career.

Months after receiving the grant, I was hired by the Clinton Foundation through the BWP database to photograph the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting. This opportunity opened doors I had been working toward for a long time.

I am deeply grateful for the ecosystem BWP has built and continues to steward so intentionally.”

— Andriana Ortiz, a BWP x Nikon 2024 grant recipient.

Meet Our Fourth Class

#BWPxNikon

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#BWPxNikon 🖤💛

  • Dayana Chege and Bohetic Aladin - Mexico City, Mexico

    “Being chosen by Nikon and Black Women Photographers for our project is more than validation. It’s such a powerful reminder that the stories I’m telling matter. That even when the tools are few, the vision is enough. And that this vision can now grow, not just for me, but for the women and communities I create with and for.

    What makes this moment so empowering is that our creative idea wasn’t just acknowledged, it was supported. To be resourced as Black women to tell our stories, on our own terms, means we can create with more freedom, more depth, and more intention. It opens up space to experiment, to dream a little louder, and to build work that truly reflects the richness of my narratives.”

  • Recipient 1: Morgan Payne - Chicago, Illinois

    Recipient 2: Maheder Haileselassie - Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

    Recipient 3: Angela Ogunfojuri - London, United Kingdom

    Recipient 4: Wambui Lornah Sharon - Nairobi, Kenya

    Recipient 5: Titilayo Ayangade - New York, New York

  • Recipient 1: Metche Jaafar - Cairo, Egypt

    Recipient 2: Brianna Ali - Kansas City, Kansas

    Recipient 3: Priscillia Grubo - Munich, Germany

    Recipient 4: Erica Johnson - Norfolk, Virginia

    Recipient 5: Vurzie Kim - Kaduna, Nigeria

  • Nikon Z50II One Lens Kit

    Raven Hardin

    Nikon Z6III 24-70mm f/4 Kit

    Tamika Watford

    Nikon Z 8 with a 24-70mm f/2.8 and 85mm f/1.8

    Tonika Johnson

    Nikon Z 7II with a 28-75mm f/2.8

    Maria J Hacket

    Nikon Z 6II with a 28-75mm f/2.8 and 35mm f/1.8

    Leta Harrison

  • "Winning this grant is a nod to keep going and an assurance that when you take big scary steps towards your dreams, your dreams will take even bigger steps towards you. First, I'll be able to replace my stolen camera and create again. It truly feels surreal that my life and my work is in alignment. Alignment, imagination, authenticity, change and community are values that guide my work. I’m humbled and grateful to tell stories that matter. Thank you for your recognition and your investment."

    Dayana Chege

    A smiling woman with dreadlocks, wearing large sunglasses and a colorful tie-dye shirt.
  • "Being selected for the Black Women Photographers x Nikon grant means everything to me. This past year, I faced some of the darkest moments of my life, navigating depression, anxiety, and the unique challenges of raising my daughter, who has autism. Through it all, photography remained my dream, even when I had to sell my camera just to stay afloat. This grant is more than support; it's a lifeline and a reminder that my creativity matters. With it, I can focus on building my gallery - celebrating families like mine through photography. As a Black woman and a special needs mom, this recognition fuels my passion to create space where we're seen, valued, and represented. Thank you for helping me keep going and for helping me show my daughter what's possible."

    Morgan Payne

    Close-up of a woman with natural curly hair, wearing large hoop earrings and a black tank top, looking directly at the camera.
  • "Receiving the Black Women Photographers × Nikon Grant means I can keep building work that is not traditional and is shaped by each individual person I photograph, instead of pushing us toward sameness. This is a portrait series in which all the subjects are Black classical musicians who have each carved out a path that did not necessarily exist before they walked it. I'd like to thank Black Women Photographers and Nikon for supporting this work. I'm beyond excited to continue adding layers as this project grows, and I look forward to continuing to meet more Black musicians who deserve to be documented with intention and pride."

    Titilayo Ayangade

    A woman with glasses and short curly hair smiling while sitting on a brown leather sofa, with a large plant behind her.

Meet Our Third Class

#BWPxNikon

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  • Grace Ekpu - Lagos, Nigeria

    The project: Through the lens of personal stories, Bridging Pain illuminates the resilience and fortitude of individuals grappling with sickle cell anemia. The documentary explores the disparities in healthcare access across different regions, with a focus on Africa and the diaspora. The common thread that binds these diverse experiences is pain. Through observational storytelling and interviews, the film explores the stark contrasts in healthcare access, survival strategies, life choices, and the profound impact of this debilitating disease on relationships. It also underscores how access to advanced medical care and support systems can significantly enhance the quality of life for those living with sickle cell anemia.

  • Recipient 1: Tiana Duarte-Kargbo - Sierra Leone and New York

    Recipient 2: Gabrielle Woodland - New York, New York

    Recipient 3: Mimi Ezinne - Johannesburg, South Africa and London, United Kingdom

    Recipient 4: Zahreh Barry - Baltimore, Maryland

    Recipient 5: Iyana Esters - Reno, Nevada

  • Recipient 1: Phylecia Jones - Denver, Colorado

    Recipient 2: Sage Gee - Miami, Florida

    Recipient 3: Rebekah Gaillard - Indianapolis, Indiana

    Recipient 4: Aspen Evans - Atlanta, Georgia

    Recipient 5: Lo Braden - Detroit, Michigan

  • Louisa Wells - Copenhagen, Denmark

    Z 8 and 24-70mm f/2.8 and 85mm f/1.8

    Sarah-Elizabeth Atunrase - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    Z 7II and 28-75mm f/2.8

    Andriana Ortiz - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

    1Z 6II 28-75mm f/2.8 and 35mm f/1.8

    Nija Howard - New York, New York

    Z fc + 16-50mm Lens Kit

    Ashleigh Sterling - Washington, DC

    Z 30 One Lens Kit

Meet Our Second Class

#BWPxNikon

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  • Tiffany Alexander - El Paso, Texas

  • Recipient 1: Alexandra Obochi - Abuja, Nigeria‍ ‍‍ ‍

    Recipient 2: Destinee Condison - Kingston, Jamaica‍ ‍

    Recipient 3: Jay Gash - Oakland, California‍ ‍

    ‍Recipient 4: Rhoda Tchokokam - Paris, France

    Recipient 5: Sontenish Myers - New York, New York

  • Recipient 1: Danielle Alakija - Vuda, Fiji and London, UK

    Recipient 2: Mandisha Nicole - Richmond, Virginia ‍ ‍

    Recipient 3: Jazzmine M. Taylor - San Diego, California

    Recipient 4: Ryla Dapremont - Detroit, Michigan

    Recipient 5: Tasha Burton - St. Louis, Missouri‍ ‍

  • Tonya Caver - Baltimore, Maryland

    Z 6II and 28-75mm f/2.8 Kit

    Edwina Hay - New York, New York

    Z 7II and 28-75mm f/2.8 Kit

    Andréa Benton - Cincinnati, Ohio and the United Kingdom

    Z 6II and 24-70mm f/4S Kit + 35mm f/1.8S Kit

    Amanda Davis - Washington, DC

    Z fc + 16-50mm Kit

Meet Our First Class

#BWPxNikon

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  • Recipient: Tiffany Sutton - St. Louis, Missouri

    Growing up in the Midwest, Tiffany J. Sutton found herself in predominantly white spaces. She began photographing Black women as a way of reconnecting to a part of her culture that she felt was missing and to talk about social movements. She never imagined that her photography would reach anyone beyond her hometown of St. Louis.

    At the beginning of 2022, Sutton was announced as the winner of a $10,000 grant presented by the Black Women Photographers collective and Nikon.

    Camera equipment from Nikon and $40,000 in grants were distributed among 12 photographers, including Sutton, to further their practice and projects.

    Read more here.

  • Recipient 1: Toni Shaw - Greensboro, North Carolina

    Recipient 2: Wanjiku Gitau - Nairobi, Kenya

    Recipient 3: Zhané GayByrd - Oakland, California

    Recipient 4: Clara Watt - Geneva, Switzerland

  • Nicky Quamina-Woo - New York and Southeast Asia

    DeLovie Kwagala - Kampala, Uganda 

    Ornelle Chimi - Washington, DC

    Melissa Bunni Ellen - New York, New York

    Karene Jean-Baptiste - Montreal, Canada

  • Z 5 and 24-50mm lens

    Rukie Jumah - Abuja, Nigeria

    Z 6 and 24-70mm f/4 S lens

    Inari Briana - Atlanta, Georgia

    Z 6II and 24-70mm f/4S kit + 35mm f/1.8S lens

    Jamie Walker - Cincinnati, Ohio

    Z 7II and 24-70mm f/4S kit + 85mm f/1.8S + 35mm f/1.8S lens

    Ramona Hernandez - Atlanta, Georgia