Photo Museum Ireland is proud to announce the winners of the inaugural Taylor Wessing Irish Photo Prize, revealed at a major awards presentation on 21 April 2026 — marking a significant new development for contemporary photography in Ireland.
Selected from a nationwide open call that received over 1,300 entries, the shortlisted artists present diverse and powerful responses to the 2026 theme, Community – Ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine — it is in each other’s shadow that we live. Spanning documentary, portraiture, conceptual and experimental practice, the works reflect the vitality of photography in Ireland today, offering nuanced perspectives on belonging, identity, and collective experience.
Conor Horgan has been awarded the top prize of €10,000 for his work from the series EDGE. Addressing the emergence of barriers along Dublin’s Grand Canal and nearby areas in an attempt to deter homeless people seeking asylum from sleeping there, Horgan’s image focuses not on individuals, but on the structures themselves. It invites viewers to consider the experiences of these men who, after they arrived, were met with the opposite of what they most needed — protection.
Pictured above: Adam Griffiths, Taylor Wessing Dublin; Salem Anowe Chukwuezi; Trish Lambe, Photo Museum Ireland; Conor Horgan; Patryk Gizicki; Louise O’Reilly, Business to Arts; Laura Dunwoody.
Pictured: Conor Horgan, Taylor Wessing Irish Photo Prize Award Winner with his work EDGE 53, 2024, from the series EDGE
The Taylor Wessing Irish Photo Prize is a landmark development for Irish photography. This substantial new prize is an important recognition of the great photography being created by Irish artists today. The flourishing of contemporary photography is reflected in the high standard of the more than 1,300 entries we received. We’re proud to work with Taylor Wessing and Business to Arts on this initiative as we continue to support and promote the work of Irish artists, strengthening Ireland’s position within the global photography landscape.
Pictured: Salem Anowe Chukwuezi, Judges’ Selection Award Winner with her work Unseen, Yet Always Here, 2025, from the series Covert.
Two Judges’ Selection Awards of €2,500 each were presented to Laura Dunwoody and Salem Anowe Chukwuezi, recognising two distinct and powerful perspectives on contemporary Ireland. Dunwoody’s series Nothing Lasts Forever offers an intimate and long-term portrait of youth and community in Ballymun, while Chukwuezi’s Covert showcases the reality for Black men in Ireland, making visible what often goes unseen.
Pictured: Laura Dunwoody, Judges’ Selection Award Winner with her work Caoimhe on the bus, 2025, from the series Nothing Lasts Forever – Youth of Ballymun
We are delighted to celebrate the winners of the inaugural Taylor Wessing Irish Photo Prize. The strength and diversity of the work presented reflect the vitality of Ireland’s photographic community. Supporting this Prize allows us to champion creative talent and contribute to a wider cultural dialogue about identity, belonging and community in Ireland today.
Pictured: Patryk Gizicki, Photo Bursary Award Winner with work from his series Stay Forever More.
Alongside the main Prize awards, the Taylor Wessing Irish Photo Bursary of €10,000 — recognising an emerging artist whose practice shows exceptional promise — was awarded to Patryk Gizicki. Gizicki’s work explores youth culture and evolving ideas of identity and masculinity, offering a nuanced and personal perspective shaped by his Polish heritage and Irish upbringing.
This Prize reflects the increasingly important role business can play in Ireland’s cultural and social life. Supporting initiatives like this goes beyond patronage; it is about leadership, visibility and contributing to a broader understanding of identity and community. At Business to Arts, we are proud to support partnerships that demonstrate what is possible when business engages meaningfully with the arts.
Presented in partnership with Taylor Wessing and Photo Museum Ireland, and facilitated by Business to Arts, the Prize establishes a major new national platform for photography — offering unprecedented visibility and support for artists at all stages of their careers. As the largest combined prize fund for contemporary photography in Ireland, the initiative marks a significant investment in the country’s cultural life.
The exhibition opens to the public on 22 April and runs until 24 May 2026 at Photo Museum Ireland. It features 34 works by shortlisted artists that are ambitious, socially engaged and deeply rooted in lived experience, foregrounding perspectives that expand how community is seen, represented and understood. Together, the selected photographs offer a timely view of contemporary Ireland shaped by connection, creativity and shared experience.
