The Aperture Portfolio Prize is an annual international competition to discover, exhibit, and publish new talents in photography. The purpose of the Aperture Portfolio Prize is to identify trends in contemporary photography and highlight artists whose work deserves greater recognition. When choosing the first prize winner and runners up, Aperture's editorial staff look for innovative bodies of work that haven't been widely seen in major publications or exhibition venues. The Aperture Portfolio Prize is open exclusively to Aperture magazine print subscribers.

The first prize winner will be published in Aperture magazine and will receive a $3,000 cash prize, a $1,000 gift card to shop for gear at mpb.com, and an exhibition organized by Aperture in New York City.

The four artists chosen for the shortlist will receive their own feature on aperture.org and be highlighted on Aperture’s digital channels across email, social, and web.

The winner, shortlist, and twenty additional finalists will all receive a virtual portfolio review session with an Aperture editor. All twenty-five finalists will be announced by Aperture, reaching subscribers across the globe, including curators, critics, and members of the photography community.