Bolivian artist Marisol Mendez has won the 2026 Saltzman-Leibovitz Photography Prize for her work *MADRE*. The award includes a $15,000 cash prize, and Mendez's winning piece will be exhibited alongside works by other nominees at Photo London from May 13 to 17. The prize was founded in 2025 by photographers Lisa Saltzman and Annie Leibovitz. Miranda Barnes took second place, with Cole Ndelu, Lindeka Qampi, and Bettina Pittaluga also nominated.
The prize, established by two prominent photographers, signals growing support for photography as a fine-art medium and for emerging voices from the Global South. Mendez's research-driven practice, which blends Andean folklore, Catholic iconography, and archival family photographs, highlights how contemporary photography can challenge traditional narratives and explore complex cultural identities. The exhibition at Photo London will bring this work to an international audience, reinforcing the fair's role in elevating new talent.