Wellcome Photography Prize 2020

Whether you are a professional, student or amateur photographer, you’re invited to enter the Wellcome Photography Prize 2020, which celebrates compelling imagery that will encourage conversations about the health challenges of our time. For 2020, the theme is Mental Health, which covers two of our five prize categories. 

At Wellcome, we believe a radical new approach is needed to transform the science of mental health. And with the prize this year we want to transform public perceptions too. We are particularly interested in how we visually address the issue of people living with or recovering from mental health problems.

We are still keen to receive photographs exploring other global health issues that may not relate directly to mental health, in the Social Perspectives, Medicine in Focus and Hidden Worlds categories.

How to enter

The deadline for entries is 23:59pm (GMT) on 16 December 2019.

The competition is free to enter and you can submit as many images as you like, except for the Mental Health Series category where you can submit a maximum of five.

You cannot enter the same image in more than one category.

Images entered into the Wellcome Photography Prize 2020 are shortlisted and the winners are then chosen by a panel of high-profile judges.

As the image maker you will retain full copyright over your own work. We just ask for permission to use your images for three years in the context of the prize – in exhibitions, promotions, publications and media coverage, including social media.

For winning and shortlisted images only, we also ask for ongoing permission to use your image in the context of the prize and to support Wellcome’s broader charitable work. This is so that we can continue discussions about the health issues and stories to which the images relate.

Prizes and publicity

The winner of each category will receive £1,250, with the overall winner receiving a prize of £15,000 at an awards ceremony in London.

All shortlisted images will go on show at a public exhibition in London. If you’re a winner, there will be opportunities to showcase your work to a range of audiences.