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
🖤💛
#BWPxNikon 🖤💛
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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.”
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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
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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
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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
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"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

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"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
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"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
Meet Our Third Class
#BWPxNikon
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#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.
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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
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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
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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
🖤💛
#BWPxNikon 🖤💛
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Tiffany Alexander - El Paso, Texas
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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
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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
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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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#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.
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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
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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
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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