Wex Photo Video Human Impact Awards

The Wex Photo Video Human Impact Awards are a free photography competition for photographers living in the UK, run by the camera retailer Wex Photo Video in partnership with Sony. Entrants submit a series of 5 to 10 images about human impact: how people shape communities, identity, the environment and technology. The professional winner receives £5,000, and a separate student award gives Sony camera kits. The deadline is 31 January 2027 at 11:59pm.

The brief is broad and deliberately not limited to crisis. A series can document a community project, a family, a changing landscape or a new technology in everyday life, as long as it shows the effect people have on the world around them.

Images can be made on any camera or device, and they can come from the past five years, so ongoing projects are eligible.

Who Can Enter the Human Impact Awards?

The competition is open to UK residents aged 18 or over. There are two categories:

• Professional Award: open to all eligible photographers
• Phil Smith Student Photography Award: for students enrolled on a recognised school, college or university course

It is particularly relevant to:

• Documentary and street photographers
• Photojournalists with a long-term project
• Photography students in the UK

What Can You Enter?

Each entry is a series of 5 to 10 JPEG images responding to the brief, with a short project description. Images must have been taken within the past five years. AI-generated images and stock photography are not allowed.

Entry Fees

There is no fee to enter.

What Do Selected Entrants Receive?

Professional Award

• 1st: £5,000
• 2nd: £3,000
• 3rd: £1,000

Phil Smith Student Photography Award

• 1st: Sony A7 V with FE 24-70mm f2.8 GM II
• 2nd: Sony A7 IV with FE 24-70mm f2.8 GM
• 3rd: Sony A6700 with E 16-55mm f2.8 G

Submission Requirements

Entries are made online through the official Wex Photo Video competition page. Student entrants also give a school or university email address and course details.

Important Rules

• UK residents aged 18 or over only.
• One series of 5–10 images per entry.
• Images taken within the past five years.
• No AI-generated or stock images.
• Wex Photo Video and Sony employees cannot enter.

When Will Entrants Be Notified?

An independent panel of photographers and industry professionals judges the entries after the deadline. Winners are contacted by the organisers.

What Does "Human Impact" Mean Here?

The brief asks how people shape the world around them, for better or worse. That can be a volunteer group cleaning a river, a high street changing as shops close, a family adapting to new technology, or a landscape altered by farming or building. The judges look for a clear point of view and a series that holds together, rather than single dramatic pictures. Quiet, close stories often work better than big news events.

Things to Consider

• Tell one human story. A tight series about one place or group is stronger than a broad survey.
• Write a clear description. Explain who is in the pictures and what impact you are showing.
• Use existing work. Projects from the past five years count, so an ongoing series is a good fit.
• Sequence the images. Open strong and let the series build.
• Students can enter the student award, with its own camera prizes.

Enter the Competition

Interested in submitting your work?

Enter the Human Impact Awards

For the full brief and terms and conditions, visit the official Wex Photo Video website.

Looking for more open calls? Browse all competitions and opportunities on Good Stuff Weekly.

Last verified: October 15, 2026