Wellcome Photography Prize 2027 Opens with £52,000 Prize Fund

The Wellcome Photography Prize, now in its 30th year, has opened submissions for its 2027 edition. The biennial contest, free to enter, offers a total prize fund of £52,000 ($70,000) across three categories: Striking Solo Photography, A Storytelling Series, and The Marvels of Scientific and Medical Imaging. Category winners receive £10,000 ($13,300), while finalists get £1,000 ($1,300). The competition seeks images exploring urgent health challenges and scientific discovery, from mental health to climate change. Sumitra Upham chairs the judging panel. Previous winners include Steve Gschmeissner's 'Cholesterol in the Liver' (2025) and Mithail Afrige Chowdhury's 'Urban Travel,' which depicts a rooftop picnic in Dhaka against a fake nature backdrop, highlighting the loss of green spaces. The Wellcome Trust, founded in 1936 from the will of Henry Wellcome, supports the prize. Submissions close October 21, 2026, via the Wellcome website.