The "Rencontres dʼArles" Discovery Award goes to a photographer, or an artist making use of photography, whose work has recently been internationally recognized or deserves to be. The winner is chosen by the photography professionals present in Arles during opening week and receives 25,000 €. For the celebration of the 40th edition of "Les Rencontres dʼArles" in 2009, fifteen nominators (either art directors from past festivals or lecturers at the National School of Photography in Arles) have each selected one artist to be exhibited at Arles and to compete for the Discovery Award.
 
The 2009 Discovery Award nominators were: Lucien Clergue, Bernard Perrine, Alain Desvergnes, Claude Hudelot, Agnès de Gouvion Saint-Cyr, Louis Mesplé, Bernard Millet, Michel Nuridsany, Joan Foncuberta, Christian Caujolle, Giovanna Calvenzi, Martin Parr, Christian Lacroix, Arnaud Claass, Raymond Dpardon and Christian Milovanoff.
 
The 2009 nominated artists were: Jean-François Spricigo, Leon Herschtritt, Laurent Millet, Don Mcneill Healy, Olivier Metzger, Yang Yongliang, Raed Bawayah, Eric Rondepierre, André Mérian, Adrien Missika, Magda Stanova, Sean Lee, Moira Ricci, Rimaldas Viskraitis and Véronique Ellena.
 
Screening presented by "Les Rencontres dʼArles" and produced by  Le Tambour qui Parle, in collaboration with Caochangdi PhotoSpring.
 
The works presented in this slideshow were exhibited at "Les Rencontres dʼArles" 2009.