Images by some of the world’s most exciting contemporary photographers are set to go on display in Sheffield next month in a new exhibition direct from the National Portrait Gallery. 

Opening on Saturday 21 February, the Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 25 will bring over 50 works selected for the prestigious international competition to the city’s Millennium Gallery.

The Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize showcases the work of talented early career photographers, gifted amateurs and established professionals in the very best of contemporary photography.

Coming to Sheffield following its hugely popular debut at the National Portrait Gallery, the Prize is a powerful celebration of how we see each other, and ourselves. The exhibition brings together traditional and contemporary approaches to portraiture, presenting over 50 compelling images of people, places and lives lived. Visitors will have the opportunity to explore photographs spanning tender human moments to striking formal portraits and discover the stories behind the creation of these remarkable works.

The 2025 prize has been awarded to Martina Holmberg for the portrait Mel (2024), from the series The Outside of the Inside. Reminiscent of a princess looking out of her tower, this stunning portrait shows Mel, a burn survivor, gazing thoughtfully out of a window. Appearing lost in a daydream, it immediately captures the imagination as viewers wonder what might be on her mind, as well as what her story is.

The exhibition will also feature work by runners-up, Luan Davide Gray and Byron Mohammad Hamzah, as well as the winner of the The Taylor Wessing Photographic Commission, Hollie Fernando. 

Kirstie Hamilton, Director of Programmes at Sheffield Museums said: “It’s fantastic to work with national partners like the National Portrait Gallery to bring the very best in art and design to Sheffield. We’re delighted to be the only venue outside London to show this year’s Taylor Wessing Prize and to showcase such striking and powerful examples of world-class photography at the Millennium Gallery.”

The Taylor Wessing Photo Portrait Prize 25 opens at Millennium Gallery on Saturday 21 February and continues until Sunday 10 May – entry to the exhibition is free, suggested donation £5.