The Wellcome Photography Prize 2027 is now open for entries, launching a global call for images that reveal how health is experienced, represented and understood. Marking its 30th year, the internationally recognised Prize continues to spotlight outstanding visual storytelling at the intersection of science and human experience.
The Prize welcomes ambitious work spanning all scales of life, from scientific imaging and biomedical research to personal stories of care, illness, connection and change. It celebrates the power of image-making in all its forms to make complex science visible, accessible and human, while shining a light on the discoveries and innovations helping to shape a healthier future.
Free to enter and open to anyone, anywhere in the world, the Prize invites both professional and self-taught entrants working in photography, science, healthcare or drawing on lived experience. No affiliation with Wellcome is required.
Now taking place on a biennial cycle, entries are open from 14 July to 21 October 2026.
Entries are invited across three categories:
• Striking solo photography: A single image that captivates people, stirs imaginations and starts conversations.
• A storytelling series: A series of three to five photographs that unpacks a narrative in greater depth or explores different perspectives.
• The marvels of scientific and medical imaging: A single image, taken using a scientific or medical imaging technique, that captures the wonder of life sciences.
A total of £52,000 in cash prizes will be awarded. The three category winners will each receive £10,000, while the remaining finalists will each receive £1,000. There will be an awards ceremony for the top 25 image makers selected.
The internationally recognised judging panel will be chaired by Sumitra Upham, a curator whose practice brings together contemporary art, cultural programming and lived experience, and who is the Associate Director for Curatorial and Public Practice at Wellcome Collection.
She will be joined by a panel of experts spanning photography, science, research, journalism and the arts. Drawing on these diverse perspectives, the panel will assess entries for Creativity and Visual Impact, Storytelling and Technical Excellence.