From Victorian portraits through Nazi archives to NYC in the 70s: these photo works just earned major recognition

Black-and-white photo of a woman in underwear lying on a bed, holding a camera and looking through its viewfinder — The Kraszna-Krausz Book Awards published its longlisted titles, highlighting books that make original and lasting educational, professional, historical, and cultural contributions to the field (Image credit: Swan Moon)

Historical narratives, documentary photography, and deeply personal visual storytelling define the longlist for the UK's leading prize celebrating excellence in photography and moving image publishing.

The Kraszna-Krausz Book Awards published the 2026 longlist, and this year's Photography Book Award selections explore subjects including Victorian portraiture, colonial legacies, race, war, and climate disaster. The books revisit everything from the 19th-century Black portrait photography to slavery in North Carolina, Nazi medical research imagery and contemporary

Spanning collage, documentary work and reinterpreted archives, the selected titles show how contemporary photographers continue to use the medium to examine memory, identity and historical record.

The Longlisted Titles for the 2026 Kraszna-Krausz Photography Book Award

Sepia-toned vintage photo of three individuals in ornate period clothing seated on wicker furniture with floral and leafy decor — Victoria Davies (later Randle) with her two children, London, 1901 (Image credit: Black Chronicles - Photography, Race and Difference in Victorian Britain edited and with texts by Renée Mussai)

Black Chronicles: Photography, Race and Difference in Victorian Britain, edited by Renée Mussai (Thames & Hudson/ Autograph)
This collection of 19th-century portraits reexamines the representation of black identities in Victorian Britain. The book reshapes historical understandings of race and portrait photography.

A Reprise by David Alekhuogie (Aperture)
David Alekhuogie revisits Walker Evans' 1935 photographs of African sculptures through layered collages and rephotographed image sculptures. The work explores African art, archival photography and the legacy of museum representation.

Index2025 by Stanley Wolukau-Wanambwa (Roma Publications)
Blending images, citations and fragmented visual language, INDEZ 2025 reflects on identity, memory, and contemporary culture. The experimental work challenges traditional photographic narratives.

Silhouette of a person standing near train tracks with a bright sun glowing like a large orb in the background at sunset — Self-portrait in front of a made portal, from *It’s hard to stop rebels that time travel* (Image credit: Raymond Thompson Jr)

It's Hard To Stop Rebels That Time Travel by Raymond Thompson Jr (Void)
Using archival fragments and photography, Raymond Thompson Jr focuses on previously concealed stories of slavery, maroons and resistance in North Caroline. The project explores memory, race and historical erasure.

MAN by Erik Kessels and Karel De Mulder (RVB Books)
This conceptual photography project examines recurring gender dynamics in group portraits. The images question masculinity, social positioning and photographic convention.

Red Horse by Sasha Kurmaz (Éditions Images Vevey)
Created after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Red Horse combines documentary photography, collage and found materials into a personal visual diary. The work captures everyday life shaped by war.

Partially destroyed elevated beach house with exposed interior and palm trees at sunset by the ocean — From *Sound the Sirens* (Image credit: Bryan Anselm)

Sound the Sirens by Bryan Anselm (Overlapse)
Bryan Anselm documents the devastating human impact of climate disasters across the United States. The project combines documentary imagery with themes of environmental crises and displacement.

Swan Moon’s Swan Moon by Swan Moon (TBW Books)
Set in 1990s Los Angeles, this diaristic portrait explores youth, identity, and performance through personal photography. The work reflects on Korean American identity and Hollywood mythology.

The Fold by Hoda Afshar (Loose Joints)
Hoda Afshar investigates colonial photography on Orientalist depictions of veiled women through reappropriated archival imagery. The project critiques historical photographic practices and representation.

Black and white photo of a shirtless person sitting against a tree with shadows cast on their body and ground — From *The Ramble NYC 1969* (Image credit: Arthur Tress)

The Ramble NYC 1969 by Arthur Tress (Stanley / Barker)
Arthur Tress documented queer cruising culture in NY's Central Park during the late 1960s. The photos are now considered an important visual record of LGBTQ+ history.

The Weight of the Word by Piero Martinello and Piero Casentini (Fw:Books)
This documentary project examines the histories and crimes of Nazi doctors through archival research, photography and medical texts. The work reflects on ethics, accountability and the lasting impact of scientific abuse.

Too Many Products Too Much Pressure by Janet Delaney (Deadbeat Club)
Janet Delaney documents the exhausting routines of sales work through the experiences of her father in 1980s Los Angeles. The project reflects on labor, family and everyday American life.

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Kim is a photographer, editor and writer with work published internationally. She holds a Master's degree in Photography and Media and was formerly Technique Editor at Digital Photographer, focusing on the art and science of photography. Kim covers everything from breaking industry news and camera gear to the stories shaping photography today. Blending technical expertise with visual insight, she explores photography's time-honored yet ever-evolving role in culture.