Organizer Information
Wellcome is a charitable foundation based in the United Kingdom that supports scientific research and initiatives aimed at improving health. Through its work, Wellcome seeks to advance understanding of health challenges and promote the role of science in improving lives. The Wellcome Photography Prize brings photography and scientific and medical imaging into public conversation, allowing image-makers to communicate complex health issues, scientific discoveries, and human experiences through compelling visual storytelling.
The competition welcomes submissions from image-makers around the world and provides an international platform for work that connects science, medicine, health, and society.
Title & Description
Wellcome Photography Prize 2027 — International Photography Competition
The Wellcome Photography Prize 2027 invites photographers, researchers, medical imaging specialists, and other image-makers to submit compelling visual work exploring health and science. The competition aims to make scientific discoveries and health challenges more accessible to wider audiences through images that combine visual impact, technical excellence, and meaningful storytelling.
Eligible submissions should address at least one of four subject areas: discovery research, mental health, infectious disease, or climate and health. Entries may document scientific research, explore lived experiences of illness and mental wellbeing, examine the effects of infectious diseases on communities, or investigate the relationship between environmental change and human health.
The competition features three categories:
- Striking Solo Photography: A single photograph that communicates a powerful story about health, science, or medicine.
- A Storytelling Series: A sequence of three to five photographs that develops a subject through multiple perspectives or a deeper visual narrative.
- The Marvels of Scientific and Medical Imaging: A single image created using scientific or medical imaging techniques, revealing aspects of human health, biology, or medicine that are not ordinarily visible.
Judges will assess creativity and visual impact, storytelling and relevance, and technical excellence. The context behind an image and the reasons it was created are considered important alongside its visual qualities.
Categories
- Photography
- Documentary Photography
- Scientific Photography
- Medical Imaging
- Microscopy and Photomicrography
- Macro and Close-up Photography
- Health and Science Photography
- Photo Essays and Documentary Series
Eligible techniques include clinical, studio, still-life, and documentary photography; light and electron microscopy; and medical imaging methods such as CT, PET, MRI, X-ray, ultrasound, and thermography. Illustration, moving images, and AI-generated imagery are not accepted.
Eligibility
The competition is open internationally to individuals at all experience levels. Collaborative works are accepted. Applicants directly involved in organizing or judging the competition are excluded.
Images must have been created after 31 December 2021. Previously published images are eligible, provided they meet the competition requirements. Applicants under 18 must obtain permission from a parent or legal guardian before entering.
Entrants must own the copyright to their submissions or have the necessary authorization from the copyright holder. Required permissions, including model releases and patient consent where relevant, must be secured.
Program Benefits & Awards
- £10,000 for the winner of each of the three categories.
- £1,000 each for an additional 22 selected entries across the categories.
- International media exposure and opportunities to reach new audiences.
- Potential participation in events showcasing selected work.
- Recognition through the announcement of the competition's top 25 entries and the winners.
The competition offers professional visibility and public engagement opportunities. Exhibition or event participation is a possibility rather than a guaranteed benefit for every selected entrant.
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 21 October 2026
- Notification Date: December 2026
- Announcement of the top 25 entries and prize winners: Summer 2027
Location
London, United Kingdom
Additional Details
Images must be at least 15 MB in uncompressed file size and use the Adobe RGB (1998) colour profile. TIFF and high-resolution JPEG files are preferred, and all submissions must be suitable for print reproduction. Images must not display watermarks, creator names, or other identifying information within the image itself.
Each image may be entered only once and in only one category. Images submitted individually cannot also appear in a storytelling-series entry. Series submissions must contain three to five images. Previous winners and shortlisted images from the prize, as well as works originally commissioned by Wellcome, are ineligible.
Post-production alterations are permitted if clearly described in the image caption. Entrants must provide the original unedited image file if requested. Wellcome's terms grant it a royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to use submitted images for specified purposes connected with the prize and its charitable mission. Copyright remains with the copyright holder, subject to the licence terms. For shortlisted and winning entries, certain permitted uses continue indefinitely.
Applicants should consult Wellcome's ethical photography guidance, particularly when documenting people experiencing illness, vulnerable communities, or sensitive health-related circumstances.