Deadline: 21 October 2026
Wellcome Photography Prize 2027
Cash Prize / Exhibition / Fine Arts & Photography / October / Open to All / Trophy / Certificate42 views
Organizer: Wellcome, a global charitable foundation headquartered in London, UK, dedicated to showcasing how health and science shape lives through photography and scientific imagery; the judging panel is chaired by Sumitra Upham, Associate Director of Curatorial and Public Practice at Wellcome Collection.
Region: United Kingdom (open worldwide)
Deadline: 21 October 2026 (entries opened on 14 July 2026; Top 25 and winners announced in Summer 2027)
Categories: Three categories
- Category 1: Striking solo photography — submit one captivating single photograph on health, science, or medicine
- Category 2: A storytelling series — submit 3–5 photographs exploring a health-related issue in depth
- Category 3: The marvels of scientific and medical imaging — submit one image created using scientific or medical imaging techniques (e.g., microscopy, CT, PET, MRI, X-ray, ultrasound, thermography)
Entries must engage with one or more of four subject matters: ①Discovery research ②Mental health ③Infectious disease ④Climate and health
Eligibility: Open to anyone at any level from anywhere in the world; images must have been taken after 31 December 2021; illustration, moving images, and AI-generated images are not accepted
Entry Fee: Free
Prizes: Total prize fund £52,000
- £10,000 for each of the 3 category winners (total £30,000)
- 22 additional Highly Commended entries across all three categories receive £1,000 each (total £22,000)
- Winners receive extensive international media coverage and opportunities to showcase work through exhibitions and public events
Core Introduction: The Wellcome Photography Prize is a biennial international award celebrating its approaching 30th anniversary, honoring extraordinary photography and scientific imagery that bring to life the ways health and science influence our lives, communities, and futures. The prize seeks compelling stories that help audiences better understand health challenges and scientific discoveries, with an emphasis on work that sparks curiosity and starts important conversations. Judging criteria focus on three pillars: ①Creativity and visual impact ②Storytelling and relevance ③Technical excellence. Image requirements: minimum 15MB uncompressed, Adobe RGB (1998) color profile, TIFF or high-resolution JPEG preferred. Entrants may submit unlimited entries, but the same image cannot be entered into more than one category.
