Photographers across the Liverpool City Region are invited to submit their best shots for the 2025 Liverpool City Region Photo Awards, which is now officially open for entries.
Delivered by Open Eye Gallery with support from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, the competition is open to anyone capturing life through a lens across six compelling themes: Celebration, Connection, Futures, Shared Spaces, Movement and Care.
A panel of independent judges will select the winning images, which will go on display as part of the Photo Awards 2025 exhibition at Open Eye Gallery this November. Every submission will also feature in the gallery’s Digital Window Gallery, ensuring all entrants are showcased.
Each category winner will receive a £500 cash prize, while those earning commendation will be awarded £100.
With its rich mix of urban landscapes, coastal views, and vibrant communities, the Liverpool City Region offers endless inspiration for photographers. The last competition drew hundreds of entries from across Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, and Wirral, this year promises even more.
Councillor Mike Wharton, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Business, Investment and Trade said:
“There is such power in a photograph. It can tell a story, communicate beyond language, and connect instantly. We’ve already seen this in action with our Cultural Events Programme this year, which involves six diverse groups including refugees and asylum seekers, members of the LGBTQI+ community and D/deaf and BSL users working with socially engaged photographers.
“Photography is a great tool for successful community cohesion and bringing people together, and I hope that will be one of the benefits of the competition.”
This year’s categories support that cohesive theme. Images can be taken anywhere at any time, but entrants must currently live in the Liverpool City Region. They will then be considered by arts and industry professionals who will shortlist the winners.
Declan Connolly, Liverpool City Region Photo Awards Lead at Open Eye Gallery, said:
“After the success of the first Liverpool City Region Photo Awards in 2023 and the 380 local artists we exhibited, we’re over the moon to be running Liverpool City Region Photo Awards again and hoping to see even more people submitting work this second time around.
“Over the summer, we will have opened exhibitions in Halton, Sefton, St Helens, Wirral and Knowsley in the lead up to this open call and it’s been incredible to see the work of brilliant local photographers that we are somehow only meeting for the first time.
“Photographic talent is very much alive in the Liverpool City Region and happening every day and in every postcode – in group chats, in home darkrooms and on the street. That is what the Liverpool City Region Photo Awards are all about. We want to see it all.”
Jane MacNeil, winner of the 2023 Liverpool City Region Photo Awards, said:
“Winning the Liverpool City Region Photo Awards was a recognition to keep going and helped further my photography practice with exhibitions and publishing. There’s a thriving photography community in Liverpool, the awards are an opportunity for all to be a part of it and unlike most photo awards in the industry, there was no submission fee.”
CATEGORIES
Celebration
Something we celebrate is something we’re publicly proud of – is there something not enough people celebrate? What do you want to tell absolutely everybody about?
Connecting
We connect to people, places, animals, plants and objects everyday, some more meaningful than others. How do you feel about these connections and how would you show them?
Futures
We all experience our climate and think about the future of our planet. What around you do you see as a positive? What would you like to keep for the future, and what would you like to change?
Shared space(s)
Where we choose to spend our time reveals a lot about a person and when shared, it can begin to represent the ideals or wants of a community. Your town, cafés, your friend’s house, your favourite bench – every place holds hundreds of stories. Which stories will you choose?
Movement
Running clubs, dancing, travelling or the passing of time. Think creatively – what moves you?
Care
Care and caring looks different to each person. We can care for our friends, we can care for our communities, we can care for our environment. We can feel cared for. What does care look like for you?
Entry is free and open to anyone living in the city region (Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St Helens, Wirral). You cab submit your work here.
READ MORE: Free Things to Do in Liverpool: Budget-Friendly Fun for All Ages
