Terms and conditions - Taylor Wessing Irish Photo Prize 2026

Terms & Conditions

The Museum and any future partner venue(s) for the Taylor Wessing Irish Photo Prize 2026 are solely responsible for the curation and hang of the exhibition at their respective venues and reserve the right to change displays as they see fit.
Shortlisted artists will be asked to provide a short description of their exhibited work and a brief biography at time of application. These texts will be used for wall labels, the exhibition catalogue, and related promotional materials. The organisers reserve the right to edit these texts for clarity, length, and house style. If substantial edits are required, the revised text will be returned to the artist for approval within five working days. If no response is received within that period, the edited version will be deemed approved.
While every care will be taken, Photo Museum Ireland, Taylor Wessing, and Business to Arts are not liable for any loss or damage to digital files or prints.
Personal data will be processed through Picter will be processed in accordance with GDPR and only for purposes related to the administration and promotion of the Prize.
Contact information may be shared with Taylor Wessing and Business to Arts solely for Prize administration and communications related to exhibition or acquisition opportunities.
By submitting to the Taylor Wessing Irish Photo Prize 2026, entrants agree to these rules and to the decisions of the organisers and jury as final and binding.

Artists retain full copyright and ownership of their images.
By submitting, artists grant Photo Museum Ireland, Taylor Wessing, and Business to Arts limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free rights to use selected images for exhibition-related uses, including promotional and marketing purposes, Archival documentation of the Prize and exhibition, and inclusion in printed or digital materials such as postcards, posters, social media posts and educational purposes related to the Prize.
Photographers agree visitors may photograph exhibited works (without flash) for personal use.
Any reproduction will include a full credit line wherever practicable.

The Prize is free to enter and accessible to all photographers and lens-based artists who are based in Ireland (Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland) or who are Irish citizens living abroad.
Entrants must be 18 years or older on 1 January 2025.
Immediate family members or employees of Photo Museum Ireland, Taylor Wessing, or Business to Arts are not eligible to enter.
Each entrant may submit one entry comprising up to three individual photographs. Only one image per entrant will be eligible for final selection.
Submitted works must be original, lens-based artworks created by the entrant after 1 January 2023.
Generative AI or AI-assisted imagery is not eligible. All submissions must reflect the entrant’s own creative authorship and technical production.
Entrants must hold all necessary rights and permissions for the images submitted, including consent from any identifiable persons depicted. Proof of consent may be requested from shortlisted artists.
Works that perpetuate negative stereotypes or discriminatory perceptions will not be accepted.
Artists at all career stages are encouraged to apply; no prior exhibition experience is necessary. The Prize is free to enter and accessible to all artists.
Submissions are actively encouraged from those who identify as being from an underrepresented community, including artists from diverse cultural, social, and geographic backgrounds.

Round One: Digital review through Picter for photography open call or Awardforce for bursary applications
Round Two: Jury deliberation of shortlisted artists.

The jury will comprise Irish and international experts, including curators, artists, and a representative of Photo Museum Ireland, and will be facilitated by Business to Arts.
The jury's decision is final, and no correspondence will be entered into.
Entries will be judged according to the following criteria:

Each entrant may submit a maximum of three images. However, the judging panel will consider and select only one image per entrant for final evaluation and awards.
Artists selected for the shortlist will be notified by email in March 2026.
Unsuccessful artists will be notified by email in March 2026.

The following criteria will guide the selection process for the Taylor Wessing Irish Photo Prize.

Relevance to Theme and Contemporary Culture – 30%
Does the work meaningfully respond to the theme of "Community"?
Does it engage with issues relevant to contemporary Irish and global culture?
Does it reflect or question how we understand identity, belonging, and collective experience today?
Does it foreground diverse or underrepresented perspectives, broadening how "community" is seen and understood?
Creativity and Originality – 25%
Does the work demonstrate innovation in concept, approach, or technique?
Is the artistic vision fresh, distinctive, and free from overused visual tropes?
Does the submission reveal an individual voice or new ways of seeing?
Technical Skill and Execution – 20%
Is the work technically proficient -- in composition, lighting, focus, and overall presentation?
Does the artist demonstrate confidence and mastery of their chosen medium (digital, analogue, or experimental)?
Is the production quality and presentation consistent with professional standards?
Impact and Storytelling – 20%
Does the work engage, move, or resonate with the viewer?
Does it convey a compelling story, mood, or atmosphere within a single frame?
Is there clarity, subtlety, or emotional depth in how the idea is expressed?
Ethical Representation – 5%
Does the artist employ ethical approaches to the representation of subjects?
Is there sensitivity to issues of consent, context, and power dynamics in how people and communities are depicted?