2026 Nick Oza Visual Fellowship
Deadline to apply is February 23, 2026.
If you missed our informational session, the recording is now available to watch.
The inaugural Nick Oza Visual Fellowship will uplift one emerging or mid-career documentary photographer who tells the stories of their own community in Arizona and New Mexico (we will consider other surrounding underrepresented regions in the Southwest depending on need).
Created by Altavoz Lab, as an expansion of our community fellowships, the fellowship honors the late Nick Oza, an immigrant and Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist whose compassion, humility, and artistry continue to inspire visual storytellers across the country.
Nick mentored countless emerging photographers and forged deep trust with immigrant communities in Arizona and beyond. Known for his empathy and his ability to form genuine connections with the people he photographed, Nick approached his work with rare tenderness and respect. He didn’t just cover stories — he lived among them, immersing himself in communities, earning trust through consistency and care, and revealing the quiet dignity of those too often unseen. Even without fluent Spanish, he bridged cultural divides with kindness and patience.
After his tragic passing in 2021, the fellowship was created to carry forward his legacy, cultivating a new generation of documentary photographers who approach storytelling with the same compassion, integrity, and curiosity that defined Nick’s work.
With this fellowship, Altavoz Lab will continue fostering Nick’s mission and values, which align with our own. Altavoz Lab mentors, trains, and supports community-rooted journalists, often bilingual and bicultural, who serve historically disinvested communities across the U.S. We believe that strengthening trusted local journalism strengthens democracy. By investing in reporters and photographers who already hold community trust, Altavoz Lab offers an alternative to extractive journalism models, helping local storytellers build sustainable careers while staying rooted where their work matters most.
Together, Nick Oza’s legacy and Altavoz Lab’s mission form the foundation of this fellowship: to empower photographers who reflect, uplift, and strengthen the communities they call home.
- Fellowship Stipend: $15,000. Additional funds will be available for projects with a strong public engagement plan.
- Mentorship: Fellow will virtually meet with Roberto “Bear” Guerra, Visuals Editor at High Country News, every month and in person at least three times throughout the year.
- Personal Development Opportunities: Fellow will receive a one-on-one review with leading visual editors and photojournalists to refine their craft and expand professional networks. Plus, the possibility of securing national publication to further showcase the work.
- Build Community: Fellow will join a dedicated cohort of like-minded community-based journalists at Altavoz Lab, with opportunities for further mentorship and professional development.
- Emerging to mid-career documentary photographers (minimum of 3 years professional experience).
- Photographers with at least one year of consecutive work embedded within their own community.
- Demonstrated commitment to telling nuanced, community-based stories.
- Desire to grow or refine their visual language and style through mentorship and collaborative learning.
Geographic Focus: Arizona and New Mexico. Other underrepresented communities in the Southwest will be considered depending on need.
If you’re in doubt whether this applies to you, reach out through our questions form, or message Yunuen Bonaparte, program coordinator, at yunuen@altavozlab.com.
- Duration: 1 year total.
- Project Format: A fellow will complete a documentary-style, photo-based journalism project rooted in their local community – the project could be the continuation of work they previously started but still has room to grow. The final work must include a public engagement component, such as a local exhibit, workshop, or community event, or be published in local/national outlets (or both!). The goal is to ensure the community sees the project and finds itself represented.
- Community Cohort: Fellow will join a small cohort of community journalists meeting every other month for training in engagement projects, safety, mental health, and cross-platform collaboration, organized by Altavoz Lab.
- Permission to publish images: Altavoz Lab will request that you grant us permission to showcase your work on our website and other promotional materials in connection with the fellowship. The fellow will retain full copyright of their work.
- The fellow will complete and distribute a community-rooted, photo-based project within the fellowship year.
- The project will be shared with the community, whether as a public event or published on a local outlet. Altavoz Lab will be able to provide support throughout the process.
- Participate in mentorship meetings, trainings, and cohort activities organized by Altavoz Lab.
- Submit at least 15-20 images from the project for archival and promotional use and short reflections for fellowship promotion. The fellow will grant Altavoz Lab limited rights to use materials for program promotion and reporting.
- Complete fellowship surveys to track the impact of the fellowship and write a short photographer’s notebook on the experience. It’ll be important to document how the community responds to the project once it’s been published.
- Participate in surveys and check-ins with Altavoz Lab to assess their needs for support and the impact of the fellowship.
Application requirements will include but are not limited to:
- Project Description: Describe your project’s concept, its timeliness and urgency, and your personal connection to the subject matter. (1,000 words max)
- Community Connection: Explain your relationship to the community you are photographing. (500 words max)
- Project Status & Timeline: Detail the current status of your work and provide a project timeline. If this is a work in progress, please share sample images.
- Distribution Plan: Outline your plan for a public event and/or publication. If a news outlet is interested in publishing the project or if you are a staff photographer, an editor’s letter of support will be requested. (Find a sample letter here: DOC / PDF.)
- Budget Estimate: Provide an estimated budget for the project. (Find a sample budget here: DOC / PDF.)
- Anticipated Outcomes: Describe what outcome you expect this project will achieve.
- Reference: Provide two professional references. The references could be a colleague, editor or mentor who has worked with you.
- Portfolio Link: Share a link to your website, portfolio, or a shared folder of your work.
- Desired Training: Let us know what types of training would be most beneficial to you.
A panel of leading visual editors and photojournalists will assess projects based on the innovation and nuance of the work, the strength of the public engagement plan (distribution plan), the project’s potential impact on the community, and the applicant’s potential for growth in their visual language through mentorship and collaboration. Our goal is not only to produce a powerful project but also to foster the fellow’s continued career growth.
The application will be open from January 18 to February 23. Judges will select finalists by March 23. Altavoz Lab will contact finalists to schedule a brief interview between March 23 and 27.
The selected fellow will be notified on March 31.
The fellowship will begin on April 13 with an introductory meeting of the Altavoz Lab community fellowship cohort.
We encourage you to reach out and discuss your pitch or any other questions you might have before applying. Please reach out with your inquiries through our questions form, or message Yunuen Bonaparte, program coordinator, at yunuen@altavozlab.com.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
The fellowship prioritizes projects based in Arizona and New Mexico, but we are open to photographers working with underrepresented communities in nearby areas and the broader Southwest borderlands, such as the Four Corners region. The strength of the proposal and its connection to the community are our primary considerations.
If anyone is unsure whether their project qualifies, we encourage them to reach out or join the info session or email us to talk it through.
No, there is no fee to apply.
Yes, the application will show questions in Spanish and English. If you require further assistance with the questions, please contact Yunuen Bonaparte, program coordinator, at yunuen@altavozlab.com.
No, the posted deadline is final. The application will be open from January 18 to February 23.
We want to ensure your project reaches the community it portrays. Publishing in a local outlet that serves that community is an excellent way to achieve this and will fulfill the requirement.
For those who want to go further, public engagement can also look like a public exhibition, a community event, a billboard, a mural, or another creative format. Innovative projects will make your application stand out. While these events can be a powerful way to involve the community directly, they may require more planning. Altavoz Lab is committed to helping you bring your project vision to fruition, so get creative!
No, the project has to be primarily still photography-based. You can have a video element but this would be optional.
Contributors, depending on your relationship with them, can either be a budget line item or a named partner. However, the fellowship is designed for an individual awardee.
Yes, we want to work with a photographer who has strong skills and a solid body of work, but who is also looking to refine their craft through mentorship and grow their professional network.
If the project is a work in progress, we would love to see what you’ve done so far. You can also submit work samples from your portfolio that you are proud of and speak to the approach you’ll take in your project, though images relevant to your proposal may strengthen your application.
We accept projects in the early to mid-stages of development. The project should be able to be shaped by the fellowship, with feedback and continued work culminating in the final presentation.
With your permission, Altavoz Lab will use a selection of images from your application to promote the awarded fellow and the fellowship program.
For the final project, Altavoz Lab will require limited rights to 15-20 images to archive and promote future fellowships.
Funds are dispersed in three payments: one at the beginning of the fellowship, the second mid-fellowship, and the third upon completion.
Yes, the fellow can pursue other funding. As long as the fellow fulfills their proposal and agreement with Altavoz Lab, other funding is not an issue. Transparency about additional grants during the application and interview process is appreciated.
Deadline to apply is February 23.
Submit your application below.
