Back for its fourth edition, the Portrait of Humanity award from 1854 and British Journal of Photography captures the moments that make us what we are.

A tight embrace after months apart. A quiet gesture of thanks. A look that says, ‘I’ve got you.’ An exhale that says, ‘I’m home.’ Sometimes, the junctures we remember most in our lives are big. But often, humanity’s defining moments – those that transcend cultures, borders and barriers – are small.

Judges from past years include Alessandra Sanguinetti and Newsha Tavakolian, Magnum photographers; Fiona Shields, Head of Photography at the Guardian, and Mallory Benedict, Photo Editor at National Geographic.