National Portrait Gallery has announced their prestigious portrait photography competition, Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize, is now open for entries. Photographers have until 10pm (BST) on 7th May 2024 to enter.

The competition is open to all photographers around the world aged 18 or over, and could be in with the chance of winning the grand title £15,000 cash prize or £8,000 commission. An exhibition will be on display from 14th November with the winning and shortlisted photos.

From National Portrait Gallery: The National Portrait Gallery announces that entries are open to the 2024 edition its annual photography prize, the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize. The international competition, which celebrates and promotes the very best in contemporary portrait photography, is inviting submissions from 9am on 26 March 2024 until 10pm on 7 May 2024.

The Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize is one of the most competitive photography awards in the world and showcases the work of some of the most exciting and cutting-edge contemporary photographers. The competition is open to everyone aged 18 and over from around the world, whether a leading professional, a talented amateur or an exciting emerging artist. Photographers are encouraged to interpret ‘portrait’ in its widest sense, with ‘photography focused on portraying people with an emphasis on their identity as individuals’. The winner of the competition will receive £15,000, with second prize receiving £3000 and third prize £2000.

A commission prize worth £8000 will also be awarded, giving a chosen photographer the opportunity to create a portrait for the Gallery’s collection. Serena Brown, winner of the inaugural commission prize in 2023, will unveil her new portrait for the collection at the award ceremony in November. The exhibition will open in London on 14 November 2024 and run until 16 February 2025.

diena portrait of a woman with headphones on
Diena by Alexandre Silberman from the series NATURE © Alexandre Silberman

This year’s judging panel will include multimedia artist Pogus Caesar; curator Alona Pardo; writer and curator Lou Stoppard and the National Portrait Gallery’s Curator of Photography Clare Freestone.

“Following a fantastic first year back at the Gallery in 2023, I cannot wait to see what the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2024 has in store. The Prize, which consistently attracts the finest talent in contemporary photography, is one of the most prestigious competitions globally, and together, submitted works create a unique and powerful snapshot of our world today. Best of luck to everyone entering their work this year – I’m very much looking forward to viewing your important photographs.” – Dr. Nicholas Cullinan, OBE Director, National Portrait Gallery

“This year marks the seventeenth anniversary of our partnership with the National Portrait Gallery and the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize. That long-standing collaboration has created an important showcase for the best photographic portraiture. We are delighted to be working with the Gallery to grow the opportunities for photographers around the world to bring their art to the public.” – Shane Gleghorn Managing Partner, Taylor Wessing

me nana fie portrait Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 2023 shortlist
me nana fie by Serena Brown © Serena Brown

Entrants to the competition are encouraged to submit works as a series, either a group of individual portraits based on a particular theme, or two or more photographs that form a single portrait when shown together, in addition to stand-alone portraits. One series of photographs submitted to the competition may be chosen by the judges to be exhibited in its entirety.

To enter the 2024 competition, photographers are required to upload their image(s) via the National Portrait Gallery’s competition platform. All images will be viewed anonymously by a panel of judges who will collectively select the prize winners and works for the exhibition. The digital platform can be access via www.competitions.npg.org.uk.

The entry fee for the competition is £22 per image. Photographers in receipt of Universal Credit or Pension Credit can enter this year’s Prize for free, and a new discount is in place for photographers who receive Disability Benefits, who are students or are between the ages of 18 and 25. Full information about how to enter, including entry forms and rules, can be found online.

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