La Galana hosts the 18th LA SIDRA International Photography Competition exhibition and awards

The exhibition of 18 selected photographs opens in Xixón on Friday 27 November at 8 pm. Fundación Asturies XXI organises the competition with funding from the Asturian Department of Culture, Language Policy and Sport, sponsorship from Sidra JR and support from Asemeyando. The online gallery and downloadable catalogue are available on the foundation’s website.

LA SIDRA.— Sidrería La Galana, on Xixón’s Plaza Mayor, will host the exhibition opening and awards ceremony for the 18th LA SIDRA International Photography Competition on Friday 27 November at 8 pm. For 18 editions, the competition has used photography to share and celebrate Asturian cider culture.

The exhibition brings together 18 photographs by 14 photographers, selected from 120 entries submitted by 37 participants. The images offer different perspectives on cider, apples, cider mills and the people and traditions that sustain this cultural heritage.

‘Nicolás’ wins first prize

‘Nicolás’, by photographer Josemi Díez from La Rioja, won first prize, which comes with €700 and the Gold Medal of the Spanish Confederation of Photography (CEF).

Óscar Chamorro of Xixón took second prize for ‘Sidra de Xixón’, and José Reyes of Sant Boi de Llobregat took third prize for ‘La vendedora de manzanas’. Juan Carlos Hernández of Xixón received the Sidra JR Special Mention for ‘Fotosidra’.

The ceremony on 27 November will recognise the photographers’ work and give the public a chance to see the photographs selected for this year’s exhibition.

Competition jury

• Luis José Vigil-Escalera Quintanal — jury chair.
• Mª del Carme Pérez Antolín
• Marta Menéndez
• Carlos Suárez Alonso
• Laura Prego Abalo

Public funding and support from cider producers

Fundación Asturies XXI organises the competition as part of its work to protect, document and promote Asturian culture and cider heritage.

The project covering the 17th and 18th LA SIDRA International Photography Competitions and their exhibitions received a €4,200 grant from the Asturian Department of Culture, Language Policy and Sport. Awarded in 2026 under a funding programme for cultural activities of regional interest, the grant helps fund both editions and their exhibitions.

The cider producer Sidra JR (Sidra Natural Alto Infanzón) sponsors the competition and lends its name to one of its special awards. The Asemeyando Photographic Association helps run the competition, which is endorsed by the Spanish Confederation of Photography.

La Galana is once again hosting one of LA SIDRA’s photography exhibitions, bringing the work to a venue where cider culture is part of everyday life.

Online gallery and free catalogue

The Fundación Asturies XXI website covers the competition’s history, international reach, exhibitions and public funding. Its 2026 gallery presents all 18 prizewinning and selected photographs, with credits, awards and poetry in Asturian, Spanish and English.

The free PDF catalogue is 48 pages long and measures 21 × 21 cm. Both a reading copy and a print-ready version with 3 mm bleed and crop marks are available. The archive also includes the 2025 gallery and catalogue.

• Visit the competition page on the Fundación Asturies XXI website
• View the 18th edition gallery
• Download the 18th edition catalogue (PDF, 48 pages)
• Download the print-ready version
• View the 17th edition gallery

The archive keeps the photographs available after the exhibitions close and helps document Asturian cider culture for an international audience.

Read more about the 17th edition awards ceremony.