Belarusian photographer Alexandra Catiere (48) has won the 2026 Prix Niépce Gens d'images, France's leading mid-career photography award. Born in Minsk in 1978, she trained at the International Center of Photography in New York and in Irving Penn's studio, and has lived in Paris since 2008. Her black-and-white work, often shot with a large-format camera, blends portraiture, landscape, and reportage. She succeeds British photographer Ed Alcock. The prize, created in 1955 by the association Gens d'images, is awarded annually to a professional photographer under 50 residing in France.
The Prix Niépce is the most prestigious French photography award for mid-career artists, and Catiere's win highlights the continued recognition of documentary and fine-art photography in France. Her selection underscores the prize's tradition of honoring photographers who combine technical mastery with a distinctive visual voice, and it brings international attention to her career at a pivotal moment.